Casper Rotarians Assist Special Needs Man With House Repairs After Death of His Parents
His name is Jimmy and he needs some help.
He got them help from a group of Casper Rotarians, who "adopted" Jimmy's house and have begun to perform a series of repairs.
"I've known Jimmy for, I think, about three years," Dan Odell told K2 Radio News. "I was the Director of the Iris Clubhouse, which is a community for adults with mental illness. And I approached the Rotary Club last year, knowing the needs that he has. The roof had two holes in it, and it needed painting. He was living in Colorado and was renting the house, and the renters weren't very kind to it."
The house had many issues, including a broken door that allowed access to the garage.
"A squatter repeatedly broke through the old door, and several homeless people lived there over the years before a formal eviction," a Facebook post from the Casper Rotary stated.
When Odell brought this to the Rotary Club of Casper, they immediately jumped into action.
Odell, along with John Griffith, Rebecca Reeves, and Mike Morrissey went to Jimmy's house and began to make some repairs. They installed an access door on the garage, securing it. They will also be installing a new roof and will perform other duties as well.
"We started painting the front of his house, and then we have to do some exterior sheeting to the sides, and we'll paint that," Odell said. "But we're going to wait until after the roof is installed. We have a roofing company, MC Roofing, who will be donating thge materials and a lot of the labor in the spring, when it warms up."
It's a lot of work, but it's something that's important to the Rotarians. And it's important because they know that Jimmy doesn't have too many people looking out for him.
"Both of his parents have passed away; his dad just recently," Odell said of Jimmy. "He's an adult with diminished intellectual abilities and some mental illness. He's a great guy, and he just needs some help."
So, as is usually the case, the Rotary Club of Casper will provide that help.
"I think those of us who have resources, whether it's time or financial ability, or even skills - I think it's important that we give something back to the community, because we certainly didn't get to the place where we are in life without help from the community," Odell said. "So I just think it's important to pay the universe back a little bit for the things that we have. And, I enjoy helping other people. And when I give to the community, I feel like I get so much more back. That's why I do it. I feel responsible nd it just makes me feel better."
That sentiment is one that is probably shared by all of the members of the Casper Rotary. Members don't volunteer because of any financial gain. They do it because they love the community of Casper, and they want to see it grow and get better.
"I think the Rotary Club is really significant to the community," Odell said. "It builds the quality of life. Just think about how many people who have been to the Rotary Park, who are just visiting. It makes our community stronger. It gives people meaning and it helps facilitate connections to our people. I think non-profit organizations are just as important as the grocery store, or the hospital, or the newspaper. We have to know what's going on. And I think we're all really needed as a part of building a strong community."