Raising the Roof
on Jan 19, 2021
We’re proud to announce that we have completed our Jeremy House roof replacement! This project was years in the making, and took a true team effort from our organization, our sponsors, and our community.
The roof on the Jeremy House shelter was nearly 50 years old and in poor condition, but the complicated and costly nature of the replacement delayed the project for years. With an old roof overlaying an even older roof, layers of asbestos shingles and insulation, and an involved under-eave electrical lighting/security system, the costs and logistics of replacement were daunting. But in the spring, melting ice and a broken tree branch created a crack in a weakened eave, and we soon had a family of raccoons join our shelter as guests. As tough as the project would be, we knew the time had come.
Our longtime partners at the Waukesha County Community Development Block Grant jumped in to provide emergency funding, along with the Waukesha County Community Foundation. With help from our friends at the Mallinger Family Foundation, and architectural drawings donated by Strang Architects, we were able to replace the roof before snow fell, and the shelter now has a tight, solid roof that will keep the house warm and dry for years to come.
In even better news, the new roof combined with a new furnace donated to Jeremy House by United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County in late 2019 have resulted in our monthly utility costs at Jeremy House dropping by 16%. This means more of our resources can be focused on providing better outcomes for our guests.
Oh… and the raccoons? They were safely and humanely relocated to some nearby woods, and they later returned in a midnight attempt to raid our dumpster, so we know they’re doing okay.
The old roof, in all its glory:
And here's our gorgeous new roof!
Thank you to our supporters who made it happen: the Waukesha County Community Foundation, the Waukesha County Community Development Block Grant, the Mallinger Foundation, and Strang Architects. We could never do this without you!
Please consider donating a one-time or monthly gift. Your kindness keeps a roof over our heads!