annual_report

TRANSITIONS AT HOME
Dear Friend,
It has been an exciting year at Home Repair
Services (HRS). For the first time since the
final days of the Carter Administration,
the agency experienced a transition in
executive leadership. On January 1, 1980,
a young Dave Jacobs took the reins of a
then young Home Repair Services and on
November 9, 2015, I was welcomed in as
Dave’s successor.
In his 34 years here, Dave built a strong,
client-centered organization that has never
veered from its missional lane of supporting
and equipping lower-income homeowners
for success. This, along with core
characteristics of compassion, stewardship,
dignity and collaboration, is what
distinguishes HRS and helps define the
work we do and how we do it. This will
not change.
I want to personally express to you my
gratitude for your support of this important
mission. This past year, you helped
vulnerable, lower-income homeowners
throughout Kent County gain access to
critically needed emergency repairs, regain
their independence through an access ramp
and more safely age in their own homes with
a bathroom modification. You helped people
build their repair and remodeling skills to a
level where they could fix and improve their
own homes. You empowered homeowners
through financial coaching and helped spare
homeowners from the spiral of losing a home
to foreclosure. Your support helped make
possible 24 gleaming, new do-it-yourself
kitchens and enabled us to complete 145
Home Maintenance Check-up inspections.
You even improved food security in Kent
County through our partnership in the
innovative Community Food Club of
Greater Grand Rapids.