A community service project that started with the Aldergrove Seventh-day Adventist Church has grown into a community-wide tradition.
Acts of Kindness has been renovating residential homes in the Aldergrove area for 12 years now. These have been major renovations, worth up to $100,000 each in labour and materials, which have made a significant difference in the lives of the families selected each year.
Billed as "Extreme Home Repairs" they have been performed over the course of two weeks prior to the Victoria Day holiday Monday, on which date the homeowners were brought home for the "Big Reveal."
This year the homes selected were for the Laura Canessa family and the Mike and Misty Shufflebotham family. While they were smaller than the usual single residence chosen each year they were still major renovations for both families.
And both families were overwhelmed with the quality of the work performed.
For the Canessa family, single mother Laura and her sons Dillon, Nick and Lucas, the biggest issue was water leaks through the stucco and mortar exterior which had caused mold problems inside. This work was completed but it also included new paint work inside and out, electrical upgrades, and a new gas fireplace.
For the Shufflebothams it had started out as a request from Mike's mother to provide wheelchair access for Mike to his ensuite washroom, but it escalated into another fairly major upgrade. Mike, who is severely handicapped due to a workplace accident, now has wheelchair access to all of the home, including his front door, and a sunken living room was raised to the same level as the rest of the house. Again, there was significant paint work inside and out and remodeling of the bedrooms, electrical upgrades and a new gas fireplace.
Aldergrove Seventh-day Adventist Church pastor Mike Dauncey's wife, Marcy, said it all came down to the reward of seeing the joy it brings to people's lives.
"It's very moving to see what the acts of kindness can do… it's our way of paying it forward."
However, it has now grown far beyond the church and its membership, said one of the project co-leaders, Lorne Brownmiller.
"The community is taking ownership of the Extreme Home Repairs, as half of the 130 volunteers who worked on the two projects this year were not from our church," said Brownmiller.
"We are getting calls from the community and businesses who want to help because they also see the value of the work performed."
This year Brownmiller said Jason Speer of Power Pros was invaluable in performing the electrical work at both homes, Isaac Mangone has stepped up to devote construction expertise and Sherry Webb of Nufloors has undertaken the role of leading the decorating team.
They are just three of the many valued volunteers, including one man who took two week's holiday from his job to devote every single day to this year's Extreme Home Repairs.
"We couldn't have done it without this community support," said Brownmiller.
Pastor Mike Dauncey (right) greets the Shufflebotham family (Zack, Mike, Misty and Zoey) at the "Big Reveal" Monday after the Acts of Kindness volunteer team had completed the Extreme Home Repair of their home. -Kurt Langmann photo