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Operation Welcome Home
"I can’t believe it. It’s so beautiful. I don’t believe it’s the same house!" Those were the words of 61-year old Lorene Bell as she walked into her newly renovated home. For more than one year, Ms. Bell had been living in a severely damaged home following Hurricane Ike. The house was in such poor condition that it had to be gutted and rebuilt.
Last year, after running into several dead-ends following Ike, Ms. Bell sought help through Neighborhood Centers’ Stay Connected Texas program. She was assigned to a Stay Connected service connector who guided her through the process and stages of disaster recovery. When Ms. Bell became eligible for disaster recovery services she was moved from her home to a hotel while her home was being assessed.
As funding for services of Stay Connected Texas clients began to come in through grants, so did the need for volunteers to do the work. Fortunately, there was no shortage of big hearts. Dozens of men and women, from ARAMARK, UMCOR, Commercial Wallcoverings Inc., CFI Mechanical, Metropolitan Landscape Mangement, Southwest Surplus and Maintenance of Houston, partnered with Neighborhood Centers Inc. for Operation Welcome Home, a repair, rebuild and refurbish project of Neighborhood Centers Inc.
On February 19th, renovations were completed and Ms. Bell became the first recipient of Operation Welcome Home. The scope of work and repairs to her home included a new roof, sheetrock, electrical work and repair of plumbing lines, as well as a new kitchen, bathroom, living room, flooring and furniture.
Surrounded by family, friends and volunteers, Ms. Bell received the keys to her newly refurbished home and a warm welcome.
"I waited a whole year and a half to get it done," said Bell. "And every time I would call, everyone would say ‘oh we will do it, we will do it’, but Neighborhood Centers- they did it! I am so grateful."
Ms. Bell Comes Home - Watch the Video!
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