Meet MHI’s Fixer Uppers - the Property Maintenance Team

By Guest Blogger, Janice Summerby

We are pleased to sing the praises of the Property Maintenance Team (PMT). ​These are the volunteers who clean and empty out homes, perform minor repairs, and PAINT! They paint anything from apartment units, to community areas, stairwells, parking lot lines, picnic tables and more. They are volunteers who help LSM Services - which manages properties on behalf of MHI and Veterans’ House Canada (VHC).

Mostly retired, they used to work as physiotherapists, auto mechanics, social workers…. Now they roll up their sleeves and get dirt-smudged and a bit paint-splattered to make MHI homes bright and clean. And they enjoy it. They like seeing instant - or at least steady - improvement. They feel good about participating in MHI’s housing efforts. And they love being together. The camaraderie is immediately noticeable. Having started before 6:30 am at an apartment in Blake House, by 8:30 they are ready for a coffee break and pull together all the fixings - their own improvised stools, a coffeemaker, cups, coffee and homemade muffins. There are smiles, stories and laughter.

They joined PMT at the urging of friends in faith groups, neighbours, other team members … now they’re a little family unto their own. Barb is in her 14th year; Team Leader Danielle, their organizer and scheduler, is in her 15th. She started as a board director, and because they also act as liaisons to committees, she chose the PMT. She appreciates “the tangible results, specific, if arduous tasks, satisfaction with good work and seeing a unit transformed into a good home for someone.” She inveigled her friend Lorraine to join, who recalls: “One day before a French oral exam I asked Danielle if we could spend some time together speaking French…. She said « oui », do you want to join me painting an apartment tomorrow? The rest is history!”
 
It’s a busy time for them. Their current job is a big one, which has required trips to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, lots of floor and wall cleaning, and now painting and window-cleaning. The external doors have just had a new coat. Louise is sitting on a hallway floor refreshing floorboards and Barb is up a ladder in the bedroom painting window trim. A medicine cabinet needs moving. Bob will be on it. He “loves hands-on work”. Tomorrow Danielle will be off to The Haven regarding a paint project. A unit at the Andy Carswell Building is next up for the team. Last year, between MHI and VHC they performed an estimated 900 hours of volunteer service, including preparing Kent House for sale.

MHI Executive Director, Suzanne Le knows how much PMT contributes to the non-profit organization. She says, “I am delighted to help shine a spotlight on the invaluable work of this group. They do a great job helping us refresh our units before new tenants move in and performing other jobs which, taken together, save MHI a considerable amount of money. We are then able to reinvest these savings in our tenant subsidies and community development programs. We can't thank them enough.”

The members also feel the appreciation of some of the tenants, who notice their
spruced-up community areas and thank them.

If you have a knack for repairs and painting, have some spare time and want to contribute to affordable housing, you may want to consider joining this team. MHI is always looking for new volunteers. To find out more about how to join PMT or other teams, please visit www.multifaithhousing.ca/volunteer.

Team members: Danielle Dugas, Lorraine England, Fraser MacIsaac, Barbara Smith, Louise Patry, Geoff Joustra, Christopher Duschenes, Fraser MacIsaac and Bob Proper.

Photos:
- Louise refreshing floorboards
- Barb painting window trim
- Danielle and Bob going over the morning plan
- L-R: Louise, Danielle, Barb, Bob enjoy breaktime