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| Inmates help save elderly couple's home |
| By Union Leader |
| Published: 04/19/2004 |
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A group of inmates from the Hillsborough County (N.H.) House of Correction two weeks ago finished gutting an elderly couple's home that had become so dilapidated, the owners otherwise would have had to move out. Several volunteer and non-profit groups came together to help Herman and Lucille Walker and their adult daughter, Barbara, save their 353 Butterfield Mill Road house. But without the help of the inmates and the Town of New Boston, there wouldn't have been enough money to get the project done. At the property April 7, Herman Walker, 86, said he knew the house needed work that he couldn't do himself, so he and his family went to the New Boston Baptist Church for help. "The home was no longer healthy or safe for the Walkers," said Marlys Johnson, wife of Pastor Jerry Johnson. "They approached us, because there was a need." The church contacted Southern New Hampshire Services Inc. (SNHS), and together they obtained money from two federal grants, the Department of Agriculture's Rural Development grant and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's HOME Development Program. But the project was too extensive, even with the grant money. They still couldn't afford to pay the contractor to do the entire job, said Marlys Johnson and SNHS Rehabilitation Specialist Ken Teates. "This is the first time I've actually had to reach out for additional help," said Teates, who has done numerous similar projects. The state Department of Corrections (DOC) Community Service Program sent in a team of inmates. The Town of New Boston sent one of its workers with a front-end loader and hauled away 23 truckloads of gutted material from the Walkers home. "It wouldn't have worked without the whole network," Teates said. The inmate crew worked at the Walkers' home and finished on April 7 after gutting, demolishing and shoveling the wreckage under the supervision of DOC Work Supervisor Tony Sawyer. "It's a win-win for everybody,"' Sawyer said. "Most of the towns appreciate it. We work in every town in Hillsborough County." He said the inmates want to work, because it means they get to be outside in the fresh air and sun for the day. All the inmates on the work program are in jail for non-violent offenses, and they are nearing the end of their short sentences, for crimes such as drunk driving and habitual offenses, Sawyer said. |
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It is an incredible thing that the inmates did, I appreciate all their effort. Providing Home Health Care is not so easy, attention is needed 24 hours. I wouldn’t be able to do it even for a little while.