If It's Red, It's Lead!

Ready to Rock the Block!

Well folks, it's a wrap on state 7! The last few months have been a bit of a whirlwind, as I have officially started my criminal justice career, woohoo! Now that I'm starting to find my footing at a new job it's nice to finally get back to business on this whole Habitat journey of mine. That's where we pick this up, in Des Moines, Iowa!

I tried an Airbnb for the first time-it's a four hour drive from the Twin Cities to Des Moines. I was a little nervous to try the site out since I'd be staying at a stranger's home, but I must say it went smoothly and I spent a third of what I would have spent on a hotel. After spending the night at the Airbnb I drove on over to the Habitat site for the day, where I worked with others to revitalize a pre-existing home under their Rock the Block program. 

Working with Rock the Block was different than the builds I have been a part of previously, because we are not building a new home. Instead, this program works to improve

homes which already exist by helping homeowners fund and/or complete renovations. The Greater Des Moines chapter was preparing homes in the area for a massive Rock the Block event they were having the following week, where they would complete 21 projects on 15 homes in one long weekend. My team and I were charged with stripping lead paint off the soffit, fascia, and window frames of a woman's home. 

Team effort to get the job done

Our site leaders started off the day briefing us on safety precautions we needed to take, specifically regarding the health hazards involved with removing lead paint. If the paint on the home was indeed lead based, we would need to cordon off the site with caution tape and place signs notifying passersby of the potential health risks. We would also need to cover the yard with plastic tarp to catch any fragments of paint we would chip off throughout the day. Absolutely no food or beverages would be allowed within the taped off area, and protective masks, eye protection, and hard hats would have to be worn at all times. 

After our briefing the leaders tested the paint of the home; if the test strip turned red, it would indicate the paint was lead based. Sure enough, the strip immediately turned a bright fire engine red! With that, we all suited up, prepared our site, and got down to business. Scraping paint does not seem like a difficult job. However, it can get tricky when you are scraping a surface about 15 feet off the ground and in an area that is difficult to reach. It took a lot of teamwork to make sure we were all safe. Some individuals were harnessed to the top of the roof so they could work, while those of us working with the ladders had a spotter to ensure our ladders were secure. 

Scraping paint of the fascia

We used a variety of scrapers to scrape the paint off the home. Some were handheld devices, while at times we had to use scrapers with long extension handles to reach more difficult places. Some of us became discouraged at first because no matter how hard we scraped we could not get paint to come off! After a time one of the site leaders came to us and told us not to worry, if a person can run the scraper over the paint without it chipping, it was okay to leave any remaining paint on the home. Honestly, that was music to our ears; otherwise we would have been there for days attempting to completely strip the paint away. We were all cautious to be careful to cover our eyes, nose, and mouths to the best of our ability, but it was still uncomfortable knowing we at times had to scrape paint off directly over our heads to get it off. Nothing like scraping toxic material all over you to make you feel healthy! Don’t worry, this crew followed OSHA guidelines perfectly and we knew that we were safe!

Panhellenic sisters serving

together!

All in all it was a great day and I really enjoyed building with the Des Moines crew. Many of the workers were college aged, and I even met a few Panhellenic sisters from Kappa Kappa Gamma at nearby Drake University! I love meeting new people, and especially fellow Greek members who love philanthropy and serving others as much as I do. We worked hard and were able to finish all of the prep work needed so that the crew the following weekend could start painting right away without worrying about dealing with loose lead paint and the health hazards that would have come with that. We also had near perfect weather for the entire day; sunny and in the high 60's/low 70's, it was neither too hot or too cold and we felt refreshed the entire day. 

After we wrapped up for the day, I made the long drive back home to Minnesota. I was exhausted, but felt confident that the Rock the Block crew would be able successfully complete their projects the next weekend. I am so glad I was able to join the Greater Des Moines chapter to help revitalize their community. I can't wait to see where I end up next!

Until next time!

Some of the Des Moines crew

Lisa