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Habitat for Humanity tells Troy council Rock the Block served 18 homes, involved 276 volunteers in year two
Summary
Habitat for Humanity presented results from year two of 'Rock the Block' to Troy council, reporting work on 18 homes, 276 volunteers, nearly $45,000 in program costs and roughly $150,000 of neighborhood investment; the group seeks to expand the program in coming years.
Troy — Scott Bar, identified in the meeting as executive director of Habitat for Humanity, told the Troy City Council on June 15 that the organization’s second-year Rock the Block event increased capacity and neighborhood impact.
Bar said the program worked on 18 homes in year two, up from 10 in year one, and recorded 276 unique volunteers. He described a funding and in-kind support structure that included the Troy Foundation, the City of Troy, the Troy Chamber and multiple contractors; Bar said the program’s actual operating costs for the year were just under $45,000 and estimated neighborhood investment at about $150,000.
Bar reviewed the mix of work completed — gutters, full and partial roof replacements, siding and window repair donated through partner programs, fence removal and replacement, power washing, landscaping, door installations, debris removal (reported as roughly 35 tons) and other home repairs — and named a range of local partners who provided discounted materials or volunteer labor.
He highlighted partnerships with the Upper Valley Career Center (which provided nearly 200 volunteer hours for pre-work), JG Roofing and HLE Roofing (donated or discounted roofing materials and labor), and other local vendors that supplied materials or services. Bar said the program used community staging locations and leveraged contractor pre‑work to make volunteer shifts more efficient.
Bar also described the ripple effect he observed: neighbors who saw before-and-after work taking place were beginning to make improvements on their own properties. He said Habitat is planning two Rock the Block events in the coming year (Troy and Sidney) and is considering a third community in the five-year strategic plan.
Council members and staff thanked Habitat and volunteers; the mayor noted the city’s involvement and staff support during the work. Bar invited questions and said Habitat will refine schedules and budgets as the program expands.
Quote: "We worked on 18 homes in year two. We had 276 unique unduplicated volunteers in year two," Scott Bar said, summarizing the program’s growth.
What’s next: Habitat and city staff will continue planning for future Rock the Block events and present budget and scheduling details as part of upcoming coordination with council and partner organizations.
