HARD TO REACH LIGHT BULB?
LEAKY FAUCET?
RUNNING TOILET?
SMOKE DETECTOR BATTERIES “NEED CHANGING?”
SCREEN DOOR WON’T CLOSE?
The Danville/Sycamore Valley Rotary Club is excited to announce the launch of a new program called Rotary HOME (Home Maintenance for the Elderly) Team, which will be providing a FREE basic household repair service for Seniors in the local community. This program was originated by the Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary Club, and is a partnership with the Episcopal Senior Communities (ESC).
The Problem:
Seniors have a difficult time with many common household repairs due to their physical condition or safety issues. In some cases the cost of hiring a handyman or contractor to perform minor repairs is prohibitive, and there may not be any family able or willing to assist. Some of the repairs or maintenance items include:
Replacing light bulbs in hard to reach areas (ceilings, ovens, refrigerators), replacing batteries in smoke alarms (usually on a ceiling), leaking faucets, toilet tank malfunctions, squeaky doors and windows, damaged or torn screens, blown fuses or GFI resets, loose handles or drawer pulls, water heater temperature adjustments, etc.
The Solution:
Rotary wishes to identify seniors in the community who need assistance and to coordinate volunteer Rotarians to visit and make the necessary repairs at no cost to the senior.
With just a phone call or email seniors can request a 2-3 person team of Rotarians to stop by on a Saturday morning to handle the necessary maintenance issue. You’ll be asked for your name, address and phone number, along with a description of the maintenance need. Rotary will coordinate the teams and send them to you on a specific date. If your need is urgent we will do our best to accommodate you, but cannot promise a speedy reply.
When the Rotary HOME Team arrives they will introduce themselves and provide identification. They will review your request with you and ask you to sign a simple liability waiver. They will then determine what is necessary and complete the item(s). In the event the item needs additional expertise or is over and above the scope of our capabilities, Rotary will forward your name to the Episcopal Senior Communities’ senior service coordinator, who will attempt to assist you.
Upon completion of the maintenance item, the Rotary HOME Team will leave behind additional information that you might find helpful for other needs. Of course we would also like to hear from you about the service and we welcome your comments.
If interested in scheduling a visit, please contact Ruth Robeson with the ESC at 925-956-7363, or email your information to rotaryhometeam@hotmail.com.
New Danville Police Chief, Steve Simkins spoke at our meeting on October 5. He has been on the job for just 2 months. We remembered him fondly from the time he spoke to us when he was in charge of the Martinez jail a few years ago. And he said he enjoys speaking at Rotary Clubs because it reminds him of his father who was an enthusiastic Rotarian for many years.
Today is World Polio Day and Rotarian’s around the world are very proud of the role they’ve played in the efforts to eradicate this disease. There is both excitement and concern at this point, we have every reason to believe that we are very close to achieving this goal but there is also fear that if we don’t relentlessly pursue this course that we will have missed an opportunity. We are encouraging everyone who reads this article to support Rotary – support us, support a local club or support Rotary International.