In July 2016, Liza Chisolm of Cumru Township found her life unraveling after the death of her 23-year-old daughter, Haley-Rae. Today, Chisolm works two jobs while raising her two sons Julio, 17, and Hunter, 14, but she admits to letting things go around the house. Her siding needs to be fixed, her deck is collapsing, she has no lights in one room, and the house could use quite a bit of TLC.
Imagine her surprise when a crowd of friends, family, neighbors and strangers showed up on her doorstep to tell her that she won the gift of a lifetime – a free one-week home makeover! Chisolm is the eighth winner of the 2018 HBA Restoring Hope Foundation’s home remodel.
The Foundation’s mission is “to construct solutions to address unique challenges of deserving people in Berks County,” its goal is “to help restore the lives of middle-income working families who have fallen on tough times,” and its focus is on giving a “hand-up, not a handout.”
HBA Restoring Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization, was established after the popular television show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, came to Berks County in 2010. Many Berks County businesses and individuals who were involved with the Extreme Makeover project wanted to continue giving back to the community.
This year the foundation received a record number of applications – 36. Diane Salks, chairwoman of the foundation, said, “It’s always difficult to pick just one recipient. We felt like we can make a difference in Chisolm’s’ lives.”
Now in its eighth year, the 2018 remodel will begin on Sept. 7 and continue through Sept. 14, with “the big reveal” on Saturday, Sept. 15. All of the work is done by volunteers, and most of the materials are donated by local businesses.
To learn more about the Restoring Hope Foundation, go to http://hbarestoringhope.org/.
Previous winners included: 2017 The Noll family of Leesport; 2016 The Yarosz family of Shillington; 2015 The Landis family of Sinking Spring; 2014 The Welgo family of Mohrsville; 2013 The Pieller family of Womelsdorf; 2012 The VanSant family of Muhlenberg Township; 2011 The Eisenhower family of Shartlesville.
