Residents of the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood are riding on a wave of renewed hope ushered in by “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
In seven days the ABC reality show’s design crew and hundreds of volunteers built a new house for Bernard McFarland as an excited city watched.
On Saturday a large crowd cheered when McFarland and his three sons rejoiced after seeing the completed structure, a two-story house that includes, among other features, upscale hardwood floors, granite kitchen countertops, a patio with a stainless-steel barbecue grill, a putting green, a basketball court and a rain garden.
McFarland shouted, “This is awesome, thank you community!” as he took off running into the crowd, shaking hands and giving hi-fives to spectators and volunteers who were happy to share the exciting moment.
The new house replaced McFarland’s old home, which was built in 1920 and plagued with costly and dangerous problems such as crumbling drywall, rusting pipes, corroded wiring and holes in the ceiling, forcing all of his teenage sons to sleep in one room.
McFarland, a computer specialist for Indianapolis Public Schools, cried when he was also presented with a new car and a van for Pack House 2000, a non-profit mentoring organization he created that exposes youth to educational and cultural opportunities.
However, when McFarland applied for the home makeover, he wasn’t just thinking about his own family. As happy as he was for the new house, McFarland seemed even more pleased to know that the makeover project has made an impact on his beloved Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood.
During a Sunday news conference, McFarland wanted to talk more about the community than about his house, saying that the makeover project inspired the “passion and hope” that is needed in the area.
“I see the sidewalk in front of my house, but these sidewalks are more than 80 years old. I’m grateful for the pavement that they put out, but the whole infrastructure needs to be taken care of,” McFarland said. “This is bigger than me. I’m just a vessel trying to bring hope and shed light on an area that is so worthy and that is so in need.”
Estridge Homes, which built McFarland’s house, and a large team of over 650 local volunteers working with “Extreme Makeover” took the project beyond McFarland’s yard.
They built a Pack House library and resource center next to his home, made repairs to 22 other homes, planted 1200 trees, repaved sidewalks, manicured streets and alleys, donated laptop computers and installed wireless Internet connections to 450 homes with students.
It was also announced that the nearby School 37, which has sat vacant for almost a year, will be renovated by Estridge and used as a community center complete with educational and youth recreational activities. Marian College has pledged to launch a tutoring and literacy program at the center.
“We feel very honored to be a part of this blessing to the community. We have really enjoyed participating” said Paul Estridge, Jr., president of Estridge Homes. “But this is by no means the end of it. The building and restoration must continue, and this is only the beginning.”
Community leaders and residents from Martindale-Brightwood are excited, and believe the project has already contributed to their efforts to revitalize the area.
“We have a number of organizations working to elevate the neighborhood, and this is a significant boost to that process,” said Tysha Sellers, executive director of the Edna Martin Christian Center, which provides a variety of social services.
“Giving residents Internet access catapults our neighborhood into the 21st century, and having a community center where we can all come together is definitely wonderful.”
Josephine Rogers, executive director of the Martindale Brightwood Community Development Corporation (MBCDC) said the makeover has given the area the momentum it needs to move forward.
“It’s like getting a new burst of energy” Rogers said. “Sometimes you can’t appreciate results until something on a large scale happens, and this project has definitely inspired more people to volunteer to continue the process of making Martindale-Brightwood a great place for our families, seniors and youth.”
Martindale-Brightwood is bordered by Sherman Drive to the east, 21st St. and Massachusetts Ave. to the south, by Albord St. and the Monon Trail to the west and 30th St. to the north.
The area, which has more than 9,300 residents, is 93 percent African-American, with over 35 percent of the households designated as low-income, according to the MBCDC.
Residents continue to take pride in their neighborhood, which Sellers described as a “solid” community where generations of the same family choose to stay. It was once known for its nice shopping centers and neat homes. But it has been hit hard over the last 20 years by departing businesses and high rates of crime.
Pat Stills, a resident of Martindale-Brightwood since 1962, expressed optimism after seeing McFarland’s new home and the work that has been done in the area.
“We’ve had our challenges, but Martindale-Brightwood has been on the rebound, even before the arrival of the show,” said Stills, who is active with several service organizations. “Concerned citizens are working together now to bring it back, and the building of this home gave us a source of inspiration to build on.”
Vancille Harris, a close friend of McFarland’s family is glad that both McFarland and the neighborhood are better off as a result of the “Extreme Makeover visit.”
“Bernard is a very wonderful, sincere and funny person who cares a lot about the kids, so it’s wonderful that this is happening to him,” she said. “But the neighborhood has also been waiting on something promising like this for quite a while. And by the grace of God, hopefully the work will continue.”
