Avid traveler, amateur astronomer and recent retiree Rock Taber has loved taking things apart and figuring out how to put them together since he was young.
Rocco – Rock’s trail name when hiking 200 km in Spain – has recently found a place at Home Repairs Ministries, thanks to his church, Perimeter Church.
“It’s been on my mind for a couple of years that I’d like to use my skills in a positive way. So almost 12 months after retiring from my federal career, I decided to take the plunge and have volunteered on two separate repair projects in the past 30 days,” Rocco said.
As a homeowner for more than 40 years, Rocco has a lot of experience from doing many of his own home repairs – like replacing his two-story dryer vent piping, repairing his back deck and pretty much everything in between – not to mention building an entire sailboat.
Although Rocco has only been with Home Repairs for around a month, he’s seen their work’s impact on the homes and the people who live in them – helping each individual stay dry, safe and warm.
“The first [repair I helped with], the homeowner had a special needs child, was a special needs teacher and had inherited the house from her parents. You could tell it was a nice piece of property at one time – they had raised their family there – but it was in rough shape,” he said. “We came in and tore down rusted and falling-apart gutters, pulled off rotten siding and parts of the house that were close to the ground that needed to be replaced.
“The other was for Ms. Chang. The deck was in really bad shape, so around a dozen of us tore down all the planking and old steps. We had crowbars going and drill drivers – it was quite a project.
“We started at 9:30 and finished up at 3:30. The homeowner came out afterward, and she was moved to tears. She just couldn’t believe we had done all that work. Replacing two planks in my back deck took me about three and a half hours by myself, so I couldn’t believe we rebuilt the whole deck in a day!”
We’re better when we work together. And Rocco has seen just how much the Home Repairs team has to give.
“I don’t want my skills to be wasted just doing things for myself,” he said.
“I do light electrical work, and I’m pretty good at demolition, but other Home Repairs volunteers have more woodworking and carpentry skills. A couple I’ve met have even had their own repair businesses. I can learn things from these guys.”
He also has seen firsthand the importance of the ministry side of Home Repairs Ministries.
“My dream for Home Repairs is that others would be brought to know Christ through seeing His helping hands. [The call to serve others] It pulls us along,” he said.
Why is it worth it to Rocco to spend his retirement volunteering with this ministry?
“At my age (67), time is becoming a valuable commodity, but I feel it is important to give back to others,” he said.
“Volunteering with Home Repairs Ministries is a very effective way to give to others in need, many of whom are in or near our own towns and neighborhoods. It doesn’t require a lengthy or expensive mission trip to another country [to serve].
“It always feels better when you do a project for somebody else, whether it’s a neighbor, friend or someone seriously in need. Working on my own deck was nice, and I felt accomplished when it was done, but it’s always nice to do something for somebody else.”
Want to make a difference like Rocco? Consider volunteering with us! homerepairs.org/volunteer
