The St. Matthew’s Housing Corporation (SMHC) Board of Directors is asking for your help! Volunteers are needed at Alpha House to help with all sorts of work: painting, carpentry, yard work, plumbing, and electrical. There are jobs that can be done in an hour, and others that will take multiple days to complete. It’s a lot like Christmas in April, except that the house is owned by the SMHC and used for transitional housing for the working poor. Work can be done as a team or on an individual basis.
St. Matthew’s has a long history addressing homelessness, including the temporary shelter for the homeless we provide through our Warm Nights and Safe Haven programs. SMHC was formed in 1990 as an independent non-profit organization and purchased a four-bedroom house – Alpha House – in Old Bowie to provide more than temporary shelter. The goal was for Alpha House to provide stable housing for the working poor – four to six individuals or families at a time. SMHC also provides counseling and financial and educational assistance to enable residents to transition back into independent living. More than 100 individuals and families have joined the program and moved on, many to good jobs and with improved educational preparation!
Alpha House needs much work and many repairs that require either more money for contracting the work out or using volunteer help to the maximum extent possible. Below is a list of needed repair work. There’s work here for anyone who wants to help. We hope you’ll see how important a program this is. SMHC has changed many lives for the better, and we hope you will be a part of changing many more!
Dan Blades and Pattie Klein will co-lead this effort. As part of 2nd Saturday Serve, our Mission Committee has designated the 2nd Saturdays in November and December for this work. You or your group can work together or volunteers can schedule their own work with Dan on these or other days at your convenience. Dan can be contacted at 240-463-8662 (c) or 301-262-5148 (h) or dwblades@verizon.net. Pattie can be contacted at paklein58@gmail.com or 301-512-5526.
Alpha House To-Do List
Exterior
Install a rear gutter on lower rear roof
Secure loose siding on center right section
Repair left front siding
Replace siding right side
Repair and paint the front porch
Clean, repair, paint lower level windows
Repair and secure two porch columns
Sand and paint rear stoop railings
Garage
Repair and paint garage ceiling
Remove trash and excess in garage
Connect garage door opener
Interior
Clean and paint walls and ceiling throughout
Repair/replace cracked and broken windows
Inspect and adjust doors and latches
Remove or store properly excess materials
Steam clean all carpets
Clean, Repair/replace all cabinets as needed
Remove wooden hearth form
Clean, repair/replace refrigerator drains
Repair/replace range hot surface indicator
Replace kitchen counter
Replace kitchen fan
Bathrooms
Replace Hall exhaust fan
Repair/replace Hall bath sink fixture
Repair/replace first floor sink fixture
Remediate mold both bathrooms
Re-wire bath fans on timers
Basement
Install Basement stair handrail
Repair water pipe leak in basement
Replace cast iron waste pipe in basement
Install metal dryer exhaust pipe
Electrical
Install two new circuit breakers in Svc Panel
Install new duplex covers where needed
Re-wire foyer 3-way switch
Install GFI duplexes in Bath and Kitchen
Replace/repair loose lights and outlets
Re-install dining room duplex outlet box
Install batteries or install new smoke detectors
Attic
Remove animal droppings in crawl space