Sometimes, it really is the little things that make the biggest difference. Especially for a family as large as theirs.
The Leibowitzes made the move from their Roswell home to Suwanee five years ago when it became clear they needed more space as their family was growing. Managing their household of eight keeps Christina and Scott Leibowitz busy. Together, they care for six children (ages 6-15), five of whom were adopted from foster care.
After living for a while in their current home, repairs needs began to pile up.
“It was things like the silverware drawer coming off its track and having to put the tray on the counter,” Christina said. “The garbage disposal died. The knob on the kid’s bathtub faucet broke off, so they had to bathe in our bathroom.
“Our outdoor spigot didn’t work. The water had to be turned on from the basement in the ceiling – which is too high for me to reach, even with a chair – so Scott always had to do it for us. Whoever was outside with the hose had to yell to let him know when they had enough water.”
Repair needs and others like these around their home, while simple, would have taken Christina more hours to fix than she could afford to give up.
“This, on top of some things we were dealing with with our kids due to the trauma they had faced… One Sunday at church, I was talking to Debra Potter and just asked if she knew of any support for us. I didn’t even really know what I was asking for; it was just a plea of ‘We’re drowning in life situations and need help’,” Christina said.
And that’s when Home Repairs came into the picture.
“I knew about Home Repairs Ministries,” Christina said, “but I didn’t really put together in my mind that they could serve us in that way. Debra put me in touch with Mark [Wolfe, Home Repairs’ executive director], and about a month after my initial contact with him, Home Repairs had come out to our home and fixed all of our problems – well, all of our home’s problems!”
Christina was impressed with the kindness of the volunteers and their willingness to lend a hand with the things they needed done, even something as small as fixing broken drawers.
“While they were here, one of the volunteers was waiting on something, so we were just talking in the kitchen. I asked him, ‘Is there any chance you could fix these drawers?’ And he just said ‘Oh, absolutely,’ and jumped to it,” she said. “It wasn’t like a whole big project or anything, but it was really sweet and very encouraging.
“Along with those two kitchen drawers, Home Repairs fixed the garbage disposal, changed the faucet handle in the kids’ tub, replaced the outside spigot and dryer vent guard.”
For the Leibowitzes, sometimes taking things minute by minute is the only option. So getting help with these repairs was truly a game-changer.
“When you’re trying to operate a home with that many people and you’re always on the go and there’s so much going on, it was nice to get those things done that actually amount to a lot to us. These small things were just a huge help,” she said.
“And the volunteers were gentlemen; there was no crass conversation or anything like that. They even asked permission to remove items from under our sink before they moved them to make repairs! It was just a very good experience.”
Christina recommends those who find themselves in a similar situation to their own reach out to Home Repairs about their needs.
“I kind of joke – but it’s sort of sincere too – that we swallowed our pride and asked for help. None of them looked down on us for needing help,” she said. “It’s worth it, and you’ll be glad you did it. It was just great having them in our home.”