Supporting Lavette Through Habitat's Home Preservation & Repair Program

At Itasca County Habitat for Humanity, we believe everyone deserves a safe, well-maintained place to call home. While many people know Habitat for the homes we build, our Home Preservation & Repair Program allows us to serve homeowners who need assistance maintaining the homes they already love.

Recently, we had the opportunity to partner with Lavette, a longtime local homeowner who lives independently and was looking for help preserving her home.

Lavette reached out to Habitat seeking assistance with several exterior maintenance projects. Her decks were overdue for staining, and the stucco exterior of her home had developed cracks and holes that needed attention to help protect the structure from further wear and tear. These may seem like small repairs, but for many older adults living alone, projects like these can become difficult or impossible to tackle without assistance.

Thanks to an incredible team effort, Habitat was able to step in and help.

Volunteers from Hope House, participants from YouthBuild, and several dedicated individual community volunteers joined forces to complete the work. Together, they prepared and stained the decks, giving them a refreshed appearance while helping extend their lifespan. The team also filled and repaired damaged areas in the home's stucco, helping protect the exterior from moisture and deterioration.

The project is a great example of what can happen when community members come together to support a neighbor in need. Every volunteer brought valuable time, skills, and energy to ensure Lavette could continue enjoying her home safely and comfortably.

For Lavette, the assistance meant more than just completed repairs. It provided peace of mind and reassurance that she is not alone. For the volunteers, it was an opportunity to make a meaningful difference right here in Itasca County.

The work may not be finished yet. Habitat is hopeful that we will be able to return at a later date to assist with repainting the home's exterior, further improving both its appearance and long-term durability.

Projects like Lavette's are at the heart of Habitat's Home Preservation & Repair Program. By helping homeowners maintain safe, healthy housing, we can preserve affordable homeownership, protect neighborhood stability, and allow residents to remain in the homes they cherish.

We are grateful to Hope House, YouthBuild, and all of the individual volunteers who helped make this project possible. Their commitment to serving others continues to strengthen our community, one home at a time.

If you or someone you know could benefit from Habitat's Home Preservation & Repair Program, or if you're interested in volunteering for future projects, we'd love to hear from you. Give us a call at 218-999-9001 or email [email protected]. Together, we can help ensure that every neighbor has a safe place to call home.