Residents of Lake Osborne Heights

As a reminder we have a Multi-Agency Volunteer Event coming up this Saturday, July 30th @ 9AM.  We will be at 425 Virginia Ave in Lake Worth to help and uplift a member of our community and neighbor to all of the Palm Beaches.  Agencies represented will be Rebuilding Together of the Palm Beaches, SWA's Paint Your Heart Out, Neighbors Helping Neighbors Project, Residents of Lake Osborne Heights, Members of neighboring Associations including groups from as far south as Boca Raton and as far north as Jupiter, Members and Graduates from this years REAP Program as sponsored by our friends at OCR and many other support Agencies such as departments from the City of Lake Worth and many more.   (Representative will be on hand to sign off on any community service hours!!!)

We will have Three Major Teams which include the yard/landscaping team, House Painting Team and inside clean out team.  When you arrive we ask that you park at Lake Osborne which is the North end of Virginia Ave and our location is 3 houses south.  (We will need to keep the front of the home street side clear to dump our debris for pick up).  Please proceed to the sign in tent before starting any work....It is very important to all the agencies and the program that we track all hours for each of our events.

Please note that the sign up tent will also be the First Aid Station and where we will keep the water and ice!  Even if your coming for a visit please sign in.....(We need Two or Three volunteers to help at the tent and circulate continuously through the volunteer groups to ensure everyone is staying hydrated - Safety First is the main thing and we want to avoid any heat stress issues) 

Directions:  From I-95 South or North exit 6th Ave South go west over the track and turn right (north) on Wright Drive then first left on Virginia Ave....(go around the turn) and then to the end of the street for parking.  From the Western Communities please take Lake Worth Road east....You will pass Congress Ave and Palm Beach State College and John Prince Park....Turn at first Right on to Lake Osborne Drive and follow the lake around to Virginia Ave and park at the lake.

What to Expect:  Weather wise we are expecting a hot but breezy day so in light of the heat we suggest Light-colored Clothing made of light material such as cotton but keep in mind they will get dirty.  Please use Sunscreen and if your outside a hat is encouraged.  Plan to take breaks often as to avoid heat stress and when asked to get some shade and water to please do so....We will be providing gloves and all material to do the work and for those on the inside team we will have masks.  Since we will have multiple teams working please be aware of the volunteers around you and be safe.  All debris will be taken to the roadside and Vegetation must be separated from debris for proper pick up.  

Yard Teams will be mowing, trimming and removing debris of any kind from the yard with one of our two landscapers that are attending....The back yard is very large and we also want to identify any breaks in the fence line in order to secure so that the homeowners dog will not be able to get out of the yard.  (Dog - There is one dog at the location who will be in and out during the day if your allergic to dogs this is not an event for you so please keep this in mind - the dog is extremely people friendly and we all need to make sure she is kept hydrated as well) All Debris closest to the home should be removed first for the painting team.  Take Breaks Often!!!

Landscaping Team will be following the direction of our other landscaping professional who will plan out our beautification portion of the front of the home.  (donation of plants are more than welcome and donated plants can be used on all sides of the home)  We have about 20-25 bags of mulch and many plants that will have to all be delivered on Friday Evening so if you are bringing plants please get them to me or make arrangements for a drop off (My cell is 909-8708 PLEASE leave a message!!)  Example of plant donation is I have to thin out a very large patch of Amarillo's that will work well in almost any area of the yard.  Keep in mind the main beautification is the front side of the home that will benefit the homeowner and the neighborhood as a whole.  Landscape team may want to come to the location earlier around 8:30 and please do not plant anything at the building's edge...beds must be away from the building to ensure the success of the painting groups.  Take Breaks Often!!!

Painting Team will be in charge of painting the exterior of the home and all the supplies and paint will be provided. You will need to decide who is doing trim work and who is rolling the main walls.  Power Washing was completed already and the home is ready to go.  There is one section in the back that has some wood work and our experts will determine if it needs to be removed or can be repaired first thing in the morning.  As with the other outside teams please take breaks often!!!! 

Inside Clean Out Team will be required to where gloves and masks....all large items should be removed first and taken to road side (Furniture in most rooms is not salvageable and must be taken out however if in question ask a team lead first)  Furniture donations are already being received but will not be brought to the home until all inside debris is removed, every inch has been cleaned and sanitized.  (We have already received a beautiful complete set for her home office)  Conditions inside are not what most of you will be used to and we ask that everyone remember that we must treat this with sensitivity and encouragement that we are here to help.  All small debris must be bagged and placed to curbside as well.  And remember to take breaks often!!!!

Words of Encouragement - We ask that everyone understand that there are many social, economic and various issues that lead people down many different paths and as volunteers we are coming into a home of someone that has faced her challenges, has taken action to improve her quality of life and has invited us into her home to help....We are guests and should understand that what you will be witnessing is more common in our county than most would think....Please treat the situations with kindness, respect and dignity.  Also please be aware when you go back to your neighborhood to take a big look around.....if you have situations in your area we would like to encourage you to ask a few questions to see if you have a neighbor in need.  Sometimes a person just needs a helping hand and a few kind words.  After we end on this Saturday we will be able to re-asses the homeowners needs and send out communications for items to be donated or set her up with other agencies in order to get the assistance that she needs.  

Last but not least there will be people of all ages and backgrounds.  Please remember that we need to watch our language so that we are respectful of each other....even though we will be working hard we also want to have fun and enjoy each others company and spirit of giving back to our communities and most of all we hope that you meet new like minded volunteers so that we can become a closer family as a county and help each other where ever the challenges that face our residents take us.  Partnering and collaborating with each other is a very powerful tool that will encourage more people to join your local movement to improve your community.

We thank everyone in advance for taking on this big challenge and we hope that we can carry the spirit of this event to all corners of Palm Beach County so we can help a Neighbor in Need in your community soon.

Robert Waples and  (561-909-8708 - Please leave a message!!!)

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