Labor of Love in Ottawa returns with 208 volunteers, helping 22 homeowners

Ray Weems Sr., of Ottawa, spent years volunteering with Labor of Love. Accompanied by his son, Ray Jr., he gladly helped cash-strapped or disabled homeowners with repairs and, well, anything they needed.

Little did Weems know that one day he’d be on the receiving end of the program sponsored by United Way of Eastern La Salle County.

On Saturday, Weems opened his door to a Labor of Love team headed by Ottawa Mayor Robb Hasty. Weems had medical issues that diminished his mobility so he needed his doorways widened for him to wheel about. Weems is glad for the many hours he volunteered for Labor of Love, recognizing now that he paid it forward.

“It’s extremely humbling – extremely,” Weems said, praising the volunteer crew in his home. “I can’t begin to tell you how much this means to me.”

Weems was one of nearly two dozen homeowners who asked for home improvements, prompting Labor of Love to dispatch teams across Ottawa and Marseilles.

Hasty said he did a rough head count at a complimentary breakfast served to the volunteers and expressed satisfaction with the number of willing hands who had assembled. Indeed, about 208 volunteers were tallied across 22 sites.

Sally Honiotes, executive director of United Way of Eastern La Salle County, said the number of volunteers reported Saturday was “right in line” with totals reported in pre-pandemic years, a welcome development after COVID-19 infection controls stymied recent efforts.

Constellation Energy presented a $40,000 donation that made this year’s program a sweeping success, Honiotes said. Nevertheless, she encouraged La Salle County residents to give generously during the ongoing fundraiser to ensure future projects can be completed.

Volunteers certainly were generous. Angie Wilson of Seneca began her day fixing screens at a home in the 700 block of West Main Street in Ottawa. Wilson anticipated logging a full eight hours before calling it a day, but emphasized that she loves it.

“Honestly, it’s just being able to help people who need it,” Wilson said. “I think everybody should do it. If you have a teenager, the best thing you can do is have them go and help.”

Farther north, in the 400 block of West Washington Street, husband and wife team Alyssa and Andrew Blackburn of Grand Ridge labored for a needy homeowner and said they had a ball doing so.

“We love doing this every year – meeting the homeowners and helping out,” Alyssa said, encouraging others to give their time, even if they aren’t manually adept. “I wouldn’t say I’m the most handy, but I’ll always lend a hand as I can. So we can haul materials, we can pull weeds if needed, anything you can can do would be nice to help.”

Andrew said Labor of Love is an “amazing” experience.

“They say volunteer work is the best feeling in the world,” he said, “and it’s even better when it’s in your own community.”

Not every volunteer was technically a neighbor, however. Jim DiCola lives in Plainfield but works for Constellation Energy and gladly answered the bell when Constellation encouraged its employees to lend a helping hand in La Salle County.

It was shaping up to be a long day for DiCola and his team. They started at a home in the 2100 block of Cottonwood Drive in Ottawa, where the homeowner needed help indoors and out, with another homeowner scheduled to be helped after lunch. He anticipated turning in a bit early Saturday night.

“But it’s all worth it. It’s a good cause,” DiCola said. “Sometimes it does more for the people doing the work, in terms of feeling good about helping other people.”

Some of the homeowners who were helped Saturday might respectfully disagree with that assessment.

“Oh, I just think they’re wonderful for coming in and helping us,” said Chris Ferguson of Ottawa, one of the Labor of Love recipients.