A doting Aldergrove grandmother has a completely updated house to call home, thanks to the "Extreme Home Repair" crew from Aldergrove Adventist Church.
A backyard that was overgrown with blackberries has new turf and a deck, and a house that was rundown has been renovated, remodeled and redecorated with the latest modern conveniences.
Pat Tapper and her grandson Chase were overwhelmed by the "big reveal" on Monday evening, when a large crowd of well-wishers yelled "move that bus" in unison and the big yellow school bus was rolled away for their first view of their home.
Some 200 volunteers and 125 donors had contributed as much as $200,000 in work and materials over the previous two weeks while Pat and Chase were away on an all-expense-paid holiday, also contributed by the Extreme Home Repair donors.
It was the 13th annual Extreme Home Repair in the community, organized by the "Acts of Kindness" committee from the Adventist Church.
Acts of Kindness, also known as AOK, is a charitable initiative which aims to build community and cultivate better lives for residents of the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland. Since 1996, in collaboration with other local agencies, and through the generosity of major donors, Acts of Kindness has supplied food, education, shelter, support, and compassion to thousands of individuals in Aldergrove, Langley, and beyond.
Pat Tapper is a single grandmother who has experienced a very difficult time for the last several years. She has a number of health issues and limited funds, which has hampered her ability to maintain her house, which she had called home for 33 years.
Despite her struggles and setbacks, she has managed to raise her grandson Chase since he was an infant. Chase is active in organized hockey and attends Aldergrove Secondary School. Pat has also provided shelter when needed for her teenaged granddaughter Kristal.
The interior condition of the house was in need of major renovation. The flooring was very worn, cabinets needed to replaced, windows were "cloudy" due to broken seals and peeling wallpaper was almost everywhere. In addition, the rear of the house had a deck that was rotted and a back yard that was a blackberry jungle.
All of this was transformed by work crews, who started the work on May 2 and had it completed for the May 19 "reveal."
Pastors Jamieson and Dauncey led a prayer of thanks on the street before they led Pat and Chase through their home.
And Pat Tapper was not the only one moved by the transformation. Many others, including the neighbor who nominated Pat Tapper's home for this year's project, Susan Glover, were dabbing tears from their eyes as the tour of the home got underway.
Pat "oohed" and "ahed" as she saw the new rooms and colours, and the modern conveniences such as built-in vacuum cleaner and two sets of laundry machines, one of which is for Chase's hockey gear.
"I never had a back deck before," she observed as she admired the view of her blackberry-free back yard. "I love the colours (of the wall paint); how did you know what I liked?" she asked. "I never had such nice photos of my grandkids," she noted as she admired the professional photography and artwork on the walls.
And for Chase, he took delight in the new "man cave" in the basement with couches and TV to enjoy the hockey games as well as the new hockey net and canvas backing in the carport for him to practice his slap shots.