Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County assists Pontiac homeowners with repairs
PONTIAC, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – Volunteers are helping homeowners in Pontiac make small repairs that they hope will have a greater impact on the community.
It's part of the "Rock The Block"' program Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County is hosting this week.
Jonice Green is proud she owns her house outright.
"Anything new is a breath of fresh air," Green said. "You take pride in your home, at least I do."
As a single mother facing rising living costs, her budget is tight for things like fixing a fence.
"It will always be greater. When you're dealing with a single income, it will always be greater, trust me, because there's always something that comes up," Green said.
So she applied for the chance to have volunteers with Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County help with minor home repairs.
"In Michigan alone, our average home is over 50 years old. So we have a lot of homes across the county that are in need of repair. We also have a lot of citizens, for one reason or another, who just don't have the wherewithal to make those repairs," Ann Duke, Chief Development Officer for Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County, told CBS News Detroit.
During their "Rock the Block" program this week, 23 houses in Pontiac are getting some TLC, and a park will get cleaned up.
Sean Preston, with the group "Brothers United For Change," is one of the volunteers.
"Everybody that's here today are Pontiac residents. So we're giving back to our community. And it's just all about the neighborhood. Man, we have to take care of our community. First, we have to make sure you know, our grass is cut, our flowers are planted, our trees are cut down. Our yards are taken care of just so our neighborhood can look pretty," Preston said.
The larger goal is that a fresh coat of paint and a new fence at one home may encourage others to take action.
"When neighbors see people working on one house, sometimes they get the idea to do some work on their house as well. So there's a trickle effect that goes throughout the neighborhood," Duke said.
The non-profit plans to take its efforts to Southfield in September.
To learn more about the program, visit here.
