Story Published:
Sep 7, 2008 at 2:26 PM MST
Story Updated:
Sep 8, 2008 at 8:34 AM MST
BILLINGS - With energy costs on the rise, the winter months may be tough for those trying to keep their home warm. But for one Billings family, that just got a lot easier.
"I'm really excited for the winter, I get to play in the snow," says Torrey Becker. The 9-year-old likes the coldest season, but her mother Jody says she usually doesn't. "Our house is cold, rather inefficient, we do have a wood burning stove, but without it the furnace runs non- stop and it doesn't keep the house warm," says Jody Becker.
But after this weekend, that will change, because the Becker family's home is getting made-over by nearly forty volunteers. "I'm so excited, I just want to give everybody hugs," says Becker. Her home was chosen by "Rebuilding Together", a non-profit organization that helps families in need, refurbish their houses into energy efficient homes. "this will relieve her from many stresses and things that were unfinished. We have already seen some excitement and some thrill," says Mary-Lou Affleck with Rebuilding Together.
A thrill for Jody because of her home's new walls, new windows, and better insulation. The modifications will help keep her and her family comfortable through the winter. But another big thrill she says, comes not from the labor, but from the heart.
"I think these are the greatest people in the world, they're unsung heroes. You look at everything thats going on in the world and you think how can I make a difference and these people are making a difference, one little home at a time. And I just think that's wonderful," says Becker.
The home was the largest of the twenty projects "Rebuilding Together" has worked on this year. Nationwide the non-profit organization has completed more than 100,000 homes in its twenty years.
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