• Article Photo. The team after their successful finish on a client’s home that is now accessibility-friendly.
    The team after their successful finish on a client’s home that is now accessibility-friendly.
  • Article Photo. Cameron McLendon instructs a volunteer on how to install baseboards.
    Cameron McLendon instructs a volunteer on how to install baseboards.

By Corey Milligan

Maple 7 is serving with Supports to Encourage Low-Income Families (SELF) to help improve citizens’ homes in need of repairs, wheelchair ramp installation, and general clean-up in Hamilton and Middletown, Ohio for the last 5 weeks. They are staying at the YMCA Booker T. Washington Community Center, which SELF works with and supports.

The team has completed nine homes thus far. The team has learned a lot from trainings with the sponsor, John Post. Members of Maple 7 are enthused about this project and can take in pride with the gained knowledge of construction skills they can put to use after AmeriCorps NCCC.

For a community day of service, Maple 7 hosted a blitz build day at the community center. 4,000 feet of baseboards were affixed all over the center, a toy chest was built and installed, two locker rooms were painted bright blue and red, and the outdoor bathrooms were painted as well. The community day got featured in the local newspaper. Catching the locals’ eye about what Maple 7 and SELF were doing helps both SELF and the Booker T. Washington Community Center receive some recognition, as well as AmeriCorps NCCC.

The team still has more homes to complete to meet their goal of 12-15 homes before the end of the project, on September 26.