The coronavirus hit everyone hard in March 2020, including the NSDRC’s residential services programs. We shut down all our program sites to visitors and went to essential services only, ensuring the health and safety of our residents and staff was paramount.
We were settling into the new normal and things were ticking along, when we received a surprise offer from a locally-owned and operated contracting company. Twin Lions Contracting was paying their workers to sit at home and “wait out the pandemic,” and were looking for a way to keep their workers busy while they were being paid, as well as give back to the community.
Madeline Hatch of Twin Lions Contracting contacted us on behalf of Ben McKeen and Kevin Hatch, the owners of Twin Lions Contracting and asked if there were any projects that their workers could do with labour being free of charge to the NSDRC; all we had to do was pay for the materials.
The NSDRC Maintenance Committee had been wanting to renovate the two very old Gordon House kitchens for a long time. With quotes for one kitchen at $50,000, however, the price was simply more than we could justify, and so the project was put on the back burner for “richer times.” Twin Lions Contracting agreed to renovate not just one but both kitchens at Gordon House.
Shawn Bjornson and his very personable team got down to business, maintaining social distancing and working on one kitchen at a time, and the results are awesome. The individuals who live at the house and the staff who support them have two new, brighter user-friendly kitchens with new cupboards, new appliances and lighting and new flooring in the upstairs kitchen.
The kitchen, before (L) and after (R).
Thank you to Twin Lions Contracting and Ben and Kevin for your very generous donation of labour, as well as hugely discounted deals from their contractors and supplier connections on the cabinetry, appliances and flooring.
You have enabled us to revitalize this home and the energy of the individuals who live here for a fraction of the cost.
