2005 Inaugural Year of Brush Up Mac
In the April 2001 edition of The Chamber Outlook, it included an article titled “Housing Committee Organizes City Cleanup & Brings Landlords Together.” It talked about the cooperative effort of so many agencies and citizens to rid properties of unwanted trash and recyclable items, to beautify McPherson. The article also indicated that “the Housing Committee invited McPherson landlords to explore the possibility of forming an association for the purpose of providing insight into shared needs and concerns and develop cooperative efforts and programs to enhance the quality and quantity of rental housing stock. Those who attended represented almost 400 rental units.”
An article in the McPherson Sentinel on December 31, 2004, referred to Brush Up Mac, “New program expected to provide a service that will impact the community.” Bonnie Hoffman, committee member at that time, said the McPherson Chamber of Commerce Housing Committee had been meeting for 8 years when they reevaluated their mission of revitalization and decided to “start this project by redoing a house.”
The Housing Committee put their plans into action in April of 2005, the inaugural year of Brush Up Mac, and actually worked on rehabilitating seven McPherson homes with the help of sponsors and 90 volunteers. The program was closely modeled on Rebuilding Together, formerly known as Christmas in April, a national organization that helps low-income families, veterans, and the elderly with free home modification services.
Fast forward to 2011, the McPherson Housing Coalition took on the implementation of Brush Up Mac and has done a tremendous job of helping homeowners in need. The following information came from their website, “Over 1,000 families have been helped through Brush Up Mac since it started in 2005. Many people struggle to make repairs and do upkeep on their homes, especially those who are elderly or disabled. Homeowners who are physically or financially unable to make improvements to their homes benefit from this program, which sends out more than 300 volunteers every spring to help them out.” Contact the McPherson Housing Coalition at 620-241-7828 to find out how you can get involved with Brush Up Mac.