Sunday Seniors: Nonprofit Makes Sure Seniors Are Covered

White River Junction — As the colder weather begins to creep in, it is time to make sure homes are snug.

Cover Home Repair Inc. has been helping lower-income Upper Valley residents with weatherization for years, and about 50 percent of what Cover Executive Director Bill Neukomm called “urgent cases” involve senior citizens.

“I think the demand seems to increase every year,” he said.

Many of these homeowners are on a low fixed income and even small changes, such as installing LED lightbulbs and sealing doorways, can make a difference.

“Someone might save $10 or $20 a month on an electric bill,” Neukomm said.

In addition to assisting with weatherization, Cover also prioritizes fall prevention, which entails “making sure the home is safe for someone to navigate through,” Neukomm said; it’s “not just grab bars in the shower.”

Neukomm gave an example of a project in which volunteers were adding a railing to homeowner’s second floor staircase when they noticed the stairway didn’t have a light.

“Not having the light to see the way up the stairway is another fall risk,” he said.

But seniors not only get help from Cover, they help the nonprofit organization as well.

“One chunk of volunteers is people who (are) retired, have skills and want to volunteer,” Neukomm said.

Editor’s note: For more information about Cover Home Repair and its projects, visit http://www.coverhomerepair.org/. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.