Once again bringing together residents from the Austin, Oak Park, River Forest and Ottawa, Ill., the Labor of Love program will gather volunteers seeking to make life a little easier for Austin-area seniors.
However, this year, the event will be a little leaner.
Sonny Jackson, organizer and co-founder of the event, which will be held on Aug. 16, says that because of the current state of the economy, companies and private donors have fewer resources to contribute.
“We still have many of the same contributions from companies such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot, who have been great in giving of their time and supplies to our program the last few years,” said Jackson. “However, the amount of resources they can give is a bit more limited because of the rising costs of supplies.”
Businesses that have contributed in the past, such as Menards, may not be among those donating resources this year.
Labor of Love has garnered financial support from Shorebank and Home Depot, but, true to its namesake, many of the resources come courtesy of the organizers themselves who add their own funds to the effort. The annual event, offered by Austin community organization Eyes on Austin, 5519 W. North Ave., designates one day in August to gather about 120 volunteers for handyman work on the homes of roughly 20 elderly and disabled residents within the Austin neighborhood. Some are experienced carpenters with years of training on roofing and plumbing, but most are just community residents willing to contribute by painting a wall, screwing a door back on hinges or simply aiding with the purchase of supplies.
This is the program’s seventh year. It originated with a meeting between EOA members James Hammonds, Sonny Jackson and Ottawa resident Debbie Devron at a summer camp in 2000.
Devron had started her own Labor of Love program in Ottawa and EOA members were inspired to start a similar program on the West Side.
The group meets this Saturday morning at Fraternite Notre Dame Church, 502 N. Central at 6 a.m. for prayer and breakfast. Groups receive assignments beginning at 7 a.m. and work until 5 p.m. A captain is chosen for each group, generally tradesmen who can lead each repair job and assure they are done with timely precision.
Lunches are provided at the site and dinner following the completion of the work. For information on volunteering for this year’s Labor of Love or to obtain an application for next year’s, contact Eyes on Austin at 773/479-1569.
