17 Homes Received "A Brush With Kindness" from Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity
Somerville, NJ (August 6, 2021) — In July, Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity (RVHFH) partnered with Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church to serve 17 homeowners with home cleanup and repairs. “A Brush with Kindness” is a program where low – moderate income Veterans, elderly and/or disabled homeowners receive small services for free.
Adults, high school and middle school aged volunteers from Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church served homes in Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Bridgewater, Manville, Martinsville, Neshanic Station and Somerville, New Jersey. This pilot program provided services to homeowners such as water sealing, staining, painting, gardening, repairing wheelchair ramps, replacing railings, rebuilding decks, and other projects.
The impact of this program went much further than the outside of the homes. A Somerville homeowner expressed her gratitude for the program: “These kids will be in my heart forever,” says Linda, “I walk around my house every day, and every time I see the work they did I think of them, how kind they were and what a difference they made in my life.”
While the new waves and Delta-variant of COVID have been leaving many in the community feeling uncertain, this program brought people together to build homes, community and hope. RVHFH and Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church are overjoyed with the success of this year’s “A Brush with Kindness” program, and are looking forward to hosting it again and reaching more families next year.
See below for pictures of some groups and individual volunteers from Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church working at various homes in Somerset and Hunterdon Counties.
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About Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity
Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity (RVHFH) puts God’s love into action and brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Our vision is a time when everyone in Hunterdon and Somerset counties has a decent place to live. Since 1991, RV Habitat has been building strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable home ownership opportunities for hard-working, local families. To support these projects by making a donation, please visit www.rvhabitat.org/give or mail a donation to Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 6275 Bridgewater, NJ 08807. For individuals (ages 16+) and groups who would like to volunteer on the Montgomery Township build site, visit rvhabitat.org/volunteer.
About Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church
We are a vibrant, warm, and welcoming community of faith. Those who worship here come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and would describe themselves in a rich variety of ways. We acknowledge our doubt, our struggles, and that we are all quite human and imperfect and that we are each at a unique place on our faith journey. We find our unity, our common identity, in Jesus Christ, and together seek to joyfully worship God and energetically minister to the needs of the world on God’s behalf. Our Worship Sessions are every Sunday morning at 10:00am, and we offer both in-person and virtual worship options. Please visit www.brpc.org for more information and to join us for worship!
