On Friday, April 21st, we partnered with volunteers from The Opus Group to provide much-needed home repairs for two South Minneapolis homeowners in need and make improvements to a charter school in East Saint Paul.
One of the homeowners we helped is Celeste, who moved into her South Minneapolis home in 1967 and raised her family there. Now a grandmother and widow (her husband was an Army veteran), Celeste remains an active member of the community in her golden years. She has taken on a leadership role within her church and volunteered many hours at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, until mobility issues forced her to step aside two years ago. These same mobility issues have prevented her from using the rear-entry steps to her backyard for over a year. Volunteers from The Opus Group made accessibility modifications to the front and rear entries so Celeste can safely and independently come and go from her home and made several other repairs to her home.
We also helped Carolyn, who has lived in her South Minneapolis home for more than 20 years. A retired nurse, Carolyn now suffers from severe arthritis that has greatly limited her mobility. She loves her home, is surrounded by friendly neighbors, and is close to grocers, the library, and her church; however, getting around is a significant challenge. She has fallen in her home several times, and is now wheelchair-bound when going outside. Volunteers from The Opus Group made accessibility modifications to the front and rear entries of Carolyn’s home, so she can leave her home independently; painted her kitchen walls and ceiling; installed new light fixtures; replaced storm windows; and replaced flooring in the living room and kitchen.
The Opus Group also made improvements at the Twin Cities Academy, a charter school located in East Saint Paul. Volunteers helped established a garden classroom on the site of the school, which will provide hands-on learning activities to accompany and enhance the science curriculum. Volunteers spent the day building and installing raised bed garden plots, an open-air classroom with benches, compost bins, walking paths, and arbors and trellises.
We are incredibly grateful for the support of The Opus Group and the hard work of their volunteers! Together, we have made a meaningful difference for two homeowners in need and the students served by the Twin Cities Academy!
