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LA PLATA, Md., (April 29, 2008) - At least 60 airmen, soldiers
and civilians with the Air and Army National Guard brought
Christmas early to a disabled Maryland resident here April 26 by
repairing her home on "National Rebuilding Day."
Members of the National Guard Bureau, the Air Guard Readiness
Center and the District of Columbia National Guard were among the
volunteers who repaired the home of Michelle Samuel for what they
called a "Christmas in April" event.
Known nationally as Rebuilding Day, the annual event's community
projects are planned and organized for the last Saturday in April.
Orchestrated by the nonprofit Rebuilding Together organization,
this was the 20th National Rebuilding Day since its inception in
1988.
Across the country, more than 200,000 volunteers planned 10,000
home and community center projects for the day. The volunteers
rehabilitated homes for low-income residents at no cost. Many
residents were elderly, disabled veterans or needy families.
Samuel, a disabled retired federal worker for the U.S. Army,
said her fixed, limited income did not allow her to make needed
repairs. She was chosen by the county's chapter after a review of
many applicants.
"It needed lots of attention, from top to bottom -- the roof,
everything," said Samuel through the noise of pounding hammers and
buzzing saws. "It's happening, and I'm so happy."
The Guard volunteers shingled her roof, repainted the interior
and exterior, installed a new stove, washer and dryer, repaired the
ceilings and bathroom, installed a new storm door and made many
other repairs.
"It's a great cause," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Eugene McDonald
from the National Guard's inspector general's office in Arlington,
Va.
It was McDonald's first time volunteering. She and her cleanup
team helped plant flowers and picked up shingles and other
construction debris from the yard, while other volunteers measured
or painted or ran to the hardware store for materials in a rush to
finish the home before sunset.
"I was telling everyone, if you want to see what angels look
like and a blessing looks like, just drive by and see," Samuel
said. "I could kiss and hug everybody all day long, but they have
to work, so I have to leave them alone."
"We got started with this 14 years ago through our [Air Guard]
civil engineering," said Ray Detig, a retired federal worker now
employed as a contractor with the Air National Guard. "It's grown
to include [National Guard] joint staff and many other units. When
it's done, it is such a good feeling, and it's really good for the
community."
He added that Guard members in other states also volunteer in
projects.
What some Guard volunteers here may have not known is that their
support for National Rebuilding Day here indirectly supports fellow
servicemembers.
"It's not just for folks who are over 65 and disabled," Detig
said. "The organization helps servicemembers who are overseas, for
instance, if some servicemember is deployed and his wife says, 'The
roof is leaking. What do I do?'"
Thomas J. Cantwell, the organization's national director for
veterans housing, said Rebuilding Together is assisting more than
150 veterans and their families this spring through their "Heroes
at Home" program, and they hope to help many more in the years to
come. This includes modifying veterans' homes to accommodate
disabilities or making home repairs.
In the past, volunteers helped Minnesota Army National Guard
Sgt. Jonathan VanderWert. They renovated his family's home while he
was deployed to Iraq and unable to make repairs. The organization
also modified the home of Florida Army National Guard Staff Sgt.
John Quincy Adams, who was severely injured in Iraq when a roadside
bomb detonated near his Humvee.
"Rebuilding Together appreciates the support of the National
Guard and all our servicemembers on our home repair and
modification projects," Cantwell said. "The National Guard has
shown they support our nation and their fellow soldiers, overseas
and at home."
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals,
groups and organizations that are helping support the troops,
visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America
Supports You directly connects military members to the support of
the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their
quest to find meaningful ways to support the military
community.
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