Jackson Mom Gets a Heartwarming Home Makeover From HBA

When a neighbor is having a tough time, some people lean on a visit and a piping hot casserole to help. Then there's the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Jackson, Hillsdale & Lenawee, which brought siding, an air conditioner, and people who actually know how to rebuild a porch.

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The HBA's Builders Care project, which combines volunteer labor, donated materials, and members' expertise to help people in need throughout the three counties they serve, recently made a tremendous impact on one Jackson County mom who spends her time helping others.

A Jackson Home Makeover With a Bigger Purpose

The exterior of a Jackson, Michigan home on Morell, which was recently upgraded by the HBA of Jackson, Hillsdale & Lenawee — Photo Credit: HBA Jackson, Hillsdale & Lenawee / Patrick O'Dowd

Courtney, the beneficiary of the latest Builders Care project, is a single mom raising her 12-year-old son. She has spent the last decade working for United Way. She had spent several years maintaining her home while under a land contract, but when she tried to get a traditional mortgage, some needed repairs threatened to derail the process.

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True Community Credit Union reached out to the HBA for help, and that's when members and partners decided to grab their belts and hammers and get to work. Legions of members, including contractors, roofers, HVAC technicians, electricians, and suppliers, donated time, services, and materials to complete needed home repairs for Courtney and her son.

Volunteers pose with the Builders Care sign outside a recently improved home in Jackson, Michigan. — Photo Credit: HBA Jackson, Hillsdale & Lenawee / Patrick O'Dowd

Next, the HBA’s Builders Care program will team up with Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County for its Rock the Block event September 11–12 in Morenci. This time around, it will be Kathy Schiermyer, a retired Lenawee County teacher and Morenci resident, whose 1860s home is in dire need of some interior and exterior updates.

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If you would like to get involved with this or future Builders Care projects with the HBA of Jackson, Hillsdale & Lenawee, reach out to Pat O'Dowd at 517-936-8329.

Inside Jackson, Michigan's Long Vacant Gilbert's Steakhouse

Listed for a quarter million dollars at the time, I was able to tour the former Gilbert's Steakhouse in June of 2024, a year before it would be torn down on September 17, 2025. Here's what this former Jackson, Michigan (technically located in Blackman Township), looked like a year before it was razed.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

Michigan Mansion Built in 1916 by Consumers Energy Founder

In 1886, two brothers were tasked with providing electric lighting in downtown Jackson, Michigan. William A. and James B. Foote would make their mark in the town, with William's wife later founding Foote Hospital (now Henry Ford Health). In 1916, James had a home built for himself and his family at 735 W Washington Avenue. Here's a look at what that home looks like over 100 years later courtesy of The Brokerage House

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow