Lending a hand
Centers help seniors with home repairs
By Marcy Horwitz CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Handyhands volunteer Frank Williams repairs a bathroom sink drain at a senior's home.

You know that sound: the unmistakable sizzle and pop that says your hall light just burned out - again. You know you should replace the bulb, because a well-lit hallway is safer and deters unwelcome visitors.

But if you're past a certain age, and you have more than just a touch of arthritis, replacing an overhead light bulb is not an easy job. And what if it's not the light bulb after all? What if the switch is broken?

Who are you going to call?

Start with the Shepherd's Center of Chesterfield's Handyhands program. Executive Director Tricia Wolfe describes Handyhands as "an extra pair of hands around the house." Currently, 18 Chesterfield handy helpers - most of them retired themselves - have signed up to become Handyhands volunteers.

Homeowners ages 60 and older from all over southern Chesterfield call in for repairs. Shepherd's Center volunteers then match the Handyhands volunteers with projects, making sure there's a good fit between skill levels and the tasks at hand. The volunteers make the repairs, and in return, the center asks for $3 per hour for the service, but, Wolfe is quick to say, that fee can be waived.

Wolfe can't even begin to estimate how much money the Handyhands program has saved Chesterfield seniors. She cites just one example when a Handyhands volunteer responded to a job that, on the surface, seemed fairly straightforward.

"An older woman asked for help with a leaky faucet. Our Handyhands volunteer started the job at 10 a.m. But it was more than a simple faucet repair. There was also a drain problem, and the woman had bought the wrong faucet."

The volunteer went back to the hardware store to exchange the faucet, helped the woman purchase the necessary supplies, and returned to her house. By the time he finished the job, it was 4 p.m.

Residents in northern Chesterfield and some other areas of the county can also take advantage of the Shepherd's Center of Richmond's home repair program. Handyman services, says Executive Director Linda Frank, are limited to "minor" repairs such as "the kinds of repairs your dad used to do around the house."

"No roof work," she adds firmly. But a leaky toilet, a dripping faucet, or a temperamental light switch are right up the Shepherd's Center's alley.

Scott Broaddus has been a Shepherd's Center of Richmond volunteer handyman for the past five years. A retiree, he enjoys working with his hands, and likes the counseling and communications part of the job.

You have to get an understanding of what's involved in fixing what's wrong, he says. "You might even have to visit and analyze the problem." Sometimes the job is too big for a volunteer handyman. In those cases, the volunteers can advise seniors when a professional is needed.

The Shepherd's Center of Richmond doesn't charge for repairs. But it's not unheard of for a satisfied client to make a contribution to the center in gratitude for this important service.

It's all part of the Shepherd's Center's mission, says Broaddus: seniors helping seniors.

Both the Chesterfield and Richmond Shepherd's Centers welcome calls from interested volunteers, both men and women, working or retired. All you need are some basic hand tools, a modest amount of skill, and a generous heart. Call Tricia Wolfe in Chesterfield at 706-9198 or Linda Frank in Richmond at 355-7282.