Wing members help repair home for local resident

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Zach Jacobs
  • 507th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
OKLAHOMA CITY --  To hear her tell her story, one could say Ms. Treva Clark and her family personify the word resilience. 

However, it is difficult to say the same about her home.

But members of the 507th Air Refueling Wing teamed up with the local chapter of a national charity to help her and her family be more resilient.

Clark, a 68-year-old resident of Oklahoma City, and her daughter and granddaughter were recently selected by the Rebuilding Together charity to receive extensive home repairs as part of their "Rebuilding Dreams Together" project.

Clark's home was named the winning project after the result of close to 10,000 total votes from consumers, franchisees and associates of Choice Hotels' Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands.

Clark and her late husband bought their home in 1973. But the problems began on April 19, 1995, the day of the Murrah Federal Building Bombing in Oklahoma City. The blast literally split her home in the living room and kitchen.

Her husband was also diagnosed with cancer that year.

In 1999, a large rainstorm caused a tree to fall on the house and split the garage.

Since 2004, she's done without hot water in her home.

And within the past four years, ice, hail and rainstorms have created holes in the roof, leading to water leaks, a collapsing ceiling and a major health hazard: a rat infestation.

During this time, she received no help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.

Additionally, Clark is partially blind and has heart problems, all while she is caring for her 30-year-old daughter, a single mother, who is recovering from a kidney transplant.

Again, resilience is a word that could come to mind when imagining their situation.

But, in conjunction with the national "Make a Difference" week, seven Wing members and two family members made a major difference for Clark and her family.

Senior Master Sgt. David Liszeski, the career advisor for the 507th Mission Support group and a Rebuilding Together team member, said the work was extensive.

The team built two functioning bathroom vanities complete with faucets, emergency shut off valves and drains. They also replaced two tub and shower valves with chrome trim and re-plumbed hot and cold water lines for two toilets and two sinks, and replaced a washer box and drains.

The team also replaced the wallboard in the water heater cabinet and installed a 40-gallon electric water heater inside, a new frost-free faucet outside, and a sewer cleanout plug on the side of house.

The Rebuilding Together team also gave her kitchen a good workover, including replacing the hot and cold water lines and cleaning out the drains for her sink, dishwasher, refrigerator and washing machine.

Liszeski said there's a bit more work to do, including sealing leaky kitchen and laundry drains in the foundation of the house and installing new drains in their place. The additional work should be completed by the middle of November, said Liszeski.

At a gathering of volunteers, underwriters and sponsors, Treva Clark addressed the crowd. She thanked all who helped her out, especially the Wing's members who stepped up and lent their knowledge and efforts.

She said frequently that God had blessed her and her family.