Through our Small Accessible Repairs for Seniors (SARFS) Program, we were able to save Thanksgiving for Ms. Little.

A longtime resident of Garfield Park, Ms. Little enrolled in our SARFS Program in 2022. Prior to Thanksgiving, our SARFS Field Manager, Reggie Hamilton, completed a variety of home repairs to make life safer and easier for her.

During his visit, Reggie tested the carbon monoxide detector units in Ms. Little’s home. He quickly learned that they no longer worked and replaced them with new units.

The day before Thanksgiving, Ms. Little woke up at 4 a.m. feeling sick and to the sounds of her new carbon monoxide detectors.

Fortunately, she was able to call 911 and receive medical care before the situation became serious. It turned out later that there was a carbon monoxide and gas leak, which was later fixed by People’s Gas.

Ms. Little credits the SARFS program with saving her life.

She highly recommends working with NBW staff Misty LeBlanc, SARFS Program Manager, and Reggie Hamilton.  “Misty is a champion for seniors and a great communicator,” said Little. “She always got back to me and took action to keep my project moving.”

Ms. Little was impressed with Reggie’s warm, professional, and humble demeanor. She and Reggie quickly exchanged phone numbers and he continues to stay in touch with her to this day.

When seniors come into our program, they gain valuable, long-lasting relationships with our staff. We pride ourselves on looking out for the seniors that we serve and connecting them to valuable resources.

Prior to signing up for the SARFS program, Ms. Little attempted to have her carbon monoxide detectors replaced, remembering they had been in her home for nineteen years. A company came to her home and quoted her a price of $125 to replace each unit in her multi-story building.

Misty LeBlanc &  Reggie Hamilton

Because many seniors with fixed incomes cannot afford the rates of private companies, SARFS plays a vital role in making sure that neighborhoods remain affordable, and people have the option of aging gracefully in their homes.

Ensuring our senior residents have this opportunity motivates our team to carry out as many projects as we can during each program year.

During the holiday season, we are grateful to share Ms. Little’s story with you and excited to work with more seniors in 2023.

North Branch Works would like to recognize Misty LeBlanc and Reggie Hamilton for their expertise and many dedicated years of service to seniors in our SARFS program.

We’ll let Ms. Little have the last word. She said, “North Branch Works recognizes the value in every senior; the team goes above and beyond the program requirements to deliver strong and reliable service.”