DESRON 14, JFK Team Up To Help Community

Angelwood organization exists to improve the quality of life for the disabled by providing group homes and respite care for children and adults with various types of disabilities. They offer 24-hour supervision, training and development courses to equip all residents to live their lives to the fullest.

The volunteers worked on an Angelwood home to five ladies who moved into their home while they were just children. Having reached adulthood, their home was now in need of extensive repairs.

They contacted Builders Care, which is a nonprofit organization established by the Northeast Florida Builders Association to reduce substandard housing throughout the Jacksonville community. They do so by providing major repair to seriously deteriorated homes generally occupied by persons of low income, the elderly and disabled.

COMDESRON 14 and the JFK kicked the event off by organizing volunteers to spend the day supporting this worthy cause.

Below, Sailors from JFK and DESRON 14 help Builders Care renovate an Angelwood home.

The volunteers cleared out the contents of the house and placed them into large storage containers all preformed under the supervision of professionals.

The Sailors disconnected the water lines to the three bathrooms and kitchen, then enthusiastically stripped the bathrooms and kitchen down to the bare walls.

They then created a new doorway into the kitchen and vigorously pulled up the old carpet and chiseled away the outdated tile from the floors. Finally they removed the living room fireplace and wheel chair ramp/banister.

These 32 Sailors accomplished all these arduous tasks during the dog days of this year's summer heat with all deliberate speed. Many were thrilled at the opportunity to assist someone else in need but more importantly by the grateful smiles of those five ladies who will now enjoy the comforts of an old home that feels like new.