BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Dozens of volunteers came together in Bridgeport Friday to upgrade the home of a U.S. Marine.
For 33-year-old Sgt. Prince Mends, fixing up his house for $20,000 is a price tag he could not afford.
“It costs a lot to remodel a house, especially in this day and age with inflation and everything that's going on," Mends told FOX61.
But then he found “Rebuilding Together Hartford,” and was selected out of hundreds of applicants to have his home renovated.
“It's all a blessing,” Mends said. “I'm just eternally grateful, you know, I couldn't have been able to do all this myself it.”
Volunteers traveled from across Connecticut to Crescent Place with drills and shovels in hand to build the Mends family a new garden, replace aging porch railings, and install new windows.
The best part is: the Mends didn't spend a dime.
“Most folks don't believe us when we say it's free, but it's entirely free," Dawn Whalen, executive director, Rebuilding Together Hartford, said. “If you qualify for the program, the repairs that we do to your home are on the generous donors and supporters and corporate sponsors that provide the funding.”
The repair work focuses not just on modernizing the home and bringing everything up to code, but also improving safety.
“We want homeowners to live in a safe and healthy environment, especially with these homeowners they have young kids ,” Ray DaRosa, program manager, Rebuilding Together Hartford, said. “Putting a vent in their kitchen is important because if there's any smoke or anything, you can have it vented outside. We childproof and add locks and things to the doors so that, you know, we don't want their kids to walk out of the house without the parents being aware. Lighting on the stairs is really important because, as you go up and down the stairs, you want to be able to see to minimize tripping hazards and things like that.”
Volunteers say this project is a way for the state to give back to a local hero who gave so much through his service.
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“It's a mind-blowing, to have people with a good heart come in and pour out the time, the effort, the energy to just be of help,” Mends said. “ I can't thank you guys enough.”
In addition to helping veterans, “Rebuilding Together Hartford” also renovates homes for low-income families and seniors in and around Connecticut’s Capital City.
If you would like to donate or volunteer for future projects, you can do that here.
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Bridgette Bjorlo is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at bbjorlo@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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