Some 25 volunteers turned out Saturday morning for the final leg of Habitat for Humanity’s four-day Rock the Block in Perry. This year’s second annual event completed repairs and improvement projects at four Perry houses, with more to come next week during the Perry High School volunteer day.
Omar Padilla, director of Dallas County Habitat for Humanity, said this year’s Rock the Block attracted an average of 15 volunteers each day, with a larger surge on Saturday. Volunteers gathered daily at the shelter house in Wiese Park.
“Three houses were revitalized last September,” Padilla said, “and this year’s goal in Perry was at least five houses. With these four and the ones the PHS students will do next week, we’ll easily meet our goal.”
More than 100 PHS students are expected to participate in Rock the Block activities Wednesday during the PHS Homecoming week volunteer day. Padilla said one of the student projects will involve installing protective fencing around the city’s tree nursery in the brownfield on Perry’s west side.
“Deer keep eating the saplings in the nursery,” Padilla said. “These trees will eventually replace the ash trees the city removes because of the emerald ash borer. So building a fence to protect the little tress will keep a lot of the students busy on Wednesday.”
Padilla has served as coordinator of Dallas County Habitat for Humanity since May 2015. He was assisted in Saturday work session by Jake Ross and Matt Marcalus of West Des Moines, construction managers from the Des Moines Habitat for Humanity office, Marcalus’ son, Mark Marcalus, and two Americorps workers, Renee Hurley and Tom Wood of Des Moines.
The 25 local volunteers were split into two groups about 8:30 a.m. and deployed to their work sites. The larger number of volunteers painted the house at 2507 First Ave. in Perry, and the others built a wheelchair ramp and made other modifications to a house at 1222 Paul St.
Five neighborhood revitalization events were held around Dallas County this summer — Perry’s is the season’s final block rocking — and Padilla said Habitat met or exceeded its rehabilitation goals in all five towns: Perry, Waukee, Adel, Redfield and Dallas Center.
“By the end of the year, we’ll probably have 22 or 23 projects completed,” he told the Saturday volunteers. “It doesn’t sound like a ton, but those are 23 families that have done it, that have gone through it and gotten some help, and they are happy for it, so thank you for being here.”
Gene Grell of Woodward volunteered Saturday as a representative of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Perry, one of the local Rock the Block sponsors.
“This is a wonderful program,” Grell said, “and a good way to put the gospel teachings into action.”
Once all the volunteers signed in and completed waiver forms, Padilla led the group in a brief prayer, asking for the safety and success of the enterprise.
“God, thank you for this group of volunteers we have today,” Padilla said. “Help us do the work. Help us help the families of Perry. Help us be safe and leave the town with all our 10 fingers.”
Padilla said Rock the Block will return to Perry in mid-October to spend about three weeks working on a house at 306 Seventh St. Volunteers are always welcome to register in advance on the Dallas County Habitat for Humanity website, he said.
Dallas County Habitat for Humanity’s Rock the Block events bring together homeowners, organizations and volunteers to assist low-income residents with needed repairs and maintenance, including weatherization, safety, accessibility and beautification.
