Two Ohio homeowners received much-needed assistance with home improvement projects, thanks to two groups of Honda volunteers, who teamed up this spring to help those in need.

Twenty-two associates braved the cold and rainy weather to make repairs to a Dayton, Ohio home on April 30.  HondaGO Volunteers completed landscaping, painting, cleaning, carpentry, plumbing and electrical projects.

And on May 7, twenty-two volunteers refurbished a home in Whitehall, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.

The hom​es were selected by Rebuilding Together, an organization that brings volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of those in need.  Honda is a longtime partner of Rebuilding Together Central Ohio, but this marked the first time partnering with the Dayton affiliate. ​

“This is a great project because not only do Honda associates have fun working as a team, but the smiles on the homeowners faces show the positive impact we can make when we work together to make a difference,” said Ginger Haynes, associate engagement and HondaGO coordinator for Honda of America Manufacturing.

In Whitehall, Honda volunteers installed a kitchen faucet, painted the kitchen and living room, and did extensive work on the exterior of the house, including replacing rotted wood, washing the siding, landscaping, and pouring a new sidewalk.

When they were finished, associates wrote their names in a section of leftover concrete, and presented it to the homeowner.

Michael Hochstetler Jr., an associate in High Pressure Die Cast at the Anna Engine Plant in Ohio has a lot of experience building houses and garages, so volunteering for this project seemed like a no-brainer.

“Little did I know how this would have such an impact on me,” he said. “I found out that Bill, the father, was an Army veteran like me.  So, to not only help a family in need, but to also help a fellow Army veteran was most rewarding for me.”