It wasn’t going to be easy. One look at the little red house almost hidden behind overgrown bushes and it was obvious that the PUD crews had their work cut out for them. The porch was rotted and collapsing, the paint was worn and peeling, the windows were draped in old plastic and the bathroom was a lost cause. In the early morning hours of April 25th PUD staff gathered in Montesano ready to take on the challenge of breathing new life into the little house as part of the annual Rebuilding Together program. The program uses teams of volunteers to make repairs to the homes of low-income residents.
- PUD Volunteers get ready to “Rebuild Together”
About 40 PUD employees along with family members got to work on the house, clearing debris, dismantling the porch, removing old windows to make way for new ones, and gutting the bathroom. The work progressed quickly and by noon a dumpster was full and there were signs of progress on the little house. Overgrown bushes were cleared and replaced with neatly planted rhododendrons, the faded peeling paint was stripped away from the siding, new window frames waited to greet new windows, the old porch was gone and a new porch began to take shape. Inside the house everything from the sink to the floor was removed from the bathroom.
By the end of the day, the little house was transformed with a new porch complete with bright blooming baskets of flowering plants, new paint, new windows and a new bathroom. The Grays Harbor PUD staff was tired, sore and more than a little dirty but couldn’t help feeling a sense of satisfaction when the delighted homeowner navigated his wheelchair down a newly built ramp from his new porch and announced with a smile on his face “This will work!”
