Emergency Workers Helped with Emergency Repairs
Bellari Provides Home Improvement Help to Branchburg Couple
(May 18, 2020 – BRANCHBURG, NJ) One way Bellari is supporting its community during the coronavirus pandemic is by donating emergency repairs to local emergency workers. The Somerset County home remodeling company wanted to offer its expertise to deserving folks working on the front lines – to give back by helping someone in the community who has been working hard to keep us safe, in healthcare, law enforcement, or another essential job.
Bellari’s owners recently learned of Jennifer and David Smith, a Branchburg couple who needed assistance replacing their back steps. Jennifer Smith, APN, BC is Director, Quality Improvement for RWJ Barnabas Physician Services, serving as an integral part of the team running the command center that has been coordinating the COVID-19 response for the RWJBH Medical Group. Her husband, Lieutenant David Smith, is a Division Commander for the Scotch Plains Police Department, who says his job has seen a shift from coordinating safety for special events to ‘how are we addressing COVID?”
Not only are the Smiths both intimately involved in coordinating care for Jersey residents in response to the coronavirus pandemic, requiring some tasks like home improvement projects to be moved to the back burner, but David was also involved in an accident on March 1 that resulted in a serious concussion and three fractured vertebrae. He volunteers as a ski patroller at Camel Back Ski Resort, and after being ‘taken out from behind’ by a wayward skier at high speed, David was out of work for a full month, recovering.
David has returned to his PD post, but the injuries he sustained meant working a modified light duty schedule, continued physical therapy, and that the homeowner, who is typically quite handy with home repairs, was now physically unable to build stairs. When removing the old stairs to put down pavers last fall, David discovered broken footings and other support issues complicating the job, so he intended to replace the back stairs “in the spring.” Now, his DIY project was moved completely off the table during his recovery, and their two children would simply have to continue jumping out of the back sliding doors to get to their backyard. Not to mention that exploring estimates and work coordinating schedules to consider hiring someone to help with the project was not a priority for the Smith family, since both of their jobs are vital to the state’s pandemic response.
“Mr. and Mrs. Smith both exemplify what it means to be an ‘essential worker’ in our community,” said Bellari Co-Owner and Executive Vice President Gary Shiman. “They are working on the front lines actually helping to coordinate care for all us, and we are honored to help with needed repairs on their home front, to help take care of them.”
Upon hearing the story about their neighbors, Bellari contacted the couple to discuss the project, and dropped off color samples to them later that same week. Materials were delivered on a Monday, and by Tuesday afternoon, the Smiths had their new stairs.
“Normally we are pretty self-sufficient,” said Jennifer Smith. “We were not only surprised by Bellari’s offer, but they were so quick and efficient, I didn’t even see them do the work! I saw supplies being delivered when I left for work Monday morning, and my husband called me the next day on Tuesday afternoon to tell me they were already done.”
“The stairs were exactly what we wanted, and you couldn’t even tell they were here!” David added. Having personally ripped up the patio to put down pavers, among other repairs over their 15 years in their Branchburg home, he knows firsthand the mess that can be made during a home improvement project of any kind.
“The timing is really perfect,” said Jennifer. “The weather is getting nicer and we live in our backyard in the summer. We intentionally bought this house with an in ground pool because we wanted to have the ‘hang out’ house in the neighborhood, for our kids and for us.”
David agreed, “Our backyard is our vacation. We have friends over for barbeques and cocktails, and it’s easy for the kids to have their own summer camp in the backyard.”
Jennifer shared, “My daughter may have said it best, that our new stairs look ‘so fancy and new, and make our backyard look so nice!’ I’m thrilled that there will be minimal to no maintenance, so they will continue looking this nice. We are really so thankful; it’s nice that there are companies like Bellari giving back to their community during this difficult time.”
“Now all I need is time off from work,” she said.
Bellari donated the railings and labor for the project and the owners are quick to acknowledge their vendor partners who kindly donated additional materials for the project. Mid-State Lumber supplied Trex decking & Royal CPVC materials and Madison Township Lumber & Supply Co provided lumber and framing materials.
“We wanted to thank emergency workers like the Smiths for their service,” says Shiman, of Bellari. “We are thrilled to coordinate the rebuilding of their beautiful back steps, so when they do have time off, they can now easily enjoy their backyard with their family.”
“I started ordering supplies and having daily COVID-19 calls on January 28,” recalls Jennifer, “and work has been nonstop since the end of February.” At least now she can quickly access her backyard to relax and recharge.
For more information about Bellari, call (908) 725-8401 or visit BellariNJ.com.
About Bellari
Built on three generations of reliability, integrity, and experience, Bellari was founded in 1950 as Somerville Aluminum, and rebranded in 2018 to better reflect the exquisite workmanship, superior products and superior service that are the company’s hallmarks. A leading full-service home improvement and remodeling company, Bellari has consistently ranked among the top 100 remodeling firms in the nation by Qualified Remodeler, in addition to receiving prestigious “Super Service” awards from leading business review website Angie’s List.
With its fully appointed 15,000-square-foot showroom and design center in Branchburg, NJ, Bellari’s onsite designers and home remodeling experts help plan and guide customers through any home renovation project, big or small. One of the Garden State’s most trusted providers of a full range of home remodeling needs, Bellari brings vision to life in the creation of beautiful, elegant, functional, and affordable kitchens, baths, siding, windows, doors, decks, sunrooms, awnings, roofing and more, from design to installation. For more information about Bellari, call (908) 725-8401 or visit BellariNJ.com.
