Restoration Now

Charlie Morgan House Complete!

2010-12-23T11:51:00.007-07:00

Charlie Morgan's house in Pingree Park is finally completed! Thank you for all the hundreds of hours of volunteer labor! Thank you to suppliers for hundreds of dollars of donated or discounted materials and labor: Home Depot, BMC West, Gordo Roofing, ABC Supplier, Builder Supply, ReSource, Greyrock Concrete Countertops, Savant Homes, Gary Armes Construction and Kwall Paint! Charlie will be moving in soon!

Grace Church Work Day

2010-04-21T13:56:00.003-06:00

On April 17 we had a big work day for Grace Church and our partners. The larger crew, including many youth, returned to the site of our 2009 City Project for some follow-up work. Windows were replaced, carpet was laid, along with yard cleanup, landscaping and painting. Another crew went into the mountains near Pingree Park and joined a group from Poudre Christian Fellowship to work on Charlie's house. There we did drywall mud and tape, installed beetle-kill tongue and groove paneling, and mounted more deck boards. We were treated to a BBQ dinner by the Simmons family at the end of the day. We had a great day together and made a lot of progress. Thanks to all the volunteers and supporters!

Warming Up

2010-03-23T16:52:00.003-06:00

Along with several other projects, we have continued to help Charlie make progress with his home on the mountain through the winter months. Wiring and insulation are done and an outdoor wood stove was installed which heats the home by forced air when passive solar is not sufficient. Pictured are Tracey & Charlie insulating, Todd doing sheet metal duct work, and Charlie firing up the wood stove.

Fall 2009 Projects

2009-12-08T13:24:00.002-07:00

Before the snow started falling in earnest we made more progress on a couple of ongoing projects. We got Charlie's home in the mountains closed in with all windows and doors installed as well as much of the siding. Charlie, Josh & Todd are pictured (L) installing flashing. We also delivered more materials there so some work can continue through the winter. We wrapped up projects at Tommy's house in old town including winterizing. Josh is pictured (R) running a duct through the crawl space.

New Opportunities in Old Town

2009-09-20T08:08:00.004-06:00

RN has completed several projects in an Old Town home for Tommy, who relies on a wheelchair for mobility. The small kitchen and bathroom were innovatively remodeled for accessibility. Main floor laundry and very high efficiency appliances from Builder's Appliance Center will make everyday life much more manageable and save hundreds of dollars in energy costs each year. A new ramp & driveway were poured for accessibility along-side some new water-conserving landscaping.

In addition to the volunteer labor, here are some of the donors of material that made this progress attainable: Home Depot, the Morway family, Coffman and Laub Construction, and John Elliot, who built a beautiful, custom folding kitchen table to fit limited space. Tommy is very grateful for all of this help, he remains cheerful and persistent in spite of his disabilities, and he has also taught us much for our future service.

City Project 2009

2009-09-19T22:57:00.006-06:00

Our week-long City Project this year was focused on updating an older home in the Buckingham (Andersonville/San Cristo) neighborhood to address many needs of the recently-widowed owner and her family. We remodeled the kitchen and bathroom to address everyday needs and poured a concrete ramp to greatly improve accessibility. New windows & soffits were installed and cracks were sealed for comfort and energy efficiency. This was all topped off with new floor coverings and fresh interior & exterior paint.

We were blessed again by many generous donations of labor and new or reclaimed materials, with donors including: Alpine Cabinets, Savant Homes, Connell Resources, Loveland Ready Mix, Home Depot, Kwal Paint, the Zorigian family, Builders Supply, and ReSource. Most of our volunteers were from Grace Church or Athletes in Action. We were glad to help this family stay together in their own home and continue their involvement in their neighborhood. More photos can be viewed here.

Deck Deconstruction

2009-09-17T12:36:00.005-06:00

In June of 2009, an existing wood deck was donated through divine providences and we worked a day in the Red Feather Lakes area fresh air to dismantle it. We were able to reuse a large portion of this lumber to cost-effectively build a deck for Charlie's house with help from an AmeriCorps crew to install it. Restoration Now puts many donated used materials to good use, directly, or by working with partners like ReSource.

Charlie's Mountain Home

2009-09-17T12:23:00.007-06:00

Restoration Now is partnering with Charlie and other friends to build a new home on the remote mountain property where his only home was destroyed by fire. On one chilly November day, volunteers and mountaineers, Wes & Brady, were essential to summiting the high and steep roof. Ropes were used along with power tools to safely install sheeting. The roof is now complete and work continues towards getting the house closed in. A large array of custom-built dual-pane windows on the south roof will provide most of the heat and light by passive solar. A modest photovoltaic system has also designed to improve sustainability of the home. Contact Josh to volunteer or donate towards the solar electric system.

Winterization in Bellview

2008-09-07T13:27:00.006-06:00

September 6th

On Saturday Dayspring Church volunteered to help winterize a home in Bellview. During the workday, the old uninsulated windowpanes were replaced with an insulated wall and storm windows.

Here is the wall before, during, and after the winterization process

Visit to Lagnaippe- Bay St. Louis, MS

2008-08-19T22:03:00.003-06:00

Spent the day with Jordan Sikema working and checking up on multiple jobsites configuring plumbing issues and keeping crews going. This organization has around 7 new homes going up at once! Here we worked on leveling all the pilings for the flooring on this home 8 feet off the ground.

Travels to the South

2008-08-19T21:55:00.002-06:00

Olive Branch Mississippi City Project-While five out of six days of Olive Branch City Project I ran a crew restructuring and reroofing an elderly lady's home in 115 degree heat index, I spent the last day working on a home of a lady whose husband was in a serious accident. Here we are pouring a new sidewalk for wheel chair accessibility.

Closing night festivities

2008-08-19T21:49:00.002-06:00

Van Dykes' hosted the last night's cookout. A big thank you to all who hosted dinners in the evenings. This time of fellowship, worship and recap of the day is one of the best parts of City Project.

Day 5

2008-08-19T21:47:00.001-06:00

Nicole Roloff installs trim after new floor went in.

Day 4

2008-08-19T21:45:00.001-06:00

Alan Strope begins to hang new doors.

City Project Day 3

2008-08-19T21:43:00.002-06:00

Finnley VanDyke came prepared with tools in hand, here he shows off his painting skills.

City Project Fort Collins 2008

2008-08-19T21:38:00.003-06:00

This years' City Project we worked on three different projects. This one was at the Matson's, a family from Grace Church, who needed some renovation done to beable to house Kathy Matson's mother who has had heart surgery and other health issues. She is now wheelchair bound, thus the renovations!

John, Michael, Eric and Steve reframed doors and walls and hung drywall for wheel chair accessability on day number 2.

Youth Build on the Farm

2008-08-09T15:56:00.000-06:00

On Friday the Youth Group spent the day on the farm, working on the fence, cleaning up, and generally helping the cows feel more at home. Libby and Josh are seen here with some of the group during a rare moment when they paused in their work for a picture.

Iowa Flood Relief

2008-07-13T21:50:00.009-06:00

Over the 4th of July holiday, Nicole's cousins and I went 10 minutes outside of Nicole's grandmother's small town in Iowa to a place called Oakville. The residents of this town and surrounding farmlands were devestated by the recent flooding of the Iowa River. As of now, it is uncertain whether the town will even be rebuilt. We spent time in 2 different homes hauling out personal belongings so FEMA can come in to assess whether the home is salvageable. Thankfully there was enough warning to evacuate the town, but many of these people were caught without flood insurance and have lost everything. One homeowner was grateful for the help so that his wife didn't have to carry out all of their sentimental belongings covered in toxic sludge. It was a hard day, but good to meet the people of Oakville and great to work with Nate and Brett.

RYM Colorado Conference

2008-06-11T10:16:00.004-06:00

This week, June 9-13, I am up in Estes Park at the 2008 Reformed Youth Ministries Colorado Conference. It is an honor to be asked to be part of this week. I am co-teaching an elective class titled Incarnational Ministry with Michael Matthews (a pastor at St. Patricks in Greeley). We will be discussing why Jesus calls us to be ministers of mercy to people in need around us, how to discover what our gifts are and then practical ways we can use those gifts in service.

There are approximately 260 youth and leaders here from Arkansas, Mississippi,
Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Colorado. Yesterday and today, I am leading two sessions of mountain biking, that's 5 hours a day total! We'll see if this 32 year old can still challenge these high schoolers to a good ride . . .

(Reformed Youth Ministries is our denomination's ministry to junior high and highschoolers. For more information, visit http://www.rymonline.org/)

RUF Tulsa

2008-05-30T22:53:00.000-06:00

RUF Tulsa came to spend five days working and camping in Brush, Colorado. They are an amazing group of people! I enjoyed my time with them immensely and, thanks to their energy, we really accomplished a large amount a work in a short amount of time. We camped on our client's land and did property cleanup, build a porch, installed new windows and painted the entire house, all in 4 days! Thank you to the RUF Tulsa group, their leader John Knorr, his wife Denise and family for their amazing service. Our clients were touched and encouraged by you all. It's a joy to know you and please come back!

May 10 Work Day at North College Mobile Park

2008-05-20T23:24:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Roland Tremble, Scott Lowe, Morway family, Eric James, Brittany Winkler, Stauffers, Jake Bailey and Wes Womack.

FYI-Eric and Scott proceeded to put another 4 times the amount of branches in the truck (see above picture) while Roland and Josh removed 6 layers of leaky roofing from the shed.

2008-02-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

Ollie Roloff shows up on the job occasionally, and really gets thongs done!

After an announcement I made at Grace Church one Sunday about a deadline crunch on the PS-S job for an occupancy inspection, eight people showed up the following monday to work. Some are pictured above--the Stope Family, Libby Kueneke, Jason Campbell, and of course Oliver. Thank you all for giving your time

day and night!

Project Self-Sufficiency Office Remodel Finished

2008-02-25T13:48:00.002-07:00

We are finally done and the staff has moved in! Thanks to all the volunteers for their amazing work. It has been an honor to work with this group of people dedicated to serving the single mothers in our community.

Special thanks to Savant Homes for partnering with us and making it possible to do this project. Thanks also to Children's Mercantile for donating the waiting area toys and games.

What a blessing to witness such a community effort!

Restoration CSU Work Day

2008-02-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Top Pic: Lunch Break-A big thanks to Chipotle for another mess of delicious burritos. They are a continual donor of meals to our volunteers.

Left: Matt Bostrom and Jeff Odell got good and dirty blowing insulation into walls to make the offices as a sound proof as possible for privacy issues. These two guys spent MANY hours on this job.

Right: Josh Roloff unclogging the vacuum after insulation clean up!

New Tires

2008-02-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

Nicole's uncle, Bill Yohe, visited us Christmas and during the process of me (Josh) trying to tow his car out a snow drift with too much effort, due to bald tires, he decided to do someting about it. Knowing our budget, and new tires not being a high priority though MUCH needed, he started talking to people and churches he knew in Iowa and Texas. Within two weeks, he raised all the money for four new much safer and more effective. So, much thanks to Bill and those who donated. You are all beautiful souls!

Framing day with Coldwell Banker agents

2008-02-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

All the framing went up at the PS-S office in one day, thanks to Steve Balmer and the Coldwell Banker crew.

Demo day at Project Self-Sufficiency Office

2008-01-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we made a royal mess today. Thanks to help from Matt Bostrom and Brady Kilgallen, we have all the carpet removed and are ready to start framing at the Project Self-Sufficiency office. Framing will begin on Friday. We have a good crew from Coldwell Banker to help frame, but we still need volunteers for drywall and mudding next week. Thanks to all who have and will participate.

Notice: Project Self-Sufficiency Start Date Change

2008-01-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

Start date for demo work at Project Self-Sufficiency has changed. Due to extenuating circumstances, we did not start on Friday, January 25th, but will begin work on Monday the 28th. We are remodeling a 2500 square foot office space (see previous post for details). We need volunteers to donate labor including: demolition, framing, drywall, painting. Contact Josh at 219-7280, or info@restorationnowfc.org if you can help with this new project.

Northern Colorado AIDS Project (NCAP) Office Remodel

2008-01-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

RN hit the ground running in 2008. We’ve had the privilege to work with clients of the Northern Colorado AIDS Project (NCAP) over the past few years. NCAP’s physical office here in old town Fort Collins had layout issues that made it difficult to serve their clients well. For years, their staff has crammed into a small break room/ kitchen for their meetings and confidential client conferences, while down the hall two oversized waiting areas went virtually unused. Over a week’s time, 9 people turned the waiting areas into a large private meeting room. From demolition stage on a Friday afternoon until carpet went in the following Friday, I, as leader of the project, and NCAP’s staff were blown away and encouraged by the efforts of Gavin Batty, Jon VanDyke, Ryan Jenkins, Libby Kueneke, Steve, Braden and Dawson Balmer, and Josh Edwards. I began this project totally unaware of the volunteer efforts that would materialize over the week. It was exciting to watch the people of Grace Church come behind RN and sacrifice their time for the needs of this community. Because of this volunteer labor and Home Depot donations for new tools, we made a $4,300 project cost just under $1,000 for materials. The staff at NCAP is so kind and appreciative of our labors and we look forward to partnering in future projects.

Project Self-Sufficiency Office Remodel:

Restoration is currently in the planning stages of another office remodel. Project Self-Sufficiency (PS-S) is an agency that works with single mother’s in the Ft. Collins/ Loveland area. They have not had their own office in Ft. Collins and currently share space with the Housing Authority. In a joint effort with Alan Strope/ Savant Homes, we will be remodeling a new office space to suit their currents needs, such as private rooms for client consultation. We just received word that the permits cleared and we will begin demolition this Friday (Jan 25). Consider joining us in this project and help us build a new relationship with PS-S. If we can provide free labor for the entire project we will save PS-S over $20, 000 on this remodel, which is obviously better spent on their clients! Please contact Josh to volunteer time or see our current needs list (below) to donate specific tools.

Winterizing Projects:
In between and during projects we are also: planning for the future of RestorationNow, winterizing homes, following up, caring for, and visiting people from past projects. There are always more people we can help. If you are interested in being a part of these projects, or if you know of anyone in need that we can help, please contact us.

Peace, Josh Roloff

Things RN needs:

Compound Miter Saw-Portable Contractor Model
18v Cordless Drills
½ inch Corded Drill
8 Foot Level

3 new truck tires (funds have been donated for 1 of the 4)
Storage Space—after April we need an indoor secure space to store our growing inventory of building supplies

End of Year Update 2007

2007-12-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I would like to take this time to thank you for your involvement and support in this new adventure, and give you a brief update what is happening with Restoration Now. It's hard to believe that it's almost been a year since we became an official organization. It's been amazing to see this ministry grow and how God shapes and molds it. We would not be where we are had you not been so generous with your time and efforts, thoughts and prayers, encouragement and finances.

I last updated many of you after this summer's City Project. It was our third City Project with Grace Church, and our first without the help and support of our friends in the South. We had over a hundred people from our community come out and work on five different homes in the same neighborhood. The youth group at Grace Church ran a vacation bible school in the morning and day camp in the afternoon. As a church and organization we developed new relationships both with the people we were able to serve and the work crew. It was truly a beautiful time together, and encouraged us for the work that lay ahead of us this fall and winter.

While spending three months after City Project doing work " for profit" and spending time planning for the fall, I was able to "stock pile" enough funds to give me a solid month's worth of money to live on, do projects in the community and continue to plan for Restoration Now's future. As I set out into this month I had full funding for, I began to receive unexpected donations and new monthly supporters through our Dollar-A-Day program, which has snowballed my one month into three. Our hope and prayer is that this momentum continues into full funding.

This fall and winter has proved full and rich, continuing to confirm the need for this organization in the community. The volunteer support has grown; we have a couple of guys committed to give their time one day every week. These guys along with many other devoted volunteers have made it possible to accomplish the work the agencies have set out before us. The work this fall has consisted of winterizing homes, building wheel chair ramps, further development of our advisory board, building new relationships with agencies in town, and multiple trips/speaking engagements. In October Nicole, Ollie and I were given the honor to spend a weekend in Olive Branch, Mississippi, to speak and be ministered to at a Fall Missions Festival at Christ Presbyterian Church. This church supports Restoration Now not just financially, but through a desire to reach the Olive Branch/Memphis area modeling Restoration Now's plan. Our good friends there, Randy and Lynn Greenslade, were very involved with the first City Project three years ago here in Ft. Collins. They have spear headed, with the missions board, their first City Project this past summer. Pray as they process through what it looks like for there church to make this one week project into a year round ministry. As an organization, we have been greatly encouraged by this church community in Olive Branch.

Nicole and I made another trip to the South this last weekend. We were invited to visit Lagniappe, a church and massive home/city restoration organization, in Bay St.Louis, MS. This city on the Gulf Coast saw the eye of Hurricane Katrina, leaving not much behind but devastated homes and lives. Nicole and I were overwhelmed by the destruction, however we were more mesmerized by the grace and mercy of God's people at Lagniappe. Jean Larroux, originally from Bay St. Louis, moved his family back after seeing the hurricane destroy his hometown and take the lives of some of his family members. With no business plan or funding, God made it apparent that Jean was to start this organization and lead it into "participating in the restoration," as they call it. While their ministry is similar to ours, but on a huge scale and in a much different environment, they have taken an interest in Restoration Now. They have blessed us with generous support financially and also by offering their time and help showing us the bones of the organization, the processes, paperwork and all the necessary business details, we are truly blessed with this new partnership. Keep the Larrouxs, the Lagniappe Church family and this restoration effort in your thoughts and prayers.

We have also had the opportunity to speak with churches in our neighboring communities here on the Front Range. Many are interested in implementing a Restoration Now model in their city and we are willing and eager to offer help as we grow and learn with them.

Restoration Now is excited to be partnering with Project Self-Sufficiency, a Loveland/Ft. Collins based organization that serves single mothers. I met the director this fall and have committed to them that we will assist in their new office building renovation. They have been operating out of the Housing Authority's office here in Ft. Collins up until this time, but will be getting their own space soon. In addition to helping them make this new space fit their needs, we will be helping their clients with home repairs, and other housing solutions. A future goal of Restoration Now is to help provide more permanent housing solutions through building or restoring homes and developing a rent to own program. Pray for us as we begin to see what this would entail for our organization.

I realize this is a lot of information! Thank you for making it to this portion of the letter. I want to thank you for your support and being a part of what has gone on this past year. Please pray for the organization, the people as we serve them in their housing needs and that we may minister to them in a holistic way. We have been richly blessed by your sacrifices and choice to be involved in Restoration Now. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as you consider your future relationship with us. May God bless you this Christmas season.

Peace,

Josh, Nicole and Ollie

Please take a moment to check out these web sites. They are some of the agencies/organizations/churches, we have partnered with. Why check them out? Because they are doing some really cool things here in Northern Colorado and other parts of the country.

Christ Pres Church-Olive Branch, MS (go to their home missions page) http://www.cpcms.org/
Lagniappe http://www.lagniappechurch.com/
Project Self Sufficiency http://www.ps-s.org/
Volunteers of America http://www.voacolorado.org/
Northern Colorado AIDS Project http://www.ncaids.org/
First Call-United Way-211 http://www.uwaylc.org/