INDIANAPOLIS — Caulk of the Town, a one-day, neighbor-focused home weatherization event that has been held for decades, brought together volunteers and neighbors to help prepare houses for winter and potentially reduce energy bill costs.
Organizers with Near East Area Renewal (NEAR) and volunteers went door to door, connecting with more than a dozen households to do basic weatherization — everything from changing light bulbs and hauling away debris to caulking windows, installing detectors and checking for leaks.
Volunteers say simple fixes, like caulking the windows of a home, can make a measurable difference.
"To establish the caulking early before winter months, you eliminate wind drafts, you save on your energy bill,” Philip Ayala, with Robert Haines Co., said.
Organizers say helping neighbors stay in their homes is a top priority as maintenance costs rise.
"The cost of maintaining a home is significantly really high for a lot of neighbors right now. I think everyone's really feeling it across the board, so we want to make sure that we're able to meet our neighbors where they are to help them stay in their homes," Renee Davis, Near East Area Renewal board member, said.
Weatherization work can prevent heat loss, lower bills and keep pests out. Davis said some residents also have qualified for larger help through community partners.
"We've also had neighbors be able to benefit from getting a new furnace system if that was something that they were able to qualify for through some of our community partners,” Davis added.
Volunteer Jeanine Louw told WRTV she is happy to lend a helping hand to deserving neighbors on the east side.
"A lot of people think that, 'Oh, the near east side, you're going to come here, you're going to get shot at. It's just gonna be awful being here,' and it's not. The people are great. People care about the community; we have lots of nice things going on for us,” said Louw.
Longtime east side resident Virginia Goldsberry appreciates the help and says every act matters.
"They put some smoke detectors in, they did some weatherization and they checked for a water leak in the basement. And they're coming back," Goldsberry said.
For more information on Caulk of the Town, click here.
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Adam Schumes is the In Your Community reporter for East Side Indy. He joined WRTV in December 2021. Adam has a passion for telling stories and giving people a voice they might not have had before. Share your story ideas and important issues with Adam by emailing him at adam.schumes@wrtv.com.
