Adopt A Homeowner lends helping hand

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

Catherine and Vernon Long have been adopted — twice in the past two weeks.

Last month, The Crew Missions, a faith-based nonprofit that helps families, senior citizens and single parents, the disabled or terminally ill and those financially struggling with the upkeep of their homes, announced the Adopt A Homeowner program. 

The Long family was the first to sign adoption papers two weeks ago and since has developed a friendly relationship with their volunteer, Maureen Sullivan of Mt. Lebanon.

For the past several years, groups of volunteers rotate working with the organization on a project-by-project basis from April through October.

This year, the organization had to adapt due to the pandemic, changing its model of having large groups of volunteers embarking on day-long projects as part of a “micro season.”

Sullivan was one of the first residents to show interest in adopting a homeowner.

Founder Judi Robbins paired her with the Long family and she has returned to their home twice to continue helping the couple. 

“I have volunteered with the Crew a few times before, but it has been a while,” Sullivan said. “When I saw the new program and knew I could do it on my own schedule, I knew I had time to fit it in.”

An avid gardener herself, she knows how difficult a property can be to maintain.

“You get to a point in your life where gardening can be rough,” she said. “Even for me, I do it for a few hours and sometimes have to take a nap. It’s not cheap to pay someone to do and can definitely be rough on your body, so I am very happy to help this couple with this.”

For the past two weekends, Sullivan has stopped at the Elizabeth home to help with trimming hedges and overgrowth along the home.

She even brought food for the homeowners. 

Catherine Long said Sullivan and the Crew Missions have been a blessing in her life for more than a year.

“Last year they were looking for people who needed help,” Long said. “I was home bound because I had an injury and not allowed to walk around or anything.

“My husband and I are both seniors, and because he was busy taking care of me, the property was not taken care of as well as it should have been.”

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