Westchester Rotarians joined a band of more than 130 volunteers to makeover the home of Jackie Hunt and her 17-year-old son, Wesley. In 2001, at the age of just 46, Jackie suffered a massive stroke that severely affected her speech, left her bound to a wheelchair and changed her life forever. Once vibrant and active, she struggled to do the things we all take for granted - brushing her teeth, cleaning her house and using her nearly inaccessible bathroom. To make matters worse, Jackie is slowly losing her eyesight as a result of retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disease that is gradually shrinking her field of vision.

Thanks to the Home Makeover project, however, the Hunts returned from a long weekend away to find a handicapped-accessible bathroom, a new wheelchair ramp, new flooring, new furniture and a new oven as well as new paint, landscaping and much, much more. The entire project invested more than $100,000 in direct and in-kind contributions in the Hunts' home.

Thanks to major contributions from the The William H. Hannon Foundation, H.B. Drollinger Co.,  Woodside Natural Gas, the Westchester Woman's Club, the Westchester Rotary Foundation, Crate & Barrel, Samson Development, CORT Business Services and many, many others, the Hunts now have a home that is both beautiful and accessible.

"We are hopeful this project will inspire others like it in our community," said Rotary President Warren Bobrow. "In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we often fail to realize how fortunate we all are, so it will be a privilege to help the Hunts make their home warm, comfortable and livable again."