"In a recent Internet search of common New Year's resolutions, "being more organized" made the list time and time again. While most of us are well on our way to breaking every resolution we set for 2007, local nonprofits hope that their often neglected office and work space will be renovated this year. United Way of the Bluegrass is making this goal a reality with the second annual Extreme Community Makeover.
The basic premise of Extreme Community Makeover mirrors popular reality shows where teams have to stay within a budget and timeframe to redo a room. In this case, they have $500 and two days to make a difference at a nonprofit agency in Central Kentucky.
This unique event was held for the first time last spring with ten volunteer teams renovating rooms at ten nonprofit agencies. The volunteers represented large corporations, small businesses, members of a professional association, groups of friends and college students. While varied in background, the volunteer teams shared the purpose of giving deserving nonprofit agencies a facelift. This enabled the agencies to spend their funds fulfilling their mission and serving their clients.
One of the many success stories from last year's Extreme Community Makeover was that of the Tates Creek Branch of Fifth Third Bank and their work at YMCA of Central Kentucky. The volunteers worked hard in renovating the male resident common room, a shared living space on a floor 26 men call home. The residents use the room to watch television, wait for telephone calls and socialize with one another. Unfortunately, the room was filled with torn, secondhand furniture and was not inviting.
The Fifth Third team involved their customers, families and friends by soliciting in-kind donations to use for the room. Southland Flooring Supplies donated new tile and the labor to install it. For the first time, the furniture in the room actually matched, thanks to a donation of couches, chairs and tables from Kentucky Furniture Wholesale. In all, the donations to the room totaled nearly $5,000, allowing the Fifth Third volunteers to hand half of their $500 budget back to the YMCA to be used for other projects.
"It was great to see the faces of the guys living on the floor after we revealed their new room," said Blaine Cox, leader of the Fifth Third volunteer team. "The project was a lot of fun, but seeing the difference we made in their everyday life was the best part."
Wendi Keene, director of volunteers and community services at YMCA of Central Kentucky, said that Extreme Community Makeover has led to a revamp of the entire resident floor at the facility. "We are so thankful to Fifth Third and United Way for being the spark we needed to start renovating our residents' area," she said. "The team brought an excitement to the project that has been contagious and allowed us to redo other rooms on the floor."
YMCA is only one example of the nonprofit agencies that have been better able to serve their clients thanks to Extreme Community Makeover. While the ten nonprofit agencies participating gained much from this project, the volunteer teams also benefited.
Companies that took part in the makeover were able to give back to the community, noting that the Extreme Community Makeover was a great way to promote teamwork within their offices. Not only did the end result mean that preschoolers had a new room in which to learn, senior citizens had a functional room to have physical therapy and victims of domestic violence had a new place to do art therapy, just to list a few projects, but the event was also fun for the volunteers.
United Way of the Bluegrass is now recruiting volunteer teams for the 2007 Extreme Community Makeover. Teams will be matched with their room in early February and will have three weeks to plan for the makeovers on March 1 and 2. Professional design experience is not required of volunteers. In fact, the teams only need to supply creativity, the $500 budget and time to make a big difference for a local nonprofit agency.
Team applications are available online at www.uwbg.org. The deadline to apply is Friday, January 26. For more information, log on to the Web site or contact Jessica Pasley at (859) 233-4461, ext. 229.
United Way Announces 2nd Extreme Community Makeover
Two-day renovation projectsmakeover community nonprofits
Renovation continues to be trend in reality television, with such shows as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition hitting the small screen. United Way of the Bluegrass is excited to announce the 2nd annual Extreme Community Makeover, which will allow groups of local volunteers to try their hands at renovation projects to benefit their own community.
United Way is seeking corporations, civic clubs, groups of friends and anyone looking to make a difference to volunteer to redo rooms at nonprofit agencies in Central Kentucky. Volunteer teams are needed in Anderson, Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Jessamine, Madison, Montgomery, Scott and Woodford counties. With the vast majority of their revenue used to serve community needs, these nonprofit agencies have limited funds for much needed renovations.
Groups will need to provide time, creativity and a $500 cash budget for renovations on Thursday, March 1 and Friday, March 2. Team pairings with agencies will be made in early February and teams will have three weeks until the renovation days to plan and design, as well as collect any materials or donations for their rooms. Awards will be given to the best rooms in various categories. Deadline for team sign-up is January 26.
To register your team, learn how to become a corporate sponsor or find out more about the Extreme Community Makeover, contact Jessica Pasley at (859) 233-4461 ext. 229 or jessica.pasley@uwbg.org or visit www.uwbg.org.
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