AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Updated: 8:35 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19, 2011

Published: 8:04 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19, 2011

The Jackson family got to move into their new house this weekend.

Actually, it was the same house they have lived in for many decades. But a weekend of heavy renovations by volunteers from Amplify Credit Union made it practically unrecognizable from what it was before.

Gone are the broken stove, the chipped paint on the walls, and the holes in the ceiling that exposed the house to the outside. Now, the house has fresh paint inside, new ceiling fans, revamped electrical wiring and new doors, curtains, furniture and energy-efficient appliances.

“Thank you, Jesus!” Bertha Jackson said as she walked into the renovated house for the first time Sunday evening. “I’m so thankful for all of you.”

The Jackson family is part of the Austin American-Statesman’s annual Season for Caring campaign, which helps 10 featured families and hundreds of others served by local nonprofit agencies.

Jackson, 66, and her husband, Lloyd Jackson, 71, are the sole caregivers for his great-grandson, 11-year-old Kevon Walton. Lloyd Jackson walks with a cane or uses a scooter after having a stroke 40 years ago. Part of the family’s daily struggle was living in their home in East Austin, which was in need of many repairs.

After hearing about how Lloyd Jackson and his wife struggle to provide a good life for Kevon on a meager fixed income, employees from all levels at Austin-based Amplify Credit Union came together over the weekend to give their home a much-needed overhaul.

Amplify invested more than $11,000 in the project, including materials and the time spent working on the home from the 16 employees who volunteered. Amplify will invest more once the bathroom and water heater projects begin, the company said.

“It was exciting,” said Terry McCoy, a training coordinator for Amplify who led the repair effort. “To be able to help them because of what they’re doing for (Kevon) is incredible.”

An anonymous group re-did the entire kitchen, adding new shelves and drawers, flooring, countertops, a sink, a refrigerator and a working stove. Previously, the family had to cook meals in a microwave or a slow cooker.

During the renovation, the family was given a stay in a hotel and got to order room service for the first time in their lives.

The renovators kept much of the Jacksons’ bedroom furniture but gave them a dinner table and living room furniture donated by readers and volunteers. That included a electric recliner for Lloyd Jackson.

“I’m going to sleep right here tonight!” he said after sitting in the chair for the first time.

But the best surprise was waiting for Kevon, a Pop Warner football player and University of Texas fan.

His room now has burnt orange paint, two beds with Texas Longhorn bedding, and a football and framed poster signed by Texas coach Mack Brown.

“Mack Brown has been instrumental in getting this to him,” McCoy said.

Jesus Armendariz, the owner of Austin-based construction company Valverdi Residential Inc., also came out and did landscaping, painting and other work. Armendariz will be re-doing their bathroom at a later date, McCoy said.

In addition, a new water heater, a ramp for Lloyd Jackson and new air conditioning units are coming soon. A neighborhood association will be painting the home’s exterior, as well.

McCoy said that although they were able to make several fixes to the house, many needs remain. They need insulation for the walls and attic, door installation and a walk-in shower that Lloyd Jackson can get in and out of easily.

Many of the repairs will be completed in the future as permits are obtained from the city, McCoy said.

For now, the fixes to the home have left the family practically at a loss for words. “I think it’s beautiful,” Bertha Jackson said. “Everything is so nice, and I’m so happy. I still can’t believe it.”

For more information on the Jackson family, contact Meals on Wheels and More, 476-6325.

pgeorge@statesman.com; 445-3548