Landis, volunteers begin home makeover

The rooms of the house she lives in at 2416 Meadow Ave. are small, she says — so small that she literally has to “back in and back out of rooms.” She shares the home with her daughter Stephanie Sheridan, and she can’t even count the number of times she’s said the words, “we need more room.”

That wish will come true this week as members of the community give Sheridan’s home an extreme makeover — the third such project that is part of an annual community event sponsored by Zimmer Radio and Landis Construction.

“Zimmer had a sales meeting about four years ago and talked about ways that they could give back to the community,” Landis explained of the evolution of Joplin’s Extreme Home Makeover. “That’s where the idea first came from.”

Sheridan had heard of the project, but she never thought she’d win something that grandiose. Stephanie Sheridan was skeptical herself, but the need for more space in the house and the opportunity to provide her mother such a unique gift was just tantalizing enough for her to fill out an application.

“I go to college and work full time and it gets hard to keep up the house,” Stephanie Sheridan said. “Plus my mother’s health is bad and I may not be here much longer, so I wanted to help do something with the house before I move.”

Stephanie Sheridan said she wrote a letter and took a lot of pictures highlighting things such as the sagging front porch, the dilapidated walls throughout the house, the limited size of the rooms and most especially the termite damage.

“I really didn’t think we’d get it,” she said. “There are so many families in the community in need. It means a lot to know that people actually care enough to do this. It’s a lot of stress relieved off of our shoulders. We won’t have to worry anymore about the house.”

For Barbara Sheridan, that’s 20 years of worry about to be eliminated. She said she often sits in her living room and reminisces about the children she raised in that home over the years. She said she can’t fathom what her new house will look like when she returns from a four-day trip to Branson during which the renovations will take place.

“I’m very happy about it but it’s very surprising,” she said. “I didn’t even know (Stephanie) had put in an application until the day before we found out. She told me the night before and I said ‘we probably won’t get it.’ The next morning I look out the window and see Mike Landis’ truck out front and then all of the sudden the street just filled up and Stephanie says, ‘Mom, you better get dressed.’

“It feels great. This house is so … we just needed a new house.”

Landis said that “great” feeling is one that spills over onto all of the people involved in the project. He said the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce will be on hand at 8 a.m., Sept. 10 to kick off the renovation project with a ribbon cutting, and then anywhere from 75-to-125 volunteers will be on hand 24/7 until the project is complete.

“It’s amazing how the community comes together for something like this,” Landis said. “It’s a wonderful project in the community — I don’t know one other around here like what we do. This one, in my opinion, is tough to beat.”

Landis said the goal is to provides Sheridan with a home that she won’t have any problems whatsoever. Given the state the house is in now, he said that will require a lot of demolition and then rebuilding. Furnishing, furniture and appliances will all be new when the Sheridans return, and Landis said all materials and labor are 100 percent donated from businesses and members of the community.

“The first year it took us a little under four days from start-to-finish,” he said. “I learn little new things each year and I hope to finish this year between 62 and 67 hours. At any one time there will be anywhere from 45-50 people working. They’re all skilled in their own areas, but it gets a little crazy. Once we start the project I tell everybody that they’re on call 24/7 until we get it finished. That’s the only way to do it.”

The Sheridans will return from Branson on Sept. 18, at which time Landis said there will be an unveiling and presentation of the new home.

“I think this is a wonderful project and I’m proud of everyone involved,” Landis said. “There are a lot of small business people in the area who have contributed and it’s been a strain on them, but they all know that this is such a valuable thing for the community.”