Hotline in Action
East End Mutual Aid operates a Helping Hands Hotline, offering assistance to residents* in a variety of capacities, including delivering groceries, helping with small repairs, taking care of animals, and snow shoveling. Residents request, or offer, help by calling 412-385-3362 or through filling out a form online at www.eastendmutualaid.org/hotline
With winter bearing down we’re seeing a marked increase in both residents signing up for help with snow shoveling and volunteer signups to help share the work.
To illustrate how our hotline functions outside of the snow arena, we thought it’d be helpful to describe a recent contact.
Through our website’s contact form we received the following message:
“I would like to know actually if someone could help me with small home repairs. i really dont know how to fix anything and want to know if someone would know how/can help fix loose roof shingles, and caulking, and patching small holes/cracks/gaps in the stone and concrete outside, all this would help make the house less leaky and less drafty. I know i don’t live in the east end, i live in northside but i dont know who else would help me.”
The next day, we contacted the homeowner to arrange getting a firsthand look at the work needing to be done. This is important so we know what would be involved in the repairs, whether we have the necessary skills, and whether the scope of the problem is the kind of small-scale project we’re willing to take on.
A member of the collective, who works as an apprentice carpenter, subsequently met with the homeowner and surveyed the situation. Later, the two went to purchase the necessary supplies, which the homeowner paid for.
We felt the caulking and mortar were immediately solvable problems. For the dormers we’re trying to coordinate help from a supporter with more experience.
We then set to work. Caulking was applied around the exterior of the house, around door frames and spaces that needed to be filled. The gap was filled in the concrete to stop the basement from leaking. There is a small portion that still needs to be filled, as we ran out of concrete caulking.
The next day the weather cooperates, the mortar work can be finished and the remainder of the concrete filled.
We’re happy to report that after recent rains the homeowner sent a message of thanks, reporting a substantial reduction in basement flooding.
*Currently limited to residents of Bloomfield, Garfield, Friendship, and East Liberty. We will consider outside requests, but can’t promise help.
