Local churches and community organizations came together Friday to help an elderly couple on Walnut Street fix their home. Joe and Donna Raffa, who have lived at 34 Walnut for over 30 years, had their house cited by the Jamestown Department of Development for code violations.
Love in the Name of Christ of Southern Chautauqua County (LOVE Inc.) Executive Director Susan Justham said the Raffa’s contacted LOVE Inc. looking for help with the major repairs needed, “As we continued to hear the story we realized there were more and more needs under this family’s situation. We put it out as a prayer request to the churches that we work with. One person stood up and said, ‘You know, I might be able to help with that.’ Which led to conversations with many, many others between the Office of Development, from Business Church, from churches trying to sponsor the cost and materials. It’s been amazing to see what God has done putting this all together.”
Justham said this has been a 6-month project, “I’m trying to help them, you know, handle those code issues that have come and trying to help with other issues we’ve come across as well like removing brush. When you’re in your 70s, how do you remove brush? So simple projects all the way down to roof repairs as what we have majorly going on behind us.”
The Raffa’s property is located in the Arnold Walnut Renaissance Block Challenge cluster and they were able to join that cluster. For every dollar they spend on this project, the JRC will match them up to $2,000.
Volunteers at Friday’s event included folks from Zion Covenant Church, Love INC, Personal & Home Development, LLC, Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, the Chautauqua Landbank, Habitat For Humanity, and the City of Jamestown.
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