Verley Kirksey, a 97-year-old homeowner in Redwood City, woke up early on October 14 to bake
a batch of her signature peanut butter cookies before the 12 volunteers from nVent arrived for
Fall Rebuilding Day. The employees were going to add hardscape to her backyard and restore
and repaint her fence, making the area safer for Verley and other senior family members who
frequently visit her. Verley has lived in her home since 1962, and today she’s the matriarch of
the block–someone the neighbors count on to check their mail when they’re away.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Verley said while the volunteers worked. “This is so nice. I’m a
lucky old bird.” Verley mingled with the group throughout the day, along with her daughter, Carol,
who is her remote caretaker. Carol found RTP on the Nextdoor app and reached out for help
renovating her mother’s aging property. Her response once the work was done was heartening:
“This is the nicest group of people you will ever meet. My mom feels like she has made many
friends.”
Verley’s house was one of 10 projects for this year’s Fall Rebuilding Days, including four homes,
five community facilities, and one special project where a team of volunteers will build planter
boxes to help beautify nonprofit facilities and homes in the future. From San Bruno to East Palo
Alto, more than 200 volunteers provided crucial renovations, including painting, debris removal,
fence repair, landscaping, and carpentry and maintenance repairs.
None of this would have been possible without the support of several corporate sponsors who
provided volunteer labor and/or critical funding for materials. In addition to nVent, our support
came from Sares Regis Community Foundation, Stanford Health Care, Provident Credit Union,
DPR Construction, Roche, and Tencent America. We are grateful for their investment in the
community!