College scholarships for the Powells
Surprises for Powells from college, dealer augment a new home
Delores Powell and her four children might have thought their new house and refurbished neighborhood, along with the excitement of a TV show and a week's stay in Disney World, was enough of a shock.
They had no idea.
Sunday, a day after the family returned to have the first look at their new "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" house, Powell and her children, ages 10 to 18, were presented full-tuition scholarships to attend Canisius College.
They were also given keys to a blazing red 2010 Ford Fusion from West Herr of Hamburg and West Herr Ford Lincoln Mercury of Amherst.
"I cannot tell you how my heart is feeling right now. I realize that a human heart is stronger than we ever believe," Powell said, with her children grouped around her outside the home's entrance.
"This joy that has flooded my heart since the 7th of November is unexplainable. I can never, never explain what I am feeling inside, but you can just imagine. .‚.‚. All of what has happened has made me to be very humble."
Powell learned Nov. 7 that she had been selected by "Extreme Makeover." She and her children were whisked out of town the same day to provide time for their run-down home on the Lower West Side to be demolished and a new, landscaped, energy-efficient house, with brand-new furniture, built in its place. The show is expected to air in early 2010.
Mayor Byron W. Brown, home builder David Stapleton of David Homes and Joshua Randall, chief operational officer of WNY AmeriCorps, pledged to find a way to continue the extraordinary outpouring of thousands of volunteers that in a week's time transformed the appearance of a poor neighborhood and gave many a renewed sense of hope and purpose.
"There is something truly remarkable here if we take this moment to use this as a model for change in Western New York," Randall said.
Inside the Powell's home, which the media were not allowed to enter, the family's refrigerator and pantry were stocked with food provided by Tops Markets, and the freezer was packed with frozen foods supplied by Rich Products, which announced it would donate a year's worth of products.
After the Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, president of Canisius, announced that all four children would be entitled to a full-tuition scholarship, he turned to Delores Powell and told her she would receive one, too.
"I understand that one of your regrets in life is that you, yourself, never pursued a college education. .‚.‚. We look forward to making your dream come true."
A grateful Powell, 49, said she wanted a college education "so much" when she came to the United States, and later thought she was too old to attend. She said she had been "burdened" every day about how to afford to send her children to college, especially with the oldest, Joel, graduating high school next year.
"I will make sure that all my children do not take for granted this opportunity that has been given to them. I am going to stay on top of them as I always do," Powell said. "I just want to thank Canisius College for giving them the opportunity that I couldn't afford to give them. God bless you."
The family didn't own a car, and Deborah, the second-oldest child, shrieked as Tony Helta, general manager of the auto dealership, made the announcement.
The family piled into the sedan, which will be leased for them for three years, after it had pulled into the new brick driveway, overwhelmed and giddy by their good fortune.
The mayor, noting that more than 5,000 people signed up to volunteer, pledged to build on the week's events. His administration recently partnered with PUSH Buffalo to rehabilitate housing units and provided $180,000 to fund AmeriCorps volunteers in Buffalo.
"A lot of people have been asking, "What are you going to do after this week?,' with David Homes working so hard, with WNY AmeriCorps and the PUSH organization that has focused on this neighborhood for years. Well, we've got to keep it going, right?" Brown said.
"So many people out here working said they want to continue these efforts, continue to stay involved, continue to help the city, and we're going to find a lot of things for them to do. We're going to make the rest of this year and all of 2010 the "Extreme Makeover of the City of Buffalo.'‚"
Stapleton also promised to stay involved. The homebuilder, who insisted on going beyond building one house for one family after being tapped by "Extreme Makeover," opened the floodgates for more than 50 home-improvement projects, along with new sidewalks, community gardens and murals.
"I don't know how, and I don't know what exactly yet — we're still trying to rest up from what we've just accomplished — but I want to pledge that I will be a part of what we can do to further this process, and Mayor Brown, you have my commitment on that," Stapleton said, adding that the project let people see what can happen when everyone works together.
A few doors down from the Powells' 228 Massachusetts Ave. address, the Hill family said they were going to miss "the adrenaline rush" from all of the activity. They were also beneficiaries — volunteers painted the trim on their house, new railings were put up, and the property was landscaped.
"It's been a true blessing, and we're grateful to have them here," Louisa Hill said. "It's going to be lonely when they're gone."
But Hill said she and other neighbors had begun talking about starting a neighborhood block club to keep the momentum going.
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