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Home Depot Client Dwight

LifeCare Alliance, #TeamDepot Help Veteran With Needed Home Repair

By Featured News, Home Repairs

When a local veteran needed assistance with repairs for leaky faucets in his home, he turned to LifeCare Alliance.

A friend referred Dwight — a United States Air Force veteran who retired from Experience Columbus after 21 years — to LifeCare Alliance for home-repair help. Dwight noticed his faucets leaked constantly, and he realized he needed shut-off valves installed to alleviate the problem.

LifeCare Alliance completed the repairs with grant funding from Meals on Wheels America and The Home Depot Foundation. The Helping Hometown Heroes program serves veterans with safety and health-related home maintenance projects.

“Once my faucets were repaired and the valves installed, I felt just like a kid, no more leaks!” Dwight said. “Thank you, LifeCare Alliance, and thank you, Team Depot. I really appreciate it.  I am going to tell as many veterans that I know about this service, I’m sure they too can benefit from this program.”

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Home Depot Client Dwight

LifeCare Alliance, #TeamDepot Help Veteran With Needed Home Repair

| Featured News, Home Repairs | No Comments
When a local veteran needed assistance with repairs for leaky faucets in his home, he turned to LifeCare Alliance. A friend referred Dwight — a United States Air Force veteran…
LifeCare Alliance Administrative Building

10TV: LifeCare Alliance Replaces 30 Furnaces for Seniors in 2020

| Featured News, Home Repairs, LifeCare Alliance in the News | No Comments
Story published Jan. 12, 2021, by 10TV: Nancy Jones lost her husband, Jack, a year ago. On top of an already tough year, she started worrying about her furnace. It…
Elmer, LifeCare Alliance client, shown at home in his chair.

Grab bars, new step make WWII veteran’s home a safer place

| Featured News, Home Repairs, Meals-on-Wheels | No Comments
LifeCare Alliance, with the help of a grant from Meals on Wheels America and Team Depot, made improvements in the home of a Navy veteran to help him move safely…
View of water damage on ceiling

Army widow’s roof repair a ‘blessing’ thanks to LifeCare Alliance, MOWA, Team Depot

| Featured News, Home Repairs | No Comments
Ms. Marcum is a 95-year-old widow of a U.S. 2nd Battalion Army Ranger veteran who served from 1944-1946. When she needed help with a leaky roof that posed a safety…

LifeCare Alliance is excited to announce a new funding partner with our Chores program, the HomeServe Cares Foundation.

| Featured News, Home Repairs | No Comments
The Chores program oversees repairs to help improve clients’ living environment by providing safety and health-related such as electrical and plumbing maintenance, grab bar and railing installations, and floor and…

LifeCare Alliance helps veteran fix costly code violations with help of Team Depot, Meals on Wheels America

| Featured News, Home Repairs, Meals-on-Wheels | No Comments
LifeCare Alliance, with the help of a grant from Meals on Wheels America and Team Depot, helped a local veteran with home repairs that improved safety hazards and helped avoid…
LifeCare Alliance Administrative Building

10TV: LifeCare Alliance Replaces 30 Furnaces for Seniors in 2020

By Featured News, Home Repairs, LifeCare Alliance in the News

Story published Jan. 12, 2021, by 10TV:

Nancy Jones lost her husband, Jack, a year ago. On top of an already tough year, she started worrying about her furnace.

It started going out, and she said she wouldn’t have been able to afford fixing it. She started calling places and got in touch with LifeCare Alliance.

LifeCare Alliance replaced furnaces for about 30 people [in 2020].

Click here to read the full story.

Elmer, LifeCare Alliance client, shown at home in his chair.

Grab bars, new step make WWII veteran’s home a safer place

By Featured News, Home Repairs, Meals-on-Wheels

LifeCare Alliance, with the help of a grant from Meals on Wheels America and Team Depot, made improvements in the home of a Navy veteran to help him move safely around his home.

Elmer served in World War II between 1945-1947, and is classified as an atomic veteran. During his service, his ship and shipmates would be near the atomic bomb testing areas for either testing or cleanup for the atomic bomb. At age 92, some simple home improvements were needed to ensure Elmer could remain independent in his home.

He came to LifeCare Alliance through a partnership with Focus Hillard, inside the Norwich Township Fire Department. Focus Hillard teams up with Doctors West hospital to link area residents with community resources and improve their quality of life. After speaking to Elmer’s daughter, Focus Hillard realized that in order for Elmer to able to get around his home safely, he would need grab bars and other improvements. That’s’ when Focus Hillard contacted LifeCare Alliance to seek assistance for the family.

LifeCare Alliance installed a number of grab bars around the home and inside the garage entranceway. A new step was built at the entrance of his garage, as well. According to his daughter, this has given Elmer a sense of safety and comfort moving around the home.

“Showering is not as difficult now, and we have a small ramp located in the kitchen area that leads down to the dining area,” she said. “LifeCare Alliance was able to come in and install a grab bar along the counter area where the ramp is located, and now he using that to steady himself going up and down the ramp.”

Elmer’s daughter expressed her gratitude for the help her father received.

“We would like to thank Focus Hilliard, LifeCare Alliance and the Home Depot Foundation for not only providing the repairs needed but also having such a great program and partnership to serve the veterans of this community.”

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View of entrance before improvements

After:

View of entrance after step and grab bar installed
View of water damage on ceiling

Army widow’s roof repair a ‘blessing’ thanks to LifeCare Alliance, MOWA, Team Depot

By Featured News, Home Repairs

Ms. Marcum is a 95-year-old widow of a U.S. 2nd Battalion Army Ranger veteran who served from 1944-1946. When she needed help with a leaky roof that posed a safety challenge in her mobile home, she turned to LifeCare Alliance.

With the help of Team Depot and Meals on Wheels America, LifeCare Alliance made the roof repair so Ms. Marcum could navigate her home safely.

“I have been a widow for over 40 years now and it’s been a challenge when it comes to repairs to my mobile home,” Ms. Marcum said. “My roof has been leaking for about 4 years but has been getting worse over the years.  I had been asking everyone about getting my roof fixed but no one would do any work on mobile homes… I surely didn’t have the money to pay someone to fix it.”

After receiving a flier about LifeCare Alliance’s partnership with Team Depot and Meals on Wheels America on the Helping Homebound Heroes program, she called for help.

“I couldn’t believe it when you guys said you could fix it for me,” she said. “Not only fix it for me but I didn’t have to pay any money for it. That was a blessing for me.”

Ms. Marcum was grateful for the assistance.

“I just want to thank you, Home Depot and the great contractors from America’s Choice Construction. They were wonderful for all you done for me.”

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“I don’t know what I would have done without you guys because the roof was getting worse by the day. By you doing this work it has truly calmed my nerves and you know that I’m 95 years old and it was getting hard on me.”

-Ms. Marcum, on her experience with the Helping Homebound Heroes campaign

LifeCare Alliance is excited to announce a new funding partner with our Chores program, the HomeServe Cares Foundation.

By Featured News, Home Repairs

The Chores program oversees repairs to help improve clients’ living environment by providing safety and health-related such as electrical and plumbing maintenance, grab bar and railing installations, and floor and drywall repairs. These home repairs improve an older adult’s health and quality of life as well as help to prevent costly accidents and injuries, which could adversely affect their health and financial welfare.

HomeServe USA is an independent provider of home repair service solutions. For over a decade, they have helped homeowners in the U.S. and Canada protect against the expense and inconvenience of home repair emergencies by managing affordable coverage, and offering a quality service. Recognizing the need to reach out to organizations that serve low-income individuals in the areas they operate, the organization developed the HomeServe Cares Foundation and began accepting grant requests in 2019. LifeCare Alliance was one of three grant recipients nationwide in the second cycle of applicants!

Available funding for the Chores program typically disperses quickly, and there are limited sources that support this type of social service solely for older adults. Oftentimes, home repairs are costly one-time expenses and older adults living on a retirement or social security cannot afford the repairs themselves. The Chores program fills a unique gap in the client populations lives by providing home repair projects. The program continuously works with trusted contractors that have a reputation of treating the older adult population with dignity, integrity, and respect to implement the program’s activities.

Without funding partners like the HomeServe Cares Foundation, LifeCare Alliance would not be able to serve our central Ohio neighbors with responsive, compassionate, and quality care.

LifeCare Alliance helps veteran fix costly code violations with help of Team Depot, Meals on Wheels America

By Featured News, Home Repairs, Meals-on-Wheels

LifeCare Alliance, with the help of a grant from Meals on Wheels America and Team Depot, helped a local veteran with home repairs that improved safety hazards and helped avoid costly city code enforcement violations.

Richard is an Army veteran who spent two years in Korea in 1970-71. His home was in need of repairs to the front concrete steps, as well as missing gutters and fascia boards.

“The repair that was completed by LifeCare Alliance and Home Depot changed my life tremendously because I did not have the finances to fix the home nor did I have the finances to pay the code violation fine,” Richard said.  “I just wanted to add that the contractors did fantastic job and I really appreciate all that you were able to do for me to get me out of the hole.”

LifeCare Alliance has worked with the City of Columbus Code Enforcement Department to help veterans with repairs to avoid going to court over code violations. Code enforcement often will grant some leniency when LifeCare Alliance is involved in veterans’ repairs, knowing that the Agency will be providing assistance.

“I am very proud to see that we live in a city that takes great pride and helping our residents instead of penalizing the underserved,” said Maurice Elder, who administers the Chores program for LifeCare Alliance. “This partnership has been great, to ensure the safety of our residents in the community who proudly served our country.”

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LifeCare Alliance, Team Depot help veteran repair broken garage door

By Featured News, Home Repairs

LifeCare Alliance, with the help of a grant from Meals on Wheels America and Team Depot, helped a veteran repair a broken door that limited access to his garage.

Earl is a 70-year-old Marine veteran who served two years in Vietnam. He said that for many years it was difficult to access services to assist veterans. But he was relieved that after learning about LifeCare Alliance’s partnership with Team Depot, he was able to get his repair completed quickly.

“I came here Jan. 15, and the wheels started rolling in February,” he said. “That was quick to me. The whole thing was completed in 2-3 months.”

The garage door at Earl’s home needed repair after a spring broke, making it difficult for him to open and close the garage. Earl said back problems had limited his mobility. He said the pain even affected his ability to play with his grandchildren. So this repair would make it much easier to complete everyday tasks. The garage door had been broken for a year.

With assistance from LifeCare Alliance, Meals on Wheels and Team Depot, Earl was able to have a repair done that would cost an estimated $300-$600, significant for a veteran on a fixed income. Earl wants other veterans to know about the services available at LifeCare Alliance, and was grateful for the help he received.

“I’d like to thank Team Depot for me and all of the other veterans that they’ve helped. I’m glad to see somebody stepping up and helping old guys like me because every little bit helps.”

LifeCare Alliance improves shower access for Navy widow with help of MOWA, Team Depot

By Featured News, Home Repairs

LifeCare Alliance, with the help of a grant from Meals on Wheels America and Team Depot, made improvements in the home of a Navy widow to help her safely access her shower.

Carol is the widow of a Navy veteran who served four years in active duty as well as 16 years in the Reserves. With limited mobility, simply getting into and out of the shower became a challenge for Carol. After hearing of LifeCare Alliance’s CHORES program, which helps seniors make home improvements to address safety issues, she decided to apply for assistance. Funding from Meals on Wheels America and Team Depot helps provide these improvements for military veterans and their spouses.

I had two grab bars put in, one on the inside of the shower and one on the outside of the shower. I now can use both of them getting in and out of the shower. That is something that really helps.

They put in a flex handheld shower extension that you could pull off the wall. I can use this to rinse my hair without getting everything else wet. I love that, and I can now put a bench inside the shower to sit down and use the flex extension to wash.

This program from Lifecare Alliance, Meals on Wheels America and Home Depot was so simple to apply for it gave me the incentive to get it done.

I just want to thank everyone involved with assisting me with making it easier to shower and get in and out of the shower area.

Before:

Carol Scior (upstairs tub & shower)

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Home Depot representatives with LifeCare Alliance clients and staff

LifeCare Alliance, Team Depot complete veteran’s porch project

By Featured News, Home Repairs

This summer, LifeCare Alliance featured Bob and Linda, South Side Parsons Area community advocates. A damaged roof and sinking porch on their own home presented a significant challenge to the military family.

LifeCare Alliance assisted the couple through the Helping Hometown Heroes grant provided by Home Depot and Meals on Wheels America. The porch and roof were improved this summer, and Team Depot representatives returned in September to paint the porch after giving materials time to cure.

LifeCare Alliance is proud to offer this assistance in the central Ohio community. For more information, call 614-278-3130.

Vital repair assistance keeps Army widow from going homeless

By Featured News, Home Repairs

A mysterious leak in the bathroom nearly left an Army widow penniless when repair costs and water bills began to add up. But thanks to LifeCare Alliance, through a grant from Meals on Wheels America and Team Depot, the leak and damage were fixed — allowing her to stay safe, independent, and living in her own home.

Darlene is the widow of an Army veteran who served from 1945-1947. Since her husband passed away years ago, money became tight. Her retirement and pension income also had run out. So when the unexpected leak caused major damage to her bathroom floor, she had no way to pay for repairs.

Since the leak appeared to be coming from the bathtub, Darlene tried limiting showers to avoid further damage to the floor. When that wasn’t working, Darlene thought she may be forced to leave the home she shared with her late husband. Around tax time this year, she shared her concerns with her tax preparer, who gave her some leads on assistance with the home repairs, including LifeCare Alliance.

“The Lord was watching over me when I found LifeCare,” Darlene said. “The first day the contractor came in, he showed me a picture of the new floor he was going to install.”

The contractor also pinpointed the source of the leak as the toilet, not the tub. “That’s something we wouldn’t have even known if it wasn’t for the contractor and LifeCare.”

Darlene’s sister lives with her and is on oxygen 24 hours a day. In addition to the floor repair, the contractor said the two would need grab bars installed in the bathroom for safety. Darlene had maxed out her credit card purchasing grab bars, but assistance from the Helping Homebound Heroes grant allowed her to return them, giving her an additional financial break.

“When the contractor got finished with the job, we were so overwhelmed at the look and safety of our bathroom. It was beautiful,” Darlene said. “We can take a bath now! We went without taking baths or showering for months in fear of the tub going through the floor.”

Darlene is grateful for the help she received from LifeCare Alliance, with the support of Meals on Wheels America and Team Depot.

“You know the Lord takes care of the widows and the fallen vets, and today LifeCare was our angel to allow me to stay in my home.”

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Home repair Client

LifeCare Alliance, partners help secure Army widow’s home

By Featured News, Home Repairs

LifeCare Alliance, in partnership with Meals on Wheels America and The Home Depot Foundation, helped provide basic but vital safety improvements at an Army widow’s home.

When 75-year-old Isabelle contacted LifeCare Alliance for home repairs, she was grateful to learn of the help she could receive through the Helping Hometown Heroes program. Most of the repairs to Isabelle’s home were to keep her safe and secure in her own home.  The improvements included the installation of motion-activated outdoor lighting, a small wheelchair ramp, a new security door, a window with locking device, and drywall in her bedroom.

“I really appreciate the motion lamp. When I come home at night, the light turns on,” Isabelle said, adding that she feels safer with the new wheelchair ramp and a window that locks. “You guys have helped me tremendously, and I appreciate it,” she said.

Isabelle said the improvements have allowed her to stay safe and independent in her home, where she wants to be. The repairs, unfortunately, had been more than she could afford.

Her husband, served in the Army during the 1960s and ’70s.

The Helping Hometown Heroes program helps veterans and spouses improve their homes to address mobility challenges and avoid unnecessary injuries, hospitalization and homelessness. The Home Depot Foundation has invested more than $200 million in veteran-related projects since 2011.

“I would like to thank the Home Depot Foundation and LifeCare Alliance for all they do for our veterans,” Isabelle said.

LifeCare Alliance clients Bob and Linda

Roof, porch repairs prop up pair of community advocates

By Featured News, Home Repairs

Bob and Linda are strong community advocates in Columbus’ South Side Parsons Area Commission.

The married couple’s neighborhood pride pushes them to clean up crime and property damage in their community. But as issues with the roof and porch on their own home worsened, Bob and Linda needed some help. Their roof was damaged and part of their porch was sinking.

Bob served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Over the years, he and his wife have dealt with several medical issues. He is one of many veterans that LifeCare Alliance is assisting through the Helping Hometown Heroes grant provided by Home Depot and Meals on Wheels America.

“We were in dire need of help and they came to our rescue to help us out,” Linda said. “And now our roof is fixed along with our porch. We just thank you from the bottom of our heart!!”

Bob shared his story with us:

I served in the Army from 1968-1971, doing one term in Vietnam.

When I got out of the service we got the house, and after some years we starting having a lot of issues with the house. We got a hold of LifeCare Alliance through a community meeting we were attending when Maurice talked about the program. LifeCare saved my rear end by coming out and fixing my roof and my dangerously sinking front porch that we were cited for from City Code Enforcement.

Without LifeCare Alliance, there would have been no way I could have afforded to do these repairs unless I hit the lottery or something.

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Damaged porch

After:

Repaired porch
Mark Bellamy

Veteran’s fence repairs become within reach through Home Depot grant

By Home Repairs

LifeCare Alliance, through funding from the Helping Hometown Heroes grant provided by Home Depot and Meals on Wheels America, is helping local veterans like Mark make necessary repairs to their homes.

Because of a fixed income, Mark faced a significant challenge when his large privacy fence was damaged, attracting attention from a city code enforcement officer. The Helping Hometown Heroes grant helped Mark get the help he needed to shore up his fence and remove a citation he received.

He shared his story with us:

“My name is Mark, and during the 1970’s I was an Airman in the Navy.

My home is located on a corner lot and in my neighborhood crime has spiked, and my privacy fence provides me with a sense of security.  One day, I noticed the fence was leaning, and then it fell – that is when I received a citation from the City Of Columbus Code Enforcement Officer. After I was cited, we had a strong storm, and part of the large fence came down!

The code enforcement officer referred me to Maurice Elder from LifeCare Alliance. I was told that he helps veterans with these types of projects.  LifeCare Alliance and Home Depot assisted with repairing my fence and allowing code enforcement to remove the citation.

I am disabled and living on VA pension which isn’t much, so this help was a Godsend for me. Since my repair, Maurice inquired if I was in need of home-delivered meals. I gladly accepted the help. In closing, I would like to say, God Bless Home Depot and LifeCare Alliance.”

 

 

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David and Diane Kazee

Home Depot grant helps repair floors in veteran’s home

By Home Repairs

David, an Air Force veteran, and his wife, Diane, reside in a mobile home in Columbus, Ohio.  Their home was in need of major repairs, especially the floor.  The flooring had begun to wear away, and Diane feared that her husband, who maneuvers through the home in an electric scooter, would fall through the floor.

Fortunately, help for David and Diane was available through the Helping Hometown Heroes grant provided by The Home Depot Foundation and Meals on Wheels America. The Helping Hometown Heroes grant provides home repairs for veterans and their spouses.

Maurice Elder, customer service director at LifeCare Alliance and the administrator of the grant, connected the couple with the contractors of Home Depot to repair the flooring in the couple’s home.

Diane said she thanked the Lord the work could be done “because I was so worried about his condition and falling through the floor.  The guys who came to our home were very nice, polite, professional, and cleaned up after finishing the work!” One of the contractors noticed the couple’s toilet needed to be replaced. The toilet was not included in the original scope of work, but he replaced it with a new ADA-compliant toilet.

“I am so thankful to God that there are programs like this — one that extends funds even when the VA or others [have] exhausted their resources,” David said. “I appreciate all the businesses that contribute to this program; I want to thank LifeCare Alliance for your compassion for us and others like us.”

Floor repairs in progress