Volunteers help give Woodland Acres neighborhood makeover

DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — Dozens of volunteers swarmed a neighborhood to give it some much needed TLC. The neighborhood received home makeovers for nearly a dozen homeowners who otherwise couldn’t afford it.

There’s a lot of work to be done in the Woodland Acres area, and many of the homeowners can’t afford it.

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Builders Care came in where workers volunteered their time and paint.

Former school crossing guard Sandy Alverson can’t believe her eyes when looking at her home. The home got a fresh coat of paint and a spruced up lawn all for free. Alverson’s husband is handicapped after suffering from several strokes. Her home was lagging behind on TLC. Until a group she calls a godsend came knocking.

"I was crying, like I mean it's wonderful, it's fabulous and that people are so loving and they care so much," Alverson said.

Alverson's home is one of eight in her Woodland Acres neighborhood slated for a facelift by Builders Care and its army of volunteers.

Builders Care said Wells Fargo and the Rotary of South Jacksonville have helped finance the projects and all the paint was donated by Sherwin-Williams. He said his organization also partnered with The Church of Eleven22, Impact Church, Jacksonville City Council, Destination Church and the Five Star Veterans Center on the house-improvement projects.

Builders Care Executive Director, Matt Wilford said some homes were in really bad shape.

"We are talking mold in the ceilings and the walls, we've had to remediate those every bathroom we've touched we've had to remediate," Wilford said.

Rebecca Crosby’s home is getting a brand-new roof and her bathroom is being gutted to make room for new drains and fixtures.

"If you're on Social Security or disability, I don't get, but a little over $700 a month there's no way," Crosby said.

Wilford said it's about giving back to a community that needs it. She said the work is not only rewarding for those getting help but also for everyone doing the helping.

"They've been living here for a very long time and they just want their neighborhood back," Wilford said.

Volunteers will be back in this neighborhood to fix up even more homes in the coming weeks.

WJAX