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Volunteers are pouring heart and sole into
rehabilitating the home of Dorothy Milford, the 70-year-old grandmother
profiled by Illinois Times two weeks ago [see “The way back home,” April 5].
Milford, who is legal guardian to six grandchildren ranging in age from 5
to 14 years, had been forced to move her family out of the South 16th
Street home she owns more than a year ago, when her two youngest
grandchildren were found to have high levels of lead in their blood. On the first day of the rehab project, more than two
dozen volunteers showed up to work, and one man was wearing a pair of boots
that gave him a special connection to Milford. The volunteer’s boots
had been resoled by Milford’s late husband, Bob, who made his living
as a cobbler.
“Everybody got goosebumps,” says Bobbie
Hahn. Her ministry, Loving God Out Loud, has teamed up with Hope
Evangelical Free Church to try to save Milford’s home. They’ve made steady progress. Volunteers have
removed all of the old lead-laden drywall, ceilings, and flooring from the
home. Sam McCann, owner of McCann Construction and current president of the
Homebuilders Association of Illinois, is coordinating the project.
“I get a lot of these phone calls,”
McCann says. He has to deny most requests and didn’t plan to help
Milford, but Hahn talked him into attending a planning session. Once he met
Milford, McCann — who was reared by his grandmother — signed on
as project foreman.
“It just seemed like there was probably no
worthier cause to be involved in,” he says. Calvin Pitts, a union electrician and owner of BONE
LLC, showed up to help along with wife Angela, brother Floyd, and a few
BONE employees. BONE stands for Bringing Others to New Empowerment, and
Pitts is teaching East Side men how to do construction work. Pitts grew up
on Brandon Drive, three doors down from Milford.
“She’s my mother’s age,” he
says. The team is now ready to start repairing the
home’s foundation — a task that must be handled by a
professional contractor. “We really need a foundation contractor or
crew,” McCann says. “The foundation is one of the first
inspections the city will do, and if it’s not done right that will
set the tone for every inspection.”
The city of Springfield had previously condemned
Milford’s home, but a judge granted a 60-day extension to allow Hahn
and the volunteers a chance to save the structure. “If it wasn’t for that pesky timeframe,
it wouldn’t be so bad,” McCann says. “We just need money
and volunteers, and we need ’em in a hurry.”
Once the structural integrity of the house is
restored, the fun part will begin. Staff Carpet has invited Milford and her
grandchildren to select floor coverings for the entire house — for
free. Another donor has offered Milford a washing machine, and Hope church
has donated approximately $5,000 to the project. Hahn has set up a Web site
— www.dorothy-milford-project.com — to provide updates and
clickable portals for anyone wanting to donate time or money to the
project. Milford, meanwhile, says that she is overwhelmed. “I truly didn’t think I was going to get
this house back. Every time I talked to somebody, the price would go
higher,” she says. “I do a lot of praying, and I know the Lord
hears me.”
Contact Dusty Rhodes at drhodes@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Apr 19-25, 2007.
