BAWA members just accomplished another great volunteering effort. Rebuilding Together Peninsula organized 81 sites on this past Saturday April 24 in San Mateo County and BAWA was totally responsible for one of them ---– quite a big responsibility for a little hobby club of woodworkers. The beauty is that somehow many of us in BAWA also possess skills in construction. The Rebuilding Together recipient family needed help and was very grateful for our members' efforts to transform their mobile home into a more watertight and functional unit. As VP I was so proud to see Katy, our Kitchen Team Leader, smiling with enthusiasm every time I passed her at work in the kitchen or as she negotiated to use the table saw. Speaking of tools ---– luckily Dan arranged for Frank Taylor to bring a pickup load of portable and semi-portable items like table saw, miter saw, drill press and a Skilsaw for us all to use. Speaking of Dan, the Construction Captain –--- he did a tremendous amount of work leading up to National Rebuilding Day. About 6 people worked at the site on demolition and prep work the Saturday before the big day (the one day event that RT touts). Then, as mentioned at the last meeting, 4 of us met at Per's shop (now former shop) in late March to make the drawers, doors and drawer fronts for the kitchen. Per provided a lot of help setting up various tools just right (using calipers and getting it super exact) for our use. During the time at Per's shop we made some big cabinetry (7 sheets of ¾" plywood) for another RT project which I learned yesterday were painted white and installed during their Rebuilding Day. At the Daly City job site this past weekend there was also a porch and stairs team (which included some team members from California Water Service Company where I worked before retirement) that cut and installed several pickup loads of redwood and Trex. Bruce Woods ended up working by himself replacing water-damaged ceiling tiles with mastic. Frank Taylor pretty much tackled making a bulletproof redwood front hand railing that does not budge when I grabbed it going up. Pete (Cal Water) and I installed a custom-ordered new back door, which is a huge improvement over the old one. John Blackmore and helpers made a freestanding maple cabinet that will serve as the family's pantry in the kitchen as previously food supplies sat on the kitchen table. A last minute recruit, Frank McDaniel, whom I met on Thursday at the my barber shop, did a great job installing the vent hood in the kitchen while Harold wrestled with plumbing and then installed the new gas cook top with electrical connections. The only member complaints were about the mice feces, the odor of the feces, and all the mold (imagine having to live in that day in and day out) and, well, age ---– the ability to keep a sixty-something body going after 8 hours for folks mostly accustomed to doing office work and evening woodworking. GREAT JOB FOLKS, BAWA CAN BE VERY PROUD OF OUR EFFORTS. We left that place with all issues (ok, one unfinished electrical issue) resolved and a house much safer and cleaner than we found it.

No one seems to recall exactly how BAWA got started in participating in what has pretty much become our annual volunteer effort, although we know Bill Henzel was there coordinating the activities for at least a decade. For about 15 years we worked with San Francisco Chapter of Rebuilding Together (originally called Christmas in April). After the SF Chapter pushed us for a large cash contribution I contacted the Peninsula Chapter where we have made a significant impact per the staff comments to me. After Saturday's long day of hard work one gets a satisfied feeling of having provided much-needed help to a family in need. We were able to share our skills and work together to upgrade a home and will be able to continue having fun the rest of the year at our meetings sharing our woodworking knowledge, skills, and observations. Now, on to that gate at the Pomeroy Center which needs a redo....