Neighbors Lending Each Other A Helping Hand To Spruce Up Long Island
BAY SHORE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - Homes are getting spruced up on Long Island, with volunteers getting down and dirty to help beautify the area free of charge to homeowners.
This is Spruce Up Bay Shore, where volunteers are painting, repairing porches and doing all they can to help fix-up homes in the area, reports CBS2's Cindy Hsu.
Several groups have joined forces to help, including the Long Island Housing Partnership, The State of New York Mortgage Agency and the First Baptist Church of Bay Shore.
Before Spruce Up Day volunteers fan out into the neighborhood, they go door-to-door asking if they'd like to be on the list to get their home spruced up a little.
"They said, would you like us to help clean up your yard, and I didn't really expect anyone to show up," said Army veteran Steven Bauer. "They did, and they did an outstanding job."
Bauer served for more than 20 years until he was injured in Iraq.
"I had a traumatic brain injury," he said. "Spent a year in the hospital, Walter Reade, and they were fantastic surgeons... They put me back together."
This is the third year for the Spruce Up Event and each year a different neighborhood is chosen.
"The whole idea (is) teamwork and being able to beautify a community and help not only veterans but homeowners who've been living in a community that may not have the resources or time to fix up their homes," said James Britz of the Long Island Housing Partnership.
Pastor Daris Dixon-Clark says these types of events bring neighbors together and help reach people who may not ask for help.
"We met a grandmother who's raising her grandchild, so we're helping her," said Dixon-Clark. "There are some seniors on there, some seniors who are living by themselves that we were able to help."
Friday's volunteers helped spruce up 13 homes.
The hope is the idea will spread and neighbors will reach out to help each other.