The Eli Home Receives Energy Efficient Windows & Help With Lead Paint Concerns

TACOMA, Wash (June 15, 2010) — The Eli Home, an Orange County, California organization that provides shelter and support services for women and abused children, has received a helping hand from the community in the form of donated energy-efficient windows from Milgard Windows & Doors and local window dealer, Today's Windows & Doors. The Eli Home recently won a grant through the Pepsi Refresh Project as a "shovel-ready" project that would positively impact the communities it supports. One of the Eli Home's needs was to upgrade the old, poorly performing windows in its shelters.

Orange County Window dealer Today's Windows & Doors found that the home's stucco siding was coated in old lead-based paint, requiring the new protective procedures required by the EPA's recent Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule. Having recently trained and certified its installers through Milgard's dealer training program, Today's Windows & Doors was able to provide the Eli Home with donated energy-efficient windows from Milgard's Temecula manufacturing plant, as well as perform the necessary steps to ensure the safety of the residents of the shelter.

"We're very grateful for the help we've received from Today's Windows & Doors as well as the support and new windows from Milgard," said Tami Galloway, Director of Development for the Eli Home. "Our goal is to provide a safe place for women and their children to start building toward a positive future. These new windows and the extra effort given to ensure this healthy living environment are truly a blessing."

Donna Cahoon, co-owner of Today's Windows & Doors with her husband Larry, is very proud to have been involved with the project. "It's wonderful that everything aligned like it did for this project: The lead paint training and donated windows from the great folks at Milgard, and our own timing in accumulating the necessary equipment and supplies to perform a lead-based paint installation. It all results in a wonderful show of support for an organization that performs a much needed service in our community."

Lead-based paint ceased being used on residential structures in 1978, but is still a serious health risk for children as well as adults. The EPA estimates that approximately three-quarters of the nation's housing stock built before 1978 (64 million dwellings) contain some lead-based paint. Home renovations, such as window replacement, that disturbs stucco, siding and other surfaces with lead-based paint, results in paint chips and dust that carry dangerous lead content. The EPA's RRP rule mandates that professional home remodelers be certified on how to handle, contain, and clean up the dust and debris resulting from such renovations.

About Eli Home

Eli Home provides a safe place for battered and abused women and their children to stay, as well as counseling and support services to these families in need in the Orange County area. Through intervention and shelter, comprehensive programs dealing with issues such as parenting, self esteem, anger management and vocational imaging, Eli Home provides new direction and new resources to mothers and children in order to help them achieve new healthier lives. Visit www.elihome.org for more information.

About Today's Windows and Doors

Today's Windows and Doors was established in 1988 by Larry and Donna Cahoon, with the intention of becoming Orange County's top window and door installation company with unparalleled service. Currently, they have exceeded their goal, and specialize in entry doors and window and door replacements, serving not only Orange County, but also Riverside, San Bernardino and areas of Los Angeles. Visit www.todayswindowsanddoors.com for more information and locations.