OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – Amid a flurry of paint brushes and rakes, Habitat for Humanity’s Rock the Block event arrived in Oshkosh’s historic 6th Ward to help neighbors spruce up their property.
“They may not be able to afford it, there are a lot of people that may not have the physical ability to do all of this,” volunteer Cathie Baith said.
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The program is free for homeowners thanks to the generosity of sponsors and volunteers; however, officials tell Local 5 that sponsorship has dropped in recent years, and the program will look different in the future without additional sponsorship.
The recipient neighborhood is announced in late summer, and applications are accepted in September. Over fall and winter, the Habitat team completes project assessments within the allotted budget.
“It’s kind of overwhelming as you get older, all of these projects build up,” Oshkosh resident Sara Sticheart said as her picket fence received a fresh coat of paint. “We’re all excited to have folks coming here and doing stuff for us.”
Some volunteers, like Baith, live in the very neighborhood they are helping.
“I do more painting for this than I think I do in my own house,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to see all these activities happening in my neighborhood.”
Other volunteers, like Jessica Oaks, are beneficiaries of other Habitat programming, like the new homeowner program.
“Not only is it affordable to me and my son, but we have a whole team of people behind us helping to support the journey,” she said of that program. “I don’t know how to do many of these things, so I have people teach me along the way for when I am a homeowner someday.”
The yardwork may only take the volunteers a few hours, but it leaves a visible impact for years to come.
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“When I come down the street, I’ll just think it just looks so pretty,” Sticheart said.
Rock the Block in Omro is September 9 and 11 for interested volunteers.
