Neyer Properties employees completed a third season of giving this fall when they improved the home of a South Cumminsville widow.
Sixteen employees took a workday Nov. 6 and finished up Saturday, Nov. 21 to paint the exterior of the house and retaining wall, replace missing shingles and clean out gutters, add new landscaping, install a privacy fence, and clean out the basement and backyard for Ms. Gloria Watkins.
Ms. Watkins has lived at the corner of Llewellyn and Dreman Avenues for 40 years, 39 with her husband, Tom, who died last February. He was a collector and had filled the house with items he felt he could eventually find a use for. He also did some home repairs which affected the appearance and the functionality of Ms. Watkins house, said Mary Metzmeier, development coordinator with Working In Neighborhoods.
Watkins called Working In Neighborhoods (WIN) when she saw a notice in her utility bill about free energy conservation education. After an energy audit, WIN brought Watkins and Neyer Properties volunteers together to improve her home.
“Putting up the fence, painting the house– they made the yard look like a yard,” said Watkins. “I really appreciate it. I now live in a house that looks better than when we bought it in 1969. They did an extraordinary good job on this house. People just stop here and look and say, ‘she sure did wonders about getting this house cleaned up.’ ”
“This is the third year Neyer Properties has chosen Working In Neighborhoods for their service project,” said WIN executive director S. Barbara Busch. “WIN has benefitted from its long-standing partnership with Neyer. We are truly grateful for their dedication and their skills. This year’s project not only benefits the homeowner, but it brightens up the entire neighborhood. Because Ms Watkins lives on a very visible corner, almost everyone in the neighborhood has noticed the improvements.”
Working In Neighborhoods (WIN), a Cincinnati-based non-profit organization, helps low and moderate-income residents bring stability to their neighborhoods by helping families in the areas of housing development, foreclosure prevention, home ownership, leadership development, and energy conservation.
Neyer Properties’ partnership with WIN reinforces its desire to be a community-minded corporate citizen. Dan Neyer, president of Neyer Properties, sat on the agency’s board for more than 20 years, and is a former board president. Neyer was an inaugural inductee to the WIN Hall of Fame in 2006.
“Doing practical work that helps others is a gift not only to the recipient, but to us as individuals and as a corporate team,” said Neyer. “We look forward to our WIN project every year.”
Founded in 1995, Neyer Properties, Inc. is a full-service commercial real estate developer specializing in sustainable land development, construction management, investment and redevelopment.
Neyer Properties is now on Facebook at facebook.com/neyerproperties.