A record 330 volunteers helped Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) assist 18 seniors, veterans and disabled homeowners in Falmouth as part of the agency’s 8th Annual Big Fix this past Saturday. In addition to the 18 homes, volunteers helped to beautify the Falmouth Senior Center on Dillingham Avenue.
The number of volunteers surpassed last year’s total of 275 volunteers who came out in Brewster.
HAC CEO Alisa Galazzi thanked the volunteers, and said, “It really means a lot to be able to add that community support for you to come out and help these families. Some of them are veterans, some are aging and some of them have disabilities… This helps them stay in place.”
The event kicked off with a light breakfast in the cafeteria of the Lawrence School provided by Whole Foods Market in Hyannis and Beanstock Coffee in Eastham; and it ended with a free lunch of burgers and hot dogs on the grill donated by 99 Restaurant.
The event would not have been possible without the support of Home Depot Foundation as well as Home Depot Wareham and Home Depot Hyannis which provided materials for the veterans’ homes and sent a large team of volunteers. Heroes In Transition, a nonprofit based in Mashpee, also played a key role in the event, providing additional funding to support the work done at veterans’ homes. Other major sponsors were the Falmouth Fund of the Cape Cod Foundation; The Flying Bridge; and TD Charitable Foundation.
Major support for the Big Fix was also provided by the Town of Falmouth, Falmouth Selectmen, the Falmouth Department of Public Works, the Lawrence School, Mahoney’s Garden Center, Cape Cod RTA, the Falmouth Senior Center, Jack in the Beanstalk, Cavossa Companies, and Blacksmith Shop Farms.
As in year’s past, a number of businesses and organizations created teams to assist in the day of service that saw volunteers clear brush, mulch flower beds, stain decks, repair stairs, install new storm doors and windows, repair interior and exterior lights, and repair roofs. Those groups included Mashpee Boy Scout Troop 36; AmeriCorps Cape Cod; Shepley Wood Products; John Wesley United Methodist Church; iKitchens, etc.; Dellbrook/JKS; Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank; The Enterprise; Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod; Forestdale Church; The Valle Group; and the Old Stone Dock Association. Home Depot had staff from eight different stores, including Hyannis, Rockland, Somerset, Wareham, Brockton, and Plymouth.
Additional sponsors included Eastern Bank; Oceanside Restoration; The Valle Group; Dellbrook/JKS; iKitchens, Etc.; Chapman, Cole & Gleason; John Wesley United Methodist Church; and Lawrence Lynch Materials Corp.
This year’s Big Fix added a new component, a Fix-A-Thon, in which individuals and teams helped raise funds for HAC’s housing programs on Cape Cod and the Islands.
Next year’s Big Fix will take place in Harwich. During the ceremonial passing of the Big Fix Hammer, Falmouth Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Megan English Braga marveled at the outpouring of support for her town. “This is really the meaning of community service and it’s what makes the Cape and Islands so special,” she said.
About Housing Assistance Corporation
HAC is a 43-year-old nonprofit based in Hyannis, whose mission is to ensure that all on Cape Cod and the Islands have a safe, stable, decent place to live. HAC operates four homeless shelters on Cape Cod; develops affordable housing; oversees Section 8 vouchers for the region; conducts foreclosure counseling; holds educational workshops for first-time homebuyers and those looking to rebuild their credit; and keeps residents in their homes through its homelessness prevention program. To learn more about HAC’s programs and services visit www.HAConCapeCod.org.
