Students bring 'Christmas in April' to W. Phila.

After taking a tour of her North Philadelphia home -- and the renovations in progress, Gertrude Davis rested on her porch on Saturday and breathed a sigh of contentment. "It's my day today," she said. Inside, more than 50 volunteers -- many of whom were Wharton graduate students -- scraped wallpaper, repainted walls and installed a new bathroom floor in Davis' home on Mount Vernon Avenue. Davis' home was one of 16 in North Philadelphia and 18 in West Philadelphia to benefit from the efforts of a local chapter of Christmas in April led by the Wharton School of Business. Christmas in April, a national organization dedicated to providing home repair to low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners at no cost to them, aims to help these residents live in safety and independence. Approximately 700 volunteers from the Wharton School, employees from local corporations and residents of the community replaced walls, repaired kitchens, built back decks, did carpentry work and replaced broken windows throughout the city. Second-year Wharton graduate student Lara Jakubowski serves as the executive director for the West Philadelphia branch of Christmas in April. "Our goal is to help elderly, disabled and low-income homeowners," she said. "These people really appreciate having some help with the kinds of things that they would not normally get to or don't know how to fix." The project provides a worthwhile outlet for students as well, Jakubowski said. "It's a fun outlet for people who get tired of doing their schoolwork," she explained. "They can go out and work with their hands and exert themselves in a different way." Jakubowski said renovation of local homes can have far-reaching effects in the area. "Our program tries to shore up some of the blight that you see," she said. "We help to keep the foundation of the community in place -- it encourages other people to move on to a certain block, and keeps others from abandoning their homes." The national organization was founded in Texas in 1973. Wharton graduate students formed the University's chapter in 1988. According to Jakubowski, an extensive home selection process determines which houses will receive Christmas in April's renovating assistance. More than 200 West Philadelphia homeowners contacted Christmas in April last fall to express interest in the program. Eighteen were selected for renovations. After weeks of renovating, volunteers put the finishing touches on the selected homes on Saturday. "The national organization bills itself as a one-day blitz," Jakubowski said. "In reality, there's a lot of work that goes on leading up to that one day." Jakubowski added that homeowners who benefited from the program in previous years often return to assist with other homes. "It can cause a domino effect," Jakubowski said. "If you give one person the spirit, they get involved and share that spirit with others." According to first-year Wharton graduate student Rachel Parker, who served as house captain at Davis' house, labor sponsors contribute expertise in construction and technical areas. Those organizations help to guide the volunteers in their work. "I know how to hammer a nail," Education graduate student Lynn Crutchfield said. "But I have no idea where it goes in the wall. That's where the labor expertise comes in." Davis' home was chosen as the public relations house for the local project. Davis, a Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania employee for 25 years, lives in her home with her five great-grandsons who range in age from three to 11. "This has really helped me to figure out which way to go," Davis said. "I really feel that someone cares." Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell took a tour through Davis' home Saturday and said he understands how "terrific this program is." He added that the press often portrays students as interested only in "material things," but pointed to Penn students' community involvement to show that "this is not the case." "Whatever it is, students at Penn are a great help to the city," Rendell said. Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity was present at Davis' home as well, sharing in the "magnificent" event. "I'm really proud of a lot of Penn students," Gerrity said. "I always come out to cheer them on. It really tugs at your heart." Paul Matheson, who serves on the local board of Christmas in April, applauded the program for its business implications. "This is a good example of a public and private partnership," he said. "My role is to reach out beyond the walls of Penn and work with state and local organizations' support of government and industry." The Wharton group raises more than $100,000 annually for materials and tools, according to Jakubowski. But Parker said corporate and labor sponsors provide most of the funding.