INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Rehab work is underway at a home for pregnant women that burned in a fire more than a year ago in Independence, Mo.
The group home, operated by Mother’s Refuge, got some help Tuesday from workers at The Home Depot store.
Mother’s Refuge is a non-profit that works with teenage girls and young women who have babies.
The group provides a safe place to live and teaches young mothers parenting skills and other education so they can live independently.
On Tuesday, volunteers from the Independence Home Depot helped rehab and expand the charity’s group home. FOX 4 News reported on how the house burned in a fire back in October 2012, forcing the group to move the mothers into a nearby church.
During the last 14 months, volunteers have worked to repair the fire damage and expand the building to meet current codes. Insurance money has covered part of the cost, but there also has been a lot of donations and fundraising for the group. With the community pulling together, Mother’s Refuge hopes to reopen this center by Mother’s Day of next year.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Steffan Wintermeyer, one of the volunteers from the Home Depot. “It’s not just them, being able to help rebuild part of our community, here in Independence. They provide a great service for part of Independence and the whole state here. To be able to be part of that is a wonderful feeling.”
There’s still a lot of work to be done on this project. Mother’s Refuge is still in need of volunteer labor from electricians, plumbers and other building trades professionals. A lot of the volunteers who work on this project are retired men organized through churches.
Nationwide, The Home Depot has donated $50-million in materials this year for community projects like this one, and to assist veterans in need.