BY MICHELLE ROSENBERG
Staff Writer
Kathy Kovac, a painting expert at Lowe’s Home Improvement, demonstrates a painting technique during the first installment of a home maintenance series put together by Tuesday’s Children, a nonprofit organization that helps the surviving family members of 9/11 victims Feb. 8. HOLMDEL — Lowe’s Home Improvement played host to nine women who learned how to paint during the first monthly installment of a home maintenance program on Feb. 8.
Other than not knowing how to paint, the nine women all have one other thing in common — they all lost significant people in their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
Two women practice painting on boards after learning various techniques during the lecture. In most cases, it was their husbands, but some lost other family members. Either way, the person they lost played a significant role in helping them around the house and in everyday life, Jacqui Caruso-Smith, the program director, said.
The home maintenance program was put together by a nonprofit organization called Tuesday’s Children, which benefits the kids who lost parents in the terrorist attacks. The organization also works to put together programs for the surviving spouse and family members, such as the home maintenance program.
These women will meet at the Lowe’s on Route 35 once a month and receive a hands-on lesson on home maintenance, with this month’s lesson on painting. Each month, the women will vote on what they want to learn next, Caruso-Smith said.
“This is great,” said Pat Wotton, of Middletown, one of the nine women. “I need to learn so I can stop depending on other people,” she said.
“We all have homes; it’s nice to know how to do stuff for it,” said Eileen Hannaford, of Basking Ridge.
The program was designed to help these women get their lives back to normal and build their confidence when it comes to fixing up their homes, Caruso-Smith said.
Caruso-Smith contacted Lowe’s to inquire about running the program there, and the company agreed to work with her and Tuesday’s Children, she said.
“Jacqui explained that Monmouth County was one of the biggest areas [that lost people], so that’s why we decided to do this,” Tom Porcelli, Lowe’s store manager said.
Lowe’s is supplying all of the materials needed for the class. Each month they will pick a topic based on what the women want to learn, and they will have a professional from that department teach the class. This month, they had Cathy Kovac, a professional from the painting department.
Lowe’s will also auction off a prize package at the end of each meeting. All the women will put their names in a hat, and one will be picked. This month, Lowe’s gave away a Black & Decker drill and accessories. The winner was Eileen Hannaford.
“They [Lowe’s] were very willing. [Porcelli] stepped up and said, ‘I want to do this,’ and they donated all these materials, and then to do a raffle [is amazing],”
Caruso-Smith said.
“It’s our pleasure doing this stuff, so just give the information to Jacqui [on what the women want to learn], and keep it coming,” Porcelli said to the women.
“I think, honestly, it’s going to help them maintain their homes, it’s going to make them more confident, and if they need any help they’re going to know who to pick up the phone and call,” he said.
The class has already raised confidence levels in the women.
“We can do this — I can do this,” Tina Trazioso of Middletown blurted out after watching Kovac sponge paint.
“The confidence [is great]. It brings us together. Tuesday’s Children just makes such a comfort zone. It’s sort of a safety zone; I mean, we all know why we’re here,” Hannaford said.
After about an hour of watching the expert demonstrate a few methods of painting, the women took to the task.
Lowe’s supplied paint, brushes, sponges and rags for sponge painting and rag washing, boards to paint on, and various other items.
The women then practiced for about an hour to make sure they knew what they were doing.
“My wonderful friend, Jacqui Caruso-Smith, did a wonderful job by putting this together for us,” said Wendy Feinberg of Marlboro, one of the women.
To learn more about Tuesday’s Children and the programs in it, visit www.TuesdaysChildren.org.