A Dayton neighborhood has been cleaned through the efforts of Wright State ROTC volunteers and a local non-profit.On Sept. 22, about 100 Wright State cadets spent four hours clearing overgrowth and debris from the Carillon neighborhood, along with volunteers from the University of Dayton and Cedarville University – a total of 127 volunteers altogether.
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The effort was organized in part by Rebuilding Together, a local non-profit organization that assists low-income homeowners, including the elderly, veterans and the disabled. It partners with volunteer groups to clean impoverished Dayton neighborhoods. They work with the city of Dayton to have them collect overgrowth after it has been cleared.“Our whole focus is providing safe and healthy housing,” said Michelle Hausman, Seasonal Safe@Home director at Rebuilding Together.Wright State ROTC cadets and Rebuilding Together have partnered once before, last year. This time, cadets were required to participate as part of their training, according to a Wright State news release.The cadets also helped retain an old house by applying primer to it. Others demolished a collapsed garage for an elderly woman who could not afford to hire a demolition crew. “Projects like that… let homeowners stay in their house,” Hausman said. “A lot of times, their house is the last thing they have.”
POP CULTURE: Weekly HoroscopesHausman said that she enjoys helping homeowners and showing volunteers, “what a few hours can do and how much joy it can bring.” She said that this effort has provided the cadets with confidence and experience in neighborhoods they might not have otherwise been connected to.“I think a lot of people often forget that older people have a lot of needs and they are often times overlooked,” Hausman said. “I am passionate about our work because I think everyone deserves a safe place to live.”
