Recipient: Mrs. Snowden is a senior living in the home her grandfather built. Her home was drafty - volunteers from many groups came together under the leadership of Temple Beth Ami and Shaare Torah Congregations to make energy efficient repairs to keep her living safely and more comfortably in her home.

Tasks: Volunteers from Temple Beth Ami and Shaare Torah came out on April 19th to prepare the house for the major work ahead. They scraped exising paint, primed the walls, made structural repairs to the exterior and interior, removed debris from the yard, and relocated furniture and removed clutter to make manuevering through the home easier. They also removed several windows that would be replaced with energy efficiency models.

A Rockville-based company, ecobeco, donated an Energy Audit for Mrs. Snowden to assess needed measures, and Bartlett Roofing & Sheet Metal donated a new roof valued at over $12,000!

On Wednesday, April 22nd (Earth Day), ecobeco returned to the Snowden house to install eco-friendly insulation into Mrs. Snowden's attic at no charge, a donation of over $1,500! Volunteers also made needed repairs to the integrity of the ceilings to support this effort.

On Sunday, April 26th, volunteers from Temple Beth Ami, Shaare Torah, Temple Shalom, and other community groups returned to Mrs. Snowden's house to completely paint the interior and exterior of the home. Skilled carpenters in the group replaced several windows with new, energy efficient models, as well as the back door, working diligently to make it snug and thus seal out the elements. The locks on the front door were replaced, and the areas around the windows and doors were sealed to further protect the home from air leaks.

These committed volunteers intend to come back Sunday, May 3rd, to complete the work by replacing the carpet, finishing up a few areas still in progress, and helping Mrs. Snowden get her house back in order. Truly, the teamwork on this project has been impressive - and so too is the result!