When a leaky gas pipe exploded in a spare bedroom last spring , reducing their rural Albion home to smoking rubble , Kathy and Dorian Monroe escaped with their lives , the clothes on their backs , and little else .
Thanks to the unflagging efforts and altruistic vision of Albion resident Joanna Twichel , within hours the Monroes were safely housed at the N . E . E . D . ( Northwestern Extended Emergency Dwelling ) home in Albion , a project spearheaded by Twichel to provide temporary housing for people in the community who have lost their home to fire , flood , explosion or some other disaster .
“ People suffering a crisis in their lives are often housed at a hotel in Erie , separated from friends and family who care about them the most ,” Twichel says . “ Their kids , already having to deal with the loss of their home and personal belongings , have to be transported back here for school ; they were living in an unfamiliar neighborhood and removed from their school friends .” That all changed with the creation of Project N . E . E . D . “ Here , in the N . E . E . D . home ,” Twichel continues , “ families stay connected . The home is walking distance to the Northwestern School District , a grocery store , pharmacy , post office , restaurants and shopping . The convenience is so appreciated by people who are desperately trying to reorganize after the crisis of losing their home .” The Monroes lost everything . “ Our home collapsed into the basement ,” Dorian relates . “ We lost all our clothes , all family memorabilia , our cats , furniture and all our financial and legal documents . The only surviving family memento is a picture of my mother that miraculously blew out of the wreckage into the front lawn .” With Twichel as its director and , in her words , “ the most dedicated and hard-working band of volunteers you ’ ve ever seen ,” a two-story brick building in Albion donated by MooseHeart , the governing body of the Moose Club in Albion , has undergone its latest renovation and is ready for its first tenants after four years of intense work .
The house contains two fully furnished apartments , each having three bedrooms , a full bath , a living room , a fully functioning eat-in kitchen , and an outside balcony . All the furniture , bedding , linens , cookware , and hygiene goods are provided free for families to use during their stay .
Twichel continues to reach out to the community for services for her residents . “ A staff member of Sears Optical saw an interview we did on T . V . and offered her services to provide a free pair for any of our residents who lost glasses .” The local food pantry generously provides a week ’ s worth of groceries to get families started in their new home .
To beautify the grounds outside the house , she has enlisted the help of students from the Northwestern School District to help her design and plant flower beds . She plans to build a memorial garden out front with beautiful gardens surrounding the front porch .
“ Twenty-six years ago , my dad Francis Surovick initiated Project N . E . E . D . as an outreach for the community he loved so much .” Twichel ’ s eyes sparkle when she speaks of her dad who died seven years ago : “ Dad was an extremely civic-minded individual who cared so much about people , that they would be loved and cared for . He was a master persuader for rallying people to support his projects . He mobilized community people and businesses to donate labor and materials to make this dream a reality .”
A member of the Lions Club , he also was instrumental in establishing the Veterans ’ Memorial in Albion . He served for many years as director of REC , Albion ’ s electrical company .
Twichel admits that she ’ s pretty persuasive when it comes to convincing people and local organizations to get on board helping with her pet project , a talent she claims to have inherited from her dad . All the furniture ,
cookware , dishes , linens , and other domestics have been donated by local stores .
She expresses her gratitude to her loyal volunteers : “ They are amazing . For four years we spent countless hours attending to the myriad tasks necessary for the smooth and safe running of a home . And the talent ! You should see these women and men showing up after a full day ’ s work to put down flooring , install appliances and fans , paint walls , secure electrical wiring , and so much more .” Twichel laughs out loud as she speaks fondly of her “ unsuspecting innocents .”
Once the call comes in , often from the local fire department or the Red Cross , Twichel and her volunteers go to work . They get the appliances ready , turn up the heat if necessary , contact the local food pantry , and make sure all the comforts of home are in place to offer a warm welcome to the family that will be living there .
Project N . E . E . D . is funded entirely through donations and fundraisers . “ We do have tax-exempt nonprofit status ,” Twichel explains , “ and will be searching for appropriate state and federal grants to help defray the cost of a new roof , new doors , and window replacement .” The expenses of liability and property insurance , emergency lighting , and state-required safety precautions are considerable .
“ There is no charge to the tenants , just a request that any living expenses paid for by insurance would be forwarded to the project . The average stay here is three months ,” Twichel says .
“ Dad ’ s vision extended beyond Albion ,” Twichel explains . “ He wanted this project to become so invaluable to the welfare of local residents that other communities would fund and establish their own N . E . E . D . projects .” Her ambition going forward is that the Albion corporation would be the corporate headquarters for other communities that would have their own committee , house , and fundraising but would report back to Twichel ’ s board .
Twichel promotes the idea by serving residents from other communities if one of the apartments is available .
“ In the past 22 years , we have offered temporary housing to more than 100 people ,” Twichel says , “ mostly local families . But we certainly will offer housing to people outside Albion if space permits
Following in her father ’ s footsteps has given Twichel a sense of purpose and a way to give back to the community that she has called home all these years .
“ This is such a worthy organization ,” she shares . “ Our hope is to sustain and grow community support so that this caring outreach will continue for future generations .” ■
Left : A warm , cozy living room in the Project N . E . E . D . home , complete with a thoughtful gift basket , welcomes families who need temporary housing at a critical time in their lives , the loss of their home .
Right : Gary and Joanna Twichel celebrate the completion of the Project N . E . E . D . home in Albion on its newly refurbished porch . Photo courtesy of Joanna Twichel
West County | Summer 2016 | icmags . com 11