By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
In the spring of last year, more than a hundred community and campus volunteers helped 17 homeowners in Bowling Green spruce up their yards and homes. Year-round residents and BGSU students worked side by side to trim shrubs, rake leaves, paint, wash windows and siding, and plant shade trees and native perennial plants.
This fall, the “Rock the Block” event is being repeated – with a twist.
The priority of the “Rock Our Vets” service project next month will be assisting local veterans and senior citizens with weatherization, yard work and measures to improve the safety, comfort, and energy efficiency of their homes.
“The project is about more than fixing homes. It’s about honoring service and strengthening the ties that build stronger neighborhoods,” said David Drain, president of BG SONG.
Applications from veterans and seniors will be accepted through Oct. 1. The work dates are set for Oct. 24, 25 and 26, with follow up for exterior work on Oct. 31, Nov. 1 or 2.
The project is again being organized by the Bowling Green Save Our Neighborhoods Group (BG SONG), a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of Bowling Green neighborhoods.
Last year, the initiative brought the community together to assist local homeowners with yard work, exterior maintenance and minor repairs at no cost. Homeowners assisted ranged from families with young children to individuals in their 90s.
This fall’s event again received financial support from the Bowling Green Community Foundation.
The “Rock Our Vets” project is aimed at honoring the service of Bowling Green veterans by showing up with hands-on help at no charge. That may include:
- Attic and wall insulation
- Weather stripping doors and windows
- Furnace and HVAC checkups
- Caulking
- Other repairs to improve warmth and efficiency
The volunteers can also help with exterior projects, such as:
- Raking leaves
- Trimming shrubs
- Stair and handrail repair
- Powerwashing
- Small painting projects
- Providing and planting shade trees
To make the initiative work, in addition to veterans and senior citizen homeowners, BG SONG is also looking for volunteers and sponsors.
“Whether you’re handy with a hammer or just happy to help, there’s a spot for you,” the BG SONG material states. The initiative welcomes those who volunteer as individuals, faith groups, service organizations, trade professionals and students.
BG SONG will provide tools and supplies, lunch, and volunteer T-shirts.
Also needed are businesses to sponsor the event by providing materials, labor or funds. Items needed include insulation, tools, contractor services, gift cards or meals for volunteers, and monetary donations.
Homeowners or renters who live in Bowling Green and within the BG City School District may apply. Volunteer site leaders will visit participants’ homes in early October to evaluate the scope of the work and determine the materials, tools and work hours needed at each home.
The participant application is available at www.bgsong.org/rock-our-vets. Individuals, groups and businesses wanting to support the project as volunteers or sponsors will find an interest form on the same webpage.
Partners on the project include BGSU’s C. Raymond Marvin Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, Nontraditional and Military Student Services at BGSU, and the Wood County Veterans Service Office.
Members of BGSU’s Purple Hard Hats and the Student Construction Management Association, organizations in the university’s School of the Built Environment, are prepared to share their time and skills to help with the project. The groups include students majoring in construction management, architecture and interior design.
“Our students have a range of skill levels when it comes to home repairs from proficient to complete beginner,” said Magdalena Mezaros, president of Purple Hard Hats and Community Outreach Officer for SCMA. “We are eager to get some real-world experience and give back to the community.”
