Do you need a Helping Hand?
Contact us if you are a senior or someone with a disability who needs help with small but necessary home modifications that you cannot do yourself. Keep in mind that we focus on simple projects that improve access, health and safety to help keep you living at home. See the listed examples.
Tell us what you need and provide us with some basic information about yourself and your home. Let us know the most convenient days and times for us to look at your project to see if we can help. We will estimate the cost of the materials and parts needed for the work you want done. When you are ready to proceed and all paperwork is complete, volunteers show up with their Helping Hands.
If you rent your home or apartment, we are required to get your landlord’s permission before work can begin.
You can get started by calling 907-457-4263 or downloading our Service Request below.
Helping Hands Home Modifications Service Request Form Click Here
Click on any image on the page to enlarge to full size.
Entrance modifications to make homes more accessible
Rent-A-Ramp
Before After
Stairway grab bar handrail
Before After
Garage steps handrail
Before After
Deck stairs handrail
Before After
Bathroom modifications to help reduce falls
Diagonal toilet grab bar
Before After
Horizontal toilet grab bar
Before After
Drop-down toilet grab bar
Down Up
Bathtub grab rail
Before After
Safety lighting modifications to improve visibility
Out of reach light bulbs changed
Night lighting
Before After
Can you lend a Helping Hand?
Individual and group volunteers are men and women with basic home maintenance skills. Some volunteers work on home modification projects and others help by answering questions, taking service requests and scheduling jobs. They provide a vital community service that improves the lives of others. Volunteers are rewarded for their time by the households we help:
- “The ramp has improved my quality of life immensely and I cannot be more grateful. I cannot express my gratitude enough for the volunteers.”
- “We would like to thank the volunteer for his time and expertise.”
- “A great service for seniors. Enlarge your list of people willing to help.”
- “There are so many other people like me that need help improving their quality of life. It’s the little things that make a huge difference. Please keep doing what you’re doing, improving lives and putting smiles on faces.”
People who need our help feel secure knowing that all Fairbanks Senior Center staff and volunteers have passed the State of Alaska Background Check Program. If you want to help, use the Volunteer Application link below to get started.
Helping Hands Home Modifications Volunteer Application, Click Here
Handrail installed by one of our volunteers
Steps support post repaired by one of our volunteers
Before After
Grab bar installed by one of our volunteers 
Before After
Handrail installed by one of our volunteers
Before After
Helping Hands Home Modifications Partnership Projects
Building connections makes us better together
Some Service Requests are beyond our volunteer capabilities or just too big for us. We work with other organizations on projects that our program cannot do alone. A few of our partners on these projects include:
- Alaska Community Development Corporation (Senior Access Program grant application packet Click Here)
- Alaska Works Partnership
- American Red Cross Far North & Interior Alaska office
- Block & Concrete Masters, Inc.
- Cold Climate Housing Research Center
- Farthest North Carpenters Union Local 1243
- General and specialty contractors
- Lowe’s
- Municipal and Volunteer Fire Departments
- Plumbers & Pipefitters Union Local 375
Temporary Rent-A-Ramp installed with help from “Farthest North” Carpenters Union Local 1243
Ramp with railing installed by Alaska Community Development Corporation
Before Before Winter After
Stair safety modifications installed by Alaska Community Development Corporation
Before After
Rent-A-Ramp replacement constructed by Alaska Works Partnership students & staff
Before After
Building connections to those serving Seniors
Many local agencies and programs turn to Helping Hands Home Modifications when clients or patients need their home adapted for safety, health or accessibility. Referrals have come to us from many sources including:
- Access Alaska
- Aging and Disability Resource Center NORTH
- Alaska Choice Care
- Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska – Fairbanks office
- Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Home Health Services
- Fairbanks Rescue Mission
- Fairbanks Resource Agency Senior Services
- Interior Community Health Center
- Meals on Wheels
- Nenana Senior Center
- ResCare
- Senior Companion Program
Making a difference
Evaluations are an important part of our program and we follow-up to make sure we got things right. Most households contribute to their project by reimbursing us for the materials or donating to keep the program going. They are invested in the success of the work we do for them and in keeping this service available for others. So after each job is done, we return to find out if it made things better or needs adjustments. Here are some of the comments from our evaluations:
- “The steps and garage are better illuminated to prevent falling hazards.”
- “Great help on stairs – now secure.”
- “Volunteer labor saved me money.”
- “Enclosed is a $10 check as a donation.”
- “Thanks for making this happen for us. This is a great program for the disabled and seniors community.”
Helping older adults and people with
disabilities to live in the familiarity,
comfort and safety of their own home
In-kind contributions of tools, safety gear and common home maintenance parts help stretch our dollars. Contact us about items on our “wish A program of the North Star Council on Aging Fairbanks Senior Center 1424 Moore Street. Fairbanks, Alaska 99701. 907-457-4263
– Use a Credit card and donate online click the link
– Check payable to “North Star Council on Aging”
[email protected]