For Immediate Release
April 28, 2001

Port Of Oakland To Give Fruitvale House A Makeover
Christmas in April volunteers take action Saturday, April 28

Christmas in April volunteer activities are back in season. For the third consecutive year, the Port of Oakland has rolled up its sleeves and is sponsoring the renovation and repair of a local community house in need.

Cobwebs will be cleared and cracks will be sealed on an aging home in the Fruitvale district on Saturday, April 28. Nearly 40 volunteers are expected to offer every kind of assistance from painting and yardwork to plumbing and electrical repairs.

Elsie Williams, who turns 67 on Saturday, has lived in the home at 4320 Bond Street for 10 years. Williams is looking forward to the team of volunteer workers to tackle the maintenance problems that have added up over the years.

Christmas in April, now called Working Together With Christmas in April, is a national non-profit organization that produces an annual one-day renovation and repair day for the homes of low-income and elderly residents. The day is completely funded through donations by organizations such as the Port of Oakland, and all of the work is done entirely by volunteers.

"The Port of Oakland is once again proud to contribute to the community in this worthwhile effort and demonstrate compassion to those who could use, in this case, a few helping hands," said Port's Executive Director Chuck Foster.

So far, the house has undergone two days of preparation to make efforts go smoothly for the final working day. Work is expected to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and conclude around 4:30 p.m.

"Every year a great group of people show up to spend a few hours, have fun with a paintbrush or broom in hand and at the same time make a real difference in someone else's life," says Port of Oakland's Community Affairs Representative Monica Tell. "It's certainly an occasion that Ms. Williams will never forget."

Contact:
Harold Jones
Communications Director
(510) 627-1564
hjones@portoakland.com

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