Wallside Windows is headed into its 75th year in business with a strong commitment to its community partners. This month, Wallside Windows professionals are teaming up with Life Remodeled, a non-profit dedicated to the revitalization of Detroit.
Wallside Windows makes great strides in revitalizing Detroit with community partners like Life Remodeled.
Founded in 2011, Life Remodeled mobilizes volunteers and community partners to help improve neighborhoods in Detroit that show a significant need and radical hope. That means the neighborhoods chosen experience high levels of crime and blight, academic challenges, limited access to job opportunities and racial strife between the city and its suburbs. But it also means there is hope.
These neighborhoods have a foundation of sustainability in place, in process, or show significant potential for it. Each project includes remodeling a school or community building, managing blight removal and beautification of the surrounding neighborhood and remodeling owner-occupied homes.
That’s where Wallside Windows comes in.
Wallside Windows has manufactured 75 custom-made energy efficient windows to be installed in 15 homes in Detroit’s Durfee/Central neighborhood. The upgrades are being done with donated materials and labor by Wallside, which measured the homes in advance of a two-day window installation blitz to take place on January 15 and 16, 2019.
“The Durfee/Central neighborhood is arguably one of the most historic in the city of Detroit,” said Chris Lambert, founder and CEO of Life Remodeled. “Among many notable historical facts, this community is home to Detroit's first high school, and it is the birthplace of the 1967 Detroit uprising, which many refer to as the riots.”
This isn’t the first time Wallside professionals have offered their expertise to Life Remodeled. In July 2017 Wallside Windows professionals took over the same neighborhood, located near Durfee Elementary-Middle School and Central High School. It means a lot for all involved to return to the area near where Wallside’s founder, Martin Blanck and his wife, Lorraine, grew up. It’s also where Life Remodeled has developed the Durfee Innovation Society, a hub of opportunity for children, students and adults.
Adam Blanck met Lambert through a mutual friend in 2013. Once Blanck joined Wallside Windows full time as its chief of staff, he presented the opportunity to be involved with the Life Remodeled. And that commitment still runs strong at Wallside Windows.
“Unfortunately, many wonderful Detroit children and families are living in housing conditions that can compromise their health, safety and quality of life,” said Lambert. “However, our ability to repair homes is totally reliant upon the generosity of professional manufacturers, suppliers and contractors who donate the necessary labor and materials.
“When I think about the dozens of Detroit families Wallside has invested in these past few years, it fills me with gratitude. And here they are, back again donating and installing 75 windows on their 75th anniversary?! Wow!”
Since 2015, Wallside Windows has donated more than 270 high-quality vinyl replacement windows to Life Remodeled. This January, Wallside will again coordinate two crews of about 12 professionals each to install windows for Life Remodeled. Those crews work for two days straight to complete the installation for local homeowners. In addition, Wallside crews worked ahead of time to measure and manufacture the high-quality replacement windows needed for the project.
Interested in volunteering with Life Remodeled like we do? Visit http://liferemodeled.com/volunteer/ to learn how you can help. In need of new replacement windows? Contact us at Wallside Windows for a free estimate https://wallsidewindows.com/estimate/ or call 1-800- 521-7800.
