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Habitat for Humanity Buffalo Inc. (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Housing
└ Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
└ Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
To help low-income families rehabilitate their homes, Habitat for Humanity Buffalo held a series of construction skills trainings. Designed to reach people without a background in construction, the workshops focused on plumbing and electrical work. Project organizers say these education efforts ensure individuals are empowered to undertake critical home repairs. Additionally, the nonprofit wanted to help its volunteers understand the communities they serve. To do this, the organization hosted training sessions on topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Organizers report the sessions informed Home Team volunteers about the history of low-income communities and reinforced the importance of Habitat's mission to construct affordable housing.
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See More Projects Like This One
Farmville, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: The Farmville Area Habitat for Humanity purchased a trailer and equipped it with tools, which the organization uses to make safety improvements to homes. Often owned by local families for generations, many of the homes need significant repairs. Project organizers report the trailer -- which is branded with Habitat's logo and contact info -- helps raise awareness of the home repair program. They also say other local Habitat branches have expressed interest in their own mobile repair trailers. Since the trailer purchase, the repair initiative has grown, with Habitat seeing more applications. It has since expanded its services to neighboring counties.
Westford, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: Habitat for Humanity's Critical Home Repair helps lower-income older adults and veterans remain in their homes by helping with basic repairs and maintenance tasks. This project provided tools for the initiative. The tools allow Habitat to make accessibility upgrades to homes throughout Lowell -- such as adding wheelchair ramps -- as well as expand the number of homes the organization can repair and build.
Dubois, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: In a remote Wyoming town, older adults faced losing independence as home upkeep and heating needs became overwhelming. Volunteers stepped in, cutting and delivering more than 30 loads of firewood, assisting with moves and repairing doors, cabinets and stair railings. They also winterized homes and provided yard work. These efforts kept residents safe and warm through harsh winters and continue monthly with plans for more repairs. One recipient, a 101-year-old veteran on hospice, received firewood, illustrating the project's critical role in meeting urgent needs.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Buffalo, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: The Dorothy J. Collier Community Center serves residents of all ages, providing free and low-cost meals, exercise classes, social events and more. Organizers with the center hoped to offer residents another option: monthly jazz events. Participants enjoyed performances by local school groups and jazz musicians, received music lessons and enjoyed food from different cultures. Additionally, they had the opportunity to meet and share their needs with local elected leaders, who attended each of the five Jazz Nights. The events allowed the center promote efforts to beautify the community center. Following, project organizers completed an indoor mural in the space. In addition to increasing civic and social engagement, organizers said the Jazz Nights helped the community heal from a traumatic event -- the monthly gatherings kicked off in the wake of a mass shooting in Buffalo and gave attendees space to experience joy and comfort each other.
Buffalo, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: To reinvigorate three historically Black, east-side neighborhoods and foster community, LISC launched its Pride in Place Buffalo initiative. The organization created an interactive website mapping arts and cultural institutions. Following community engagement sessions to identify appropriate sites for the discovery map, project organizers compiled a list of cultural landmarks, nature and parks, transportation hubs, public art installations and other local anchors. The also site helps community members locate activities and resources, including self-guided walking and bicycling tours, food distribution resources and more. "The map basically creates a home base -- a virtual home base -- for communities that sometimes get forgotten, sometimes don't feel like their voices are being heard," Web Developer Marquis Burton said. In addition, LISC installed 20 idea boxes -- decorated by local artists -- for residents to leave their feedback about what they would like to see in the community.
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