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    > Sure.  First thing is the main 'work' is in organizing it all while   
    > accepting what level of time folks have to donate to it.  Most of ours    
   were   
    > done via 'NextDoor' (a social networking site, limited mostly to within 5-   
   10   
    > miles of you).  It's interesting because it really does create a    
   'community   
    > effect'.   
      
    > What you do is catch wind of someone who needs help, then if they are   
    > willing to accept it, let others know what piece of the project needs help   
    > and see what comes back.  Critical is scoping it small enough to be in the   
    > realm of the 'possible'.  You also have to control your frustration when   
    > someone who didn't keep up with the thread, makes the 700'th suggestion    
   for   
    > some charity that's already been contacted (grin).  With Charlie, we just   
    > started with 'get the man heat'.   
      
    > That was the most critical portion.  The next step was to  find someone    
   who   
    > could repair a stove pipe for a large indoor wood burning stove.  I told   
    > folks at the start, this would be on a shoe string budget but we just    
   needed   
    > to pay a handyman with a skill set close enough to get the new one he   
    > already had, in place.  He'd have helpers.  We dug in youtube for how to    
   do   
    > it and a nice young man said he'd do it for 100$ plus parts.  He was just   
    > starting out in the Handyman business so we all knew he was going well    
   under   
    > the 'going rate' but it would help another and hopefully get his name out   
    > there (It worked, he did beautifully and folks started calling him with   
    > jobs).  We started with a goal of 2,000.   
      
    > At this stage, we needed about 200$ (Labor and parts), backpay a 900$ 10   
    > year old electrical bill that for whatever reason, they would not waive,   
    > 500$ for critical structural repairs, and 500$ worth of materials to get   
    > just enough electricity rolling for 4 outlets.   
      
    > Then I called for a working party to help clear stuff.  We had some 15   
    > people (some kids but old enough to be helpful).  It took 2 days.     
   Charlie's   
    > not actually a hoader, he was just overwhelmed with donated 'stuff'.     
   Would   
    > have made a hell of a yardsale but it was bitter cold with off and on snow   
    > so instead, we told folks that we set the best by the 3 donated dumpsters   
    > but come get whatever they wanted.  Smile, folks knew what was up from   
    > NextDoor posts and suddenly folks who 'took free stuff' started donating    
   the   
    > value they could afford to his go fund me account.  Yup, ammassed much    
   more   
    > so we up-ticked the project and had the whole house rewired, literally.   
    > Every single wire was ripped out and replaced, mostly with donated   
    > parts/wire, donated time from a local company that is highly respected as    
   a   
    > class A electrical.  (Smile, they do a worthy chairity a year and his was   
    > it, not even tax deductable).   
      
    > Then ceilings started to fall in (Drywall with older type nails, not    
   current   
    > spec screws).  We thought the livingroom would be first but instead it was   
    > the 2nd bedroom, then 3rd bedroom and finally his master bedroom.   
    > Livingroom held on for another 6 months.  One of the local charitys    
   donated   
    > 1,200 square feet of drywall.   
      
    > A lot of the work was done during the nominal 'dead time' for these   
    > handymen.   
      
    > In the end, I literally do not know how many people were involved but it    
   was   
    > estimated, 500 or so was probably right, even if just with money or    
   helping   
    > find resources.  Grin, even got him a stove (he was using propane), a hot   
    > water heater (can you imamgine 10 years without a hot bath in winter?) and   
    > an extremely efficient mini-fridge.   
      
    > Tip?  For this type, be kind and patient as folks seek to 'donate' all    
   sorts   
    > of stuff that can't be used like electric heaters or cooking related    
   things   
    > like blenders that he's never going to make enough money to afford the   
    > electrical costs to use them.   
      
    > Also, at the start ask folks who are referring to various charitys, that   
    > they call them first to see if they are even still in business or are   
    > limited in some way (like, only members of this specific church are   
    > eligible).   
      
    > It is a lot of work, but it's a really good feeling to get engaged and DO   
    > something for others.   
      
   Thank you!   
   Sounds good! I'm already on Nextdoor for my local area. . .   
      
   Your friend,   
      
   <+]:{)}   
   Cyberpope, Bishop of ROM   
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