YOUTH SHELTER TO GET MUCH-NEEDED FACELIFT

Remodelers Council of the Home Builders Association to volunteer with Haven House Services to improve services for homeless and runaway youth in the Triangle

The week of June 7, 2010, Wrenn House Crisis Intervention Program, the only homeless/runaway/crisis intervention program and shelter for youth in the Triangle, will get an extreme makeover courtesy of The Remodelers Council of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County.

Builders from across the Triangle are coming together to provide labor and donated items for much-needed repairs including removal of lead paint, replacement of 27 windows, plumbing replacement, damaged wood repair throughout the house, and interior and exterior painting. They will also be preparing for a future expansion of Wrenn House to accommodate more youth in need.

Wrenn House is a program of Haven House Services, which was established in 1973 as a private non-profit organization dedicated to and improving the quality of life for at-risk youth and their families. During 2008-09, Wrenn House Crisis Intervention Program provided emergency shelter for 172 children and all Haven House Services programs directly impacted almost 3,000 youth. Since the 1915 house was acquired by Haven House Services in 1995, few major renovations have been done. After the initial work in 1995, the needs of the children have taken precedence over funding of major repairs. “We are so appreciative of this partnership with the HBA and the donations and volunteer efforts of the Remodelers Council. This support allows us to keep serving the most vulnerable youth in our area,” said Michelle Zechman, Executive Director of Haven House Services.

Glenn White, Chair of the Remodelers Council led the organization of this project, bringing together all of the remodelers and companies donating labor and materials for this significant renovation. "One of our priorities at the Remodelers Council is to serve the community, and this project allows us to do something for our kids. This project started out simply as a ‘project’ to the Council. After the first visit to the facility and realizing that we could make such a huge impact and difference in these kids’ lives just by doing what we do everyday, the Council came together as a whole to make this once-small project so much more. The original scope of work was a pretty short list, but now we are doing almost a whole house remodel because we know it’s so important to make this house a home to these kids,” said Glenn.

The need for support from the community has never been greater. The economic downturn has taken a particularly hard toll on budgets while also increasing the challenges faced by our youth including family homelessness and domestic violence and abuse. Wake County Human Services reports that over the course of a year, approximately 3,300 persons are homeless in Wake County. On any given day, more than 200 children under the age of 18 are homeless, which represents up to 29% of the total homeless population in Wake County.

This much-needed renovation will make the home safer as well as improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. “We work hard to provide the best services possible to this at-risk population and now, thanks to the Remodelers Council, our facility will be improved to meet the high standards that we hold for our services,” said Danielle Butler, Program Director of Wrenn House Crisis Intervention Program.