SDC Weatherization workers Steve Briggs (right) and Ed Byrnes work on gutters as part of the Rebuilding Together project.
Monday through Friday, they help make homes of low-income Milwaukee County residents more energy efficient. Recently, they spent a precious day-off helping a Milwaukee couple fix up their home.
Staff from the Social Development Commission’s Weatherization Program spent a Saturday participating in a day organized by Rebuilding Together Great Milwaukee. During the day, crews worked on the homes of low-income elderly and disabled residents to preserve and revitalize them.
The SDC Weatherization crew spent the day at the home of Russell and Charmaine. The couple who suffer from a number of medical challenges has lived in their home for more than 20 years on the Westside of Milwaukee. Their house was found to be old with minimal insulation, has outdated and hazardous electrical service, deteriorating drywall, is in need of new gutters and down-spouts, and has a furnace that was in poor repair.
The SDC Weatherization crew spent the day working on the home, seeking to make it a healthier place as well as a more energy efficient and more affordable living space. The work performed by the volunteers will improve Russell and Charmaine’s living conditions and allow for future work to be done on the home.
The SDC Weatherization program helps qualifying homeowners retain the value of their homes by providing work that reduces energy consumption, makes the homes cooler in summer and warmer in winter and cuts down on utility bills. The work can include installation of insulation, repair or replacement of furnaces, insulation of water heaters, and providing energy efficient lighting.
To find out more about the program, visit the SDC website at www.cr-sdc.org, click on the “Programs” link and then on the Weatherization page.