ABWK Regular Crew Brings Help (And Hope) To Homeowners

Roughly four years ago, A Brush With Kindness (ABWK) Project Supervisor Mike Robertson and Habitat volunteer Dave Devoy put together a small group of individuals to form the ABWK Regular Crew (or as we call them, the “ARegs”).

“My first volunteer opportunity was with A Brush With Kindness in February of 2010. It was a small house in need of many repairs, and it was owned by a widowed grandmother. I was struck by the dedication, compassion, and congeniality of the ABWK staff and volunteers, and the quality of their work. I was even more struck by the need for such services and the limited resources available to help service those needs,” said Devoy.

Dave Devoy leads the crew of four in helping out on ABWK projects every Wednesday from 8:30 – 4pm. The rest of the crew consists of: Jerry Kuennen, a retired forensic engineer from the Electric Utility industry and detail-oriented volunteer; Phil Jablonecki, a retired electrician and all-around handyman; and Bill Skinner, an experienced Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity volunteer. The crew also gets support from other Habitat crews, like the Jewish Community Regular Crew (JCRC), as well as single day volunteers. In addition, the AReg crew members often volunteer on other Twin Cities Habitat crews or sites.

“The ARegs are a huge help on ABWK projects,” said Robertson. “They can assist with more technical home repair, and are able to perform a number of tasks – from exterior carpentry to the installation of health and safety grab bars, hand rails, and ramps.”

One of the crews’ most memorable projects involved a widowed grandmother named Annie. She had inherited a rather large house, in which she houses and cares for three generations of family. She is a community asset in many ways, but she was unable to perform all the extensive repairs cited by the City of St. Paul. While the ABWK crew worked on the house, Dave recalled how inspiring Annie was, expressing her gratitude, and sharing her good nature and community spirit.

“Working with ABWK is especially rewarding due to the fact that the work is performed on owner-occupied houses. The results are often quite striking and the homeowners are invariably pleasant and appreciative. The families are often inspiring in their abilities to deal with the challenges of life,” Dave shared.

The ABWK Regular Crew works year-round, and members have a great opportunity to learn basic home repair/construction skills. Anyone who would like to learn new skills (or share their expertise) is encouraged and welcome to join the ABWK Regulars or another Twin Cities Habitat regular crew.

Photos courtesy of Dave Devoy