Plano Building Community came from a vision of people helping people in Plano not just physically but also creating a spirit of community involvement in many areas. It is a neighborhood program made up of volunteers, craftsmen, retailers, community and church leaders. It all started with a Home Makeover for the Behrens family in May of 2009 when hundreds of volunteers came together to make the first project a huge success. Barb Behrens is a quadriplegic due to a spinal cord injury suffered in an auto accident.  Their 100 year old house needed to be made energy efficient and accessible.  Kirk and Barb purchased their home in 2003 and much work was started, but Kirk was doing it himself. The doors were too narrow, it needed a wheelchair accessible bathroom/shower and accessible kitchen as well as new siding and gutters. There was drywall, electric, plumbing, painting and decorating done by craftsmen and volunteer helpers from the community.  All of this was accomplished; including the addition of a deck on the back of the house and beautiful landscaping to finish off the project perfectly. Plano School buses were used to enact the TV version of home makeover. “Move That Bus” was chanted. Channel 2, CBS News came out from Chicago to cover the event. All the volunteers had been fed throughout the Memorial Day weekend makeover with food donations and volunteer cooks. A huge celebration lunch followed the reveal and also tours of the inside and outside changes. Everyone is still talking about what a wonderful event it was.
A new program was added to “Plano Building Community” as a result of this makeover called  Help Around the House (HAH). This is for anyone who needs help around the house and nominations are accepted for senior citizens, single parents, handicapped, veterans, or those experiencing severe economic distress.  The mission of HAH is to provide hope to those who need it most in Plano by completing necessary home repairs and improvements to insure the comfort, safety, health and security of their homes. Using community volunteers and skilled building professionals, HAH provides the time, talent, energy and labor for projects including interior and exterior painting, weeding, cleaning, debris removal, light carpentry and landscaping. While not able to provide materials needed to complete the job, supplemental funds may be available to help in extreme cases. Nominations should be directed to Holle VanGundy, 630-552-4245.
Plano’s first Community Garden was also added as another aspect of “Plano Building Community” in the spring of 2009. Land for the garden is donated for use by the Digate family on Route 34 in Plano, the City of Plano donates the water for watering the plants, and there are plots for people in the community to plant vegetables. “Plano Community Garden” has begun it’s second year with even more participation. Any extra vegetables are donated to the Kendall County Food Pantry.
The newest addition to “Plano Building Community” is the Plano Fun Fest which will debut on August 14, 2010. It is a family oriented festival to bring neighbors out to celebrate community. Local individuals, churches, businesses and craftsmen are the core elements of this event.  Food, music, demonstrations, and more will be available.
To become involved in “Plano Building Community” or donate financial support please contact Holle VanGundy, 630-552-4245.  Planobuildingcommunity.com

If you would like to make a donation, please email us at donations@planobuildingcommunity.com.

If you would like to volunteer, please email us at volunteer@planobuildingcommunity.com.