Getting by with a little help from new friends

Published 10:25 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

A few years ago, snow fell inside the home of North Bend resident Josh Johnson.

Friends helped temporarily by mending the leaky roof. But for Johnson, 29, who has Cerebral Palsy, general up-keep of the home he inherited at age 18 can be sometimes overwhelming.

The house, more than 50 years old now, was already in bad shape when it was left to him in his father’s friend’s will, he said.

The fence is sagging, the paint on the outside of the house is peeling, the roof still leaks, his windows are disjointed, his yard is populated with overgrown vegetation, he has no heat and that is just the short list of the improvements Johnson’s home needs.

For Johnson, who considers himself low-key, he knows there is work to be done, but he has neither the resources nor the ability to make them happen.

“I’d rather do my share to keep it up,” he said. “Realistically, though, I would have to have some kind of help.”

Two years ago, the nonprofit organization Rebuilding Together Eastside division, received an application from Johnson, on the encouragement from who he calls his “adopted mom,” Merle Hill, a childcare manager at Two Rivers School in North Bend. Johnson graduated from Two Rivers in 1997.

“He’s living with a bare-bones house,” Hill said. “[Johnson] is very kind-hearted and very generous. It’s not like he has a lot, but he’d give you anything. This was such a wonderful opportunity because he could so use it.”

Johnson, who lives independently and does not take medication, said he has had friends and professionals work on the house in the past, but some of the projects were never completed or were done incorrectly.

Cerebral Palsy is a movement-control disorder that Johnson has had since birth. It makes his balance poor and his right leg is weaker than his left, he said.

“I can’t do a lot of things that other people can, like walk up stairs carrying lots of things,” he said, noting that he doesn’t let his physical impairments bother him. “I just feel that’s what I am. It’s also made me who I am and I just take it for what it is. I could get surgery to help, but I’m kind of glad the way I turned out.”

After receiving the news that Johnson’s was not a home selected last year, Hill decided she would send in another application for this year.

In November 2005, the more-than-30-year-old organization received that application along with about 34 others.

Johnson’s was selected as one of 10 houses to receive free services to improve their homes. In March, he was told by the organization that he had been selected.

“It was kind of hard to believe,” Johnson said. “It’s just never something I expected.”

The organization celebrates April 29th’s National Rebuilding Day by upgrading 10 low-income homes owned by those who are elderly, single-parent families or physically impaired. Smaller projects are done throughout the year. Cost is covered through sponsors and donations.

“The basis is that it is community involvement and helping people live a normal life and to maintain their enthusiasm for life by not being dependent on family or friends,” said Amy Graber, the executive director for the Eastside division of the program. “The goal is to keep them safe, warm and independent.”

Graber said that Johnson’s home was selected because his needs fit within the organization’s mission.

The North Bend Boy Scouts troop No. 466 will be at Johnson’s house last weekend to help do some preliminary clean-up and yard work in anticipation of this weekend.

On April 29, about 450 volunteers will disperse among the 10 homes on the Eastside.

About 40 volunteers will be working with Johnson at his two-bedroom, one-bath, 900-square-foot home to improve a list of things including installing carpeting and doors with secure locks, updating the gutters, adding railings to the front and back steps, as well as adding outdoor light fixtures, replacing the windows, repairing the fence and whatever else the volunteers can fit into the day.

The organization’s intended budget for Johnson’s home is about $2,000, plus it counts on donations for any other materials or resources, Graber said.

Johnson works full time at the North Bend QFC and chooses to walk to work each day. Though standing on his feet all day can sometimes be physically demanding, Johnson said that his attitude is one of acceptance, valuing the positive things in life and not letting the hurdles bother him.

“He’s just a great employee,” said the QFC store manager Bill Weller. “He’s just really a hard worker.”

Through his experience he said he has learned to be an open, non-judgmental person.

“I’ve learned to be accepting,” he said, noting that he was sometimes teased as a child for appearing different. “You can’t really judge people by what they look like, but there’s a lot of prejudice in this world.”

When the volunteers begin their efforts at the end of April, he said he will be eager to participate, however possible.

For more information about Rebuilding Together or National Rebuilding Day, visit www.rebuildingtogethereastside.org.