Thetford to host COVER's first Whole House Repair project - calling volunteers

Many people are familiar with the COVER store on South Main Street in White River Junction either from browsing through their many offerings or from donating items from a used appliance to tools and building materials. And now COVER is coming to Thetford, launching the first-of-its-kind Whole House Repair project at a home on Turnpike Road on May 15th.

COVER has grown a lot in its 26 years of operation, starting as a collaboration between Dartmouth College Students, community volunteers, and one graduate of Bates College. Its mission has always been to benefit families and individuals of low income by repairing their homes through volunteer work. In that time COVER has grown from a few people helping neighbors to a non-profit organization with a staff. 

Up until now, their typical approach has been to focus on urgent repairs to keep a home habitable — things like fixing a leaking roof or installing an access ramp or handrails to allow the resident safe access and to prevent falls. Replacing rotting floors in mobile homes was another familiar task. The average project would take three days, five days at the most. While the bottom line was to keep the occupant safe, warm, and dry, once COVER workers looked around a home they would often notice other things in need of attention. There were opportunities for more work, but not the funding.

Homeowners of limited means cannot afford routine maintenance, even less critical repairs or upgrades. Thus they can end up living in unsafe or unsuitable housing conditions. In particular, those over the age of 80 need accessible housing plus support services while living on a fixed or declining income. In 2024, 24% of the households assisted by COVER included at least one person who was 80 years or older. The average income of a homeowner was $2,140 per month. 

Between 70-80 urgent repairs are completed per year at an average cost of $5,000.

In 2024 COVER was awarded $120,000 in funding by M&T Bank's Amplify Fund that will enable the non-profit to take on a 2-year Whole House Repair Program. Other support comes from the Byrne Foundation, the McLaughlin Family Fund, the USDA Rural Development Program, and individual donors. COVER expects to repair eight homes in 2025-2026, beginning with the one in Thetford, at an average cost of $25,000 per project. 

Homeowners apply for urgent repairs or a Whole House Repair by simply contacting COVER. In the Thetford case, the owner had mobility issues and requested an access ramp. When COVER paid a visit they saw that a bad leak in the roof had led to a mold infestation in the basement.

Home repairs are one of the best solutions to affordable housing. They extend the life of a building while improving the health and financial security of the homeowner and even helping them gain connections to the community.

In fact, all COVER projects incorporate a community-building aspect. They rely on a volunteer workforce of local residents — and even the homeowner and family — to get the work done while staff design the projects and often supervise them too.

To quote COVER Home Repair Director John Heath: “When we’re working on a more comprehensive Whole House Repair project for a longer period of time and staying in one location for weeks instead of days, the impact is bigger all-around. The homeowner’s life is changed and improved by living in a significantly more functional and safe home, volunteers become invested and engaged in their neighbor’s project and success, and the community at large feels more connected and builds closer ties along the way.”

John explained how COVER works with community volunteers. The staff have developed a standard process for each type of building project that is broken out into achievable steps that are "volunteer friendly." Volunteers must be safe, so no climbing on steep roofs or handling dangerous tools, and it is important that they succeed at their task. Training and supervising volunteers who may have no construction experience is part of the COVER mission, and John praises the crew for being both good carpenters and caring teachers.

COVER welcomes volunteers of all skill levels to lend a hand on the Whole House Repair project. Tools will be provided, and people can volunteer for one day or multiple days, from 9am-4:00pm. (No half days please.) There are a few safety rules: people under 14 years of age are not allowed on worksites; people 14-15 years old may paint or landscape, but not while construction is in progress. People 16-17 years old may use hand tools only and may not work at heights over six feet. 

Folks in Thetford and surrounding communities are especially encouraged to support their Turnpike Road neighbor by volunteering, helping to recruit others, and even providing lunch on repair days. Members of the press are also invited to visit the site and capture a community in action.

To volunteer on the Thetford Whole House Repair project, which starts on May 15th, please call (802) 296-7241 ext. 4, visit coverhomerepair.org/volunteer, or email volunteer@coverhomerepair.org.