The Carpenter’s Crew: retirees offer low-cost repairs, renovations to those in need

Some retirees in Ontario are putting their skills to good use and helping families and charities in need of repairs and renovations. CTV’s Alexandra Holyk repor

A group of retirees from Guelph, Ont. and Wellington County are breaking down barriers for people in need of repairs and renovations.

“The Carpenter’s Crew” aims to help families and charitable organizations with big projects that often carry hefty price tags.

“We want people to feel that they’re not helpless in their situations,” said Rich Maertens, who volunteers as an outreach and marketing coordinator for the group.

The crew’s name comes from members’ faith and beliefs.

“Some of our guys believe our work is living out our faith,” said co-founder David Hartman. “And that’s where the name came from — Jesus the carpenter.”

The idea came about nearly four years ago as a way to craft a new community and give back to the one already built.

“Once guys retire, they’ve lost that sense of community with other people,” said Hartman. “One of our main purposes is to get them back involved with other men and just connecting so they’re not out there alone.”

The group has grown from six founding members to 17. They meet a couple of times a month and start mornings off with a hearty meal.

“We meet for breakfast at 7:30 a.m., socialize, get to know each other, talk, have a little friendship talk, and then break up into teams of three or four and go out into the community, do projects,” said Hartman.

The projects typically take about a day to complete and range from paint jobs to major installations. The costs of material and equipment are partially covered by the crew and crowdfunding.

“We have done a little bit of fundraising, but haven’t done a ton,” Hartman said. “But we sure would love any support we could get.”

The Carpenter’s Crew has worked on more than 200 projects with over 60 families and charities, including Royal City Mission.

“They’ve done flooring for us, and now they’re doing this trim,” said Royal City Mission executive director Kevin Coghill. “It’s a huge blessing, but we’re so thankful that they can do this for us.”

As for others looking for support, Maertens encouraged them to reach out.

“We are here, we are free, and we are quite happy to help you and meet your needs,” he said. “Quite happy to do the work.”

While the group is looking to help more families and individuals in need, clients must meet certain criteria before the project can go ahead. More information on how to apply can be found on The Carpenter Crew’s website.