The spirit of giving is alive and well in the Village of Leonard.
On April 28, one very lucky Leonard senior citizen living on Forest St. will be receiving free home repairs thanks to the Northeast Oakland Chapter of Christmas in Action.
According to Village President Mike McDonald, the recipient is one of two homes the chapter will be doing. The other home is in Lake Orion.
McDonald said he did not want to name the recipient at this time because the recipient was undergoing 24/7 medical treatment and could not be reached.
‘It looks like we are going to be doing mostly exterior work,? McDonald said. He added they were most likely going to replace a porch, install a ramp and add some handicap rails in the interior of the house.
He said they received a number of verbal interest requests, but only two applications were turned in to his knowledge.
Founded in 2010, the Northeast Oakland Chapter of Christmas in Action – which covers the townships of Addison, Lake Orion, Oakland and Oxford – helps low income senior citizens with free home repairs.
In order to qualify, the senior must be living in a house that is insured and their taxes have to be current. The have to be the owner of a single family home, with an individual income of less than $20,000 and a combined income of less than $25,000.
Christmas in Action of Oakland County has been helping low-income senior citizens with free home repairs since 1996.
‘It’s intent is to give seniors the ability to live in their homes perhaps beyond the time it is easy to do so by making the necessary repairs and necessary improvements and keeping the home safe,? McDonald said.
‘We don’t replace anything that doesn’t need replacing,? he added.
In order to offer the home repairs, Christmas in Action relies upon local businesses, community groups, churches and individuals to provide financial, material and volunteer support each year.
McDonald said the group is always looking for material donations and volunteer support.
‘It’s one day a year, the last Saturday in April, and it’s really the volunteers, I think, (who) take away more than the seniors do,? McDonald said. ‘It’s just such a wonderful feeling to be able to do something for somebody who needs that kind of help and the appreciation that comes with from seniors that benefit from the program, it cant even be described.?