CITY OF EXTREMELY AMAZING NEIGHBORS!
November 12, 2009
Well, everyone who reads my blog knows THAT, right?
God I’m proud of being a Buffalo Gal! Check us out! (And this area is VERY close to where I live on the West Side of Allentown.)
An Extreme Model For Success? Ya gotta Love This City! from Buffalo Rising
The number of volunteers has now surpassed 5000. The average number of volunteers for each Extreme Makeover episode is somewhere between 700 and 800.
That’s when AmeriCorps stepped up the plate. And countless others who live all over Western New York… and beyond. Harvey told me that a woman from Canada arrived to the scene the other day to observe what was taking place. When she realized that one of the houses was not going to be rehabbed she decided to donate the siding and the roofing – there was a lack of materials, not people. That brought the total number of houses to around thirty.
Another guy showed up to rake leaves and when organizers asked him what he liked to do besides raking leaves he told them that he owned a fencing company. It turns out that there’s a great need for new fences. So he took his men off of other jobs and donated the fences and the labor. Check off fences from the list.
(Ok, I know I’m an emotional nerd but at this point in the story, I started to cry…CITY OF EXTREMELY AMAZING NEIGHBORS!)
120 ReTree trees are being planted. Sidewalks are being replaced. Attractive light standards are going to get installed (hopefully). Graffiti is being removed. Lawns are being hydro seeded. The list goes on and on. Extreme Makeover has provided an opportunity for a city to come together and work miracles. West Siders are not only working on their own houses, they are coming to help their neighbors as much as they can.
Ready for more? Check out this video from WKBW. 
The Executive Producer for ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition has some incredible things to say about the Queen City. Brady Connell says he’s always had a “neutral” opinion of Buffalo.. Until now. Click on the video to hear why he says it’s one of the best cities he’s visited.
I was part of the 5,000 volunteers. I posted the flags for ReTree WNY for when they plant the trees tomorrow. It was fun. I’m going to go back tomorrow to help and I’m going to go Saturday when the “MOVE THAT BUS!!!!”