The Remodelers Council of Greater Des Moines and Rebuilding Together Des Moines are joining forces during National Rebuilding Day to make repairs at the home of a former roofer and U.S. military veteran paralyzed from the neck down in 2011 construction accident.
The Remodelers Council of Greater Des Moines will kick off National Home Remodeling Month next weekend by partnering with Rebuilding Together Greater Des Moines for a daylong project in Urbandale in conjunction with the local not-for-profit’s annual National Rebuilding Day campaign.
Blair Legg, a disabled homeowner and U.S. military veteran who was paralyzed from the neck down in an April 2011 roofing accident, is among 30 Des Moines-metro area owners who will welcome more than 700 volunteers into their homes to make improvements and repairs during this year’s Rebuilding Day on Saturday, May 3.
The Remodelers Council is teaming up with Rebuilding Together in support of the organization’s mission to provide home repair services to elderly or disabled low-income homeowners. Legg, who worked for many years as a roofer with the same company, spent 12 months following the one-the-job accident undergoing rehabilitation at a Veteran’s Administration hospital in Minneapolis before returning to the northwest side of Greater Des Moines in the spring of 2012.
The more than 100-year-old single-family home in which Legg and his wife Becky reside is in need of minor to moderate improvements, including lighting and electrical work, refurbishment of the kitchen floor coverings and basement stairs, the installation of new paint and drywall, yard maintenance and general household repairs. The Remodelers Council is expecting approximately 25 volunteers and their families to participate in the event, and is in the process of filling remaining openings for volunteers needed between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the first Saturday in May.
“The Remodelers Council of Greater Des Moines is excited to partner again with Rebuilding Together on a project that allows our members and their families to join with others in the community to meet real needs in local neighborhoods,” said Rory Robson, chairman of the Remodelers Council’s Community Service Committee. “What a tremendous opportunity to sharpen our saws for a good cause and in support of 30 local homeowners, including a former roofer and military veteran residing in our own backyard.”
Rebuilding Together is supported entirely by contributions of materials and labor, as well as monetary donations with all proceeds going to repairing homes of those who due to financial hardship, their age, or a disability cannot complete the work themselves. The Remodelers Council, which represents the voice of the local remodeling through its affiliation with the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines and National Association of Home Builders, is committed to supporting local volunteer service projects focused on the betterment of the communities it serves. The Westover Boulevard project is being funded in part by financial contributions by Polk County, Iowa.
Legg was in the Unites States Air Force for three years and served in Vietnam prior to being honorably discharged in 1976. He and Becky moved to Des Moines and settled in the Merle Hay Neighborhood after a fire in 1994 destroyed a house that the couple had had purchased following Legg’s tour of duty.
About Remodelers Council of Greater Des Moines
The Remodelers Council of Greater Des Moines is an association of remodeling contractors, specialty trade contractors, and building material suppliers dedicated to maintaining the highest standard of professionalism, quality construction and customer satisfaction. Our members adhere to a strict code of ethics and participate year-round in networking, educational and community events through trusted affiliations with the National Association of Home Builders, Home Builders Association of Iowa, and the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines.
About Rebuilding Together Greater Des Moines
Since its first Rebuilding Day in 1995, Rebuilding Together Greater Des Moines has repaired or rehabilitated over 1,750 houses and non-profit facilities in Greater Des Moines. Through the efforts of approximately 180,000 volunteer hours, over $8 million has been added to the market value of Des Moines homes and neighborhoods. Rebuilding Together Greater Des Moines is an affiliate of Rebuilding Together, the nation’s largest nonprofit organization whose mission is to revitalize houses of low-income homeowners and families, particularly those who are elderly, disabled and military veterans. For more information, please visit www.rebuildingdm.org.