3C
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2016
Rebuilding Together provides vital ix-up help
Paciic County
chapter takes
hammer to
housing trouble
education in the process.
You see, Rupp gets to work
with professionals who have
taught him new techniques
and knowledge while work-
ing together on Rebuilding
Together projects.
“The appeal for laypeople
like me, is the opportunity to
learn something and engage in
some skills-building for our-
selves. We clearly get some-
thing out of it,” he said.
During the project to
rebuild Wilks back porch, he
got to work with professional
carpenter Jake Houseman.
“Jake is a star,” said Cade.
“He’s committed to this com-
munity. This is his way of
doing service.”
Rupp pointed out that a
technique for sawing wood
that Houseman showed him
earlier that day, “Will change
my life. And I have Jake to
thank for that.”
The projects themselves
are all small-scale enough
that volunteers get the satis-
faction of seeing their work
completed.
“They’re all one- or two-
day projects, so you can
clearly see the results of your
work very quickly. Simple
stuff. Very practical,” said
Rupp, who has already painted
a house and patched a roof.
“We did quite an exten-
sive job on a house last year
— support beams, install-
ing windows, trimming them
out, painting,” said House-
man, who has been volunteer-
ing with the group for the last
three years.
“In some cases, until you
get into the project, you just
don’t know what you’re deal-
ing with,” said Rupp.
For more information on
the Paciic County afiliate of
Rebuilding Together, call 971-
322-9526 or email paciic-
coastcadesm@gmail.com
By DAMIAN MULINIX
For EO Media Group
CEAN PARK, Wash.
— Looking at the pile
of old, rotted-out, water-
logged wood that used to be Dot
Wilks’ back porch, it’s obvious
why it needed to be replaced.
What may not have been so
obvious is that the 82-year-old
did a portion of the work herself.
“I’d take the hammer to
loosen the nails and water
would squirt out,” she explained
recently.
“She’s a pistol! She can do
anything, but she can’t do it all!”
said Joe Cade of Wilks, who
had pulled some of the boards
herself before his team of vol-
unteers arrived to replace it
recently.
Cade is the president of
the Paciic County afiliate of
Rebuilding Together, a national
organization that focuses on
helping low-income people stay
in their homes. And Wilks’ back
porch is one of 30 free projects
done by the group each year.
O
The case of the soggy
back porch
“When I moved here it was
a triangle porch and I made
it square,” said Wilks, who
moved into her manufactured
home in Ocean Park in 2003.
She said she used some
boards that were originally on
her front porch to build it.
“I’ve done most everything
with zero inances, and that’s
why it rotted, because I used the
old stuff,” she said, adding that
a few years ago she might have
been able to do all the work her-
Kelly Rupp, a volunteer with Rebuilding Together, holds
his pencil between his teeth while cutting boards during
a recent project.
Photos by Damian Mulinix/For EO Media Group
Carpenter Jake Houseman takes measurements during a
Rebuilding Together project in Ocean Park, Wash., recently.
self. “I just can’t get up if I get
down. My knee absolutely just
gave up on me.”
Wilks is a second time recip-
ient of work from Rebuilding
Together, having previously had
part of her roof worked on. And
the porch, which is the only way
to get out the back door of her
home, became dangerous.
“Dot stepped out that back
door and her foot almost went
through the deck. It was really
bad,” said Cade.
Keep them safe
and warm
For the local chapter of
Rebuilding Together, Cade said
they make most of their deci-
sions based on two things.
“Keep them safe and warm,”
he explained. “We don’t do
things for aesthetic reasons.”
There are some 220 afiliates
of Rebuilding Together spread
throughout the United States.
Cade said their work is avail-
able and free to low-income
homeowners of any age, but
added that most of their clients
in Paciic County tend to be 55
and older.
“To live in a home, espe-
cially here at the coast, you have
to do stuff to your home proba-
bly once a week. There are nails
rusting right now at my house
— and you can hear them!” said
Cade. “But a lot of people don’t
have the knowledge or the abil-
ity to do a lot of that stuff.”
The other thing that tends to
keep people from home upkeep
is money, and that comes
into play sometimes, even for
Rebuilding Together.
“We can’t do everything for
everybody,” Cade explained.
“We will only do (projects that
cost) up to 25 percent of the
value of the home. And that
really comes into play when
someone needs a new roof.”
Cade said the only way to
get it done is to share some of
the cost with either the owner or
another party.
“For example, last year (a
client’s) bathroom repair was
going be like $3,000, but her
house was not worth that much.
But her granddaughter and niece
pitched in and gave us some
money,” said Cade.
National, local planning
Rebuilding Together, on a
national level, will often set
aside a week or month (usually
in April), when most of the proj-
ects are done. However, with
fewer volunteers out here on
the rural coast, they can only
do the projects when they have
the people to do them. Cade was
happy to note that the Ocean
Park Moose Lodge has com-
mitted volunteers to do projects
with them in August, which is
when the local chapter will do
their next round of work. That
is, unless there’s an emergency.
“Somebody’s water heater
goes, or it’s raining and their
roof is leaking,” said Cade.
The group is reliant solely
on donations and volunteers.
Sometimes it’s a large donation
from a donor like the Quarter
Foundation. But just as often it
is in-kind donations and dona-
tions of labor. However, Cade
said they can’t take donations
of materials because they do not
have a facility for storing them
between projects.
“We’ve done about 18 proj-
ects so far this year,” he said.
The student
and the master
When Kelly Rupp became
involved with Rebuilding
Together it was a way for him
to give back to the community.
“There was a pretty wide
network of folks saying, ‘Hey,
would you be interested in
this?’” he said.
But what he’d also tell you
is that he is also getting a free
Lyra Fontaine/The Daily Astorian
Lyra Fontaine/The Daily Astorian
Lyra Fontaine/The Daily Astorian
Chloe Zimmerman sold fresh fruit, veggies and herbs
from Glory B Farms at the Seaside Farmers Market.
Scott Thompson from Blackberry Bog Farm in Svensen
displays rows of fresh herbs and produce.
Angi Wildt displayed a variety of wines from Nehalem Bay
Winery at the Seaside Farmers Market.
Fresh food: ‘We’ve had people here from California and Nebraska’
Wagon, Sea Star Gelato, Nutoriously Nutz
and Three Little Birds Bakery were among
other vendors at the market.
Continued from Page 1C
“It’s a much better location,” said master
gardener Yvonne Whitney. “We’ve had peo-
ple here from California and Nebraska.” For
Scott Thompson, co-owner of Blackberry
Bog Farm, it’s important for people to know
where their food comes from.
“To me, the local part is important,” he
said.
The fresh lowers, produce and herbs
he sells at the stand were grown 45 min-
utes away, in Svensen. The farm also raises
Thanksgiving turkeys and chickens.
Thompson said the new location provided
more tourist trafic, but not much difference
in local customers.
Angi Wildt, of Nehalem Bay Winery, said
the market had more activity this year and she
enjoys talking to travelers.
“There are more vendors, but it’s still
growing,” she said. “I love Seaside and want
to see this grow. You get to know the other
vendors and it gets friendly.”
Although one of three sisters donning
aprons that said “The Veggie Girls” were in
charge of the stand for Glory B Farms, from
Grays River, Washington, Chloe Zimmerman
said she does not do any farming.
“We just have a farmer for a dad,” she said,
adding that working the stand was her sum-
Cannon Beach
Lyra Fontaine/The Daily Astorian
Two Crows Joy performs at the first Cannon Beach market.
mer job. “We wanted to get involved in a new
market.”
Strawberries, rhubarb, greens, beets, peas
and herbs were on display.
Autumn Barnett, of Hummingbird Cre-
ations, sells unique plants in driftwood and
moss balls, as well as dog treats.
Grace Body Essentials, Twig’s Munch
On its irst farmers market day in June,
Two Crows Joy played as local vendors wel-
comed visitors — despite wind, hail and rain
— to a new season of organic produce, food
trucks and sweet treats.
“We’ve been here since the Cannon Beach
market started,” said Anne Berblinger, with
Gales Meadow Farm. “We’ve had the same
customers year after year, and we also talk to
visitors from all over the world.”
Popcorn, jams, brittle by Sweet Treats By
George, microgreens and sourdough from
Nightlight Farm, goat cheese, hummus and pita
chips, and wines from The Wine Shack were
some offerings. “It’s a nice mix of tourists and
locals,” said Market Manager Philomena Lloyd.
The market has about 25 vendors total and
each week has a community booth. Ameri-
can Red Cross will be at the market Tuesday,
and Cannon Beach Library and Tolovana Arts
Colony will be there on July 19.
Local magician Brett Willyard will be at
most markets engaging families in magic tricks.
The Cannon Beach market has three pre-
pared food booths: Hello Wafle, O Falafel
and Northwest Roll and Bowl.
Now available in the
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Chinook Observer
For more information call 503-325-3211
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