By Lindsay Peyton 

It was a tremendous job – even for a big crew with a big heart. 

The volunteers who gathered at 146 SW 144 St in Burien early morning Saturday, July 8, had a mission. They were set on adding a new roof to the home, as well as new floors. They also had plans for safety upgrades and improvements to the landscaping.  And they had a deadline -- to get everything done by the end of the day. 

The night before, the homeowner Allen Pike was rushed to the hospital with a lung infection. 

He lives with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a progressive lung disorder that makes it difficult to breathe, much less maintain his home, where he has lived with his wife Sharon for 43 years. 

Pike, 74, is also a U.S. Air Force Vietnam veteran. His plane was shot down during the war. He miraculously survived, but his injuries from the crash made it difficult to walk. He was then medically discharged from the military. 

Mike Lahoda serves as director of programs for Rebuilding Together Seattle – a group that seeks out those in need of home improvements. 

We’re a nonprofit that focuses on providing safe and healthy housing for low income families,” Lahoda said. “From Everett down to Renton, we serve veterans, seniors and people with disabilities. It’s entirely free for them.”

He worked alongside volunteers from Abbott Construction and Sears. 

Burien resident Marc Anderson joined the crew. “This is a massive project,” he said. “But there are a lot of very experienced construction workers here. They’re determined to do it in a day. I think it’s really cool that people with so much expertise are giving up their Saturdays to make this happen.”

Lahoda said that many repairs are focused on major health and safety improvements.

Volunteers will also be installing energy efficient upgrades throughout the home to help the Pikes save money on their electric bills. “Many hands make light work,” he said. 

He added that removing the carpet, updating the heaters and repairing a roof leak will improve the air quality inside the home.

Katie Ball, senior project engineer for Abbott Construction, has worked on four projects with Rebuilding Together Seattle. 

“It’s important to keep the community intact,” she said. “The only way to do that is keep people in their homes.” Ball, a Des Moines resident, has worked in construction for the past six years – and was proud of her crew for volunteering all day long. 

“They’re pulling long hours during the week,” she said. “They work a lot in the summertime. But it’s really important that we help Allen and Sharon. They need the help.”

The project is being completed with help from Sears’ 10th annual Heroes at Home campaign, which has served 14,250 veterans across the country. 

Rebuilding Together affiliates and Sears volunteers nationwide will complete dozens of similar projects this spring, adding to the nearly 1,700 rebuilds completed since the program began. 

Sears is asking customers to donate to Heroes at Home at their local Sears store or online at sears.com/heroesathome.

Rebuilding Together is hosting a fundraiser in the fall. The eighth annual Beer and Wine Tasting, slated for Friday, Oct. 6 at the Museum of History and Industry. For more information about the nonprofit, visit www.rtseattle.org.