.png)
September 2026 - A Community Comes Together for the Ballou Family
Sep 30
3 min read
Making Home Safe, Healthy, and Secure
Mr. Ballou is a 70-year-old disabled widower who has called his Milwaukie home his own for more than 40 years. As the years passed, maintaining the property became more than he could manage alone. In 2025, he reached out to Catalyst for help with the critical repairs his home needed.
Steve is also a devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who is helping raise the youngest generation of his family. We knew we wanted to come alongside this wonderful neighbor and support the family he loves so deeply.
A Year of Transformative Repairs
Early in 2026, Catalyst selected the Ballou home as a DEEP Project for the season. The home had several urgent repair needs, and our goal was to help make it safe, secure, healthy, and energy-efficient for Steve and his family.
Over the past year, Catalyst completed a remarkable series of repairs:
Installed a new heat pump through our Energy Conservation Program.
Repaired plumbing leaks beneath the home so the crawlspace could be properly insulated.
Repaired a hole in the kitchen floor in preparation for crawlspace insulation.
Replaced the roof.
Added crawlspace insulation through our Energy Conservation Program.
Added attic insulation through our Energy Conservation Program.
Replaced all windows and doors, repaired damaged siding, and painted the exterior.
For this final project, we installed energy-efficient windows and doors to help regulate the home’s indoor temperature. These improvements were funded through Catalyst’s Energy Conservation Program with support from the Energy Trust of Oregon. We also replaced a significant amount of failing siding, prepared the exterior for paint, and gave the home a beautiful new finish.
More Than Repairs—A Lasting Relationship
This final project marked the completion of Catalyst’s DEEP Initiative with the Ballou family. DEEP Projects require a meaningful investment of time, resources, and volunteer support to address multiple critical needs in one home.
But the work has always been about more than repairs. Over the past year, Steve and his family have become friends. It has been a privilege to build a lasting relationship with them—and that connection is at the heart of our mission to serve our community with no strings attached.
Partners and Volunteers Who Made It Possible
For this final project, 94 volunteer shifts were filled, contributing an incredible 429 volunteer hours.
The project also created meaningful new partnerships throughout our community. New Hope Church joined Catalyst for the first time by rallying volunteers. Grocery Outlet – Flavel donated water and Gatorade, and Flying Pie Pizzeria in Milwaukie generously donated pizza for the team.
We are so grateful to every volunteer, church, organization, and local business that stepped forward. Each act of generosity helped make the Ballou home safer, healthier, and more secure—and showed Steve and his family that their community is standing with them.
What an extraordinary project for an incredible family, and a beautiful reminder of what is possible when neighbors come together to care for one another.
Project Stats and Partners:
Lifetime Windows & Doors - provided windows and doors at cost
CIDA Inc.A- provided volunteer support
New Hope Church - provided volunteer support
TRANE - provided volunteer support
Flying Pie Pizza Milwaukie - donated lunch one day of the project
Pac Trust - provided volunteer support
Grocery Outlet: Flavel Street - donated water and Gatorade for the project
Project photos
Comments