Extreme Makeover: Home Edition — SJC Part of the Team
Brittany Mathes ’06, M’08 knows exactly what she’ll be doing on October 11: “I’ll be home with my family and friends watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The date has been in her planner since late June when she learned that Saint Joseph College was a sponsor for an episode of the popular ABC show scheduled to be filmed in Suffield, Conn. For those who don’t know, Extreme Makeover is a reality show where a team of designers and builders create a new home for a family in need — in this case, the Hill family —13 members who were living in a small, fire-damaged home. The crew moved into location on June 21, sent the family on a vacation, and began the mammoth week-long construction project. Relying on the help of the local community, Extreme Makeover forges relationships with area organizations eliciting services for the family and volunteers for the construction.
Brittany responded to an all-campus e-mail seeking volunteers willing to assist the builders. “At the time I called, slots were filling up quickly, but luckily they added five additional positions to the design team,” she said. “I signed up to work a four-hour shift on Saturday, June 27, but then I received a phone call inviting me to go up the Thursday before and watch the construction from the VIP tent. That was a bonus!”
Brittany, her mother, grandfather and friend worked with the design team, unloading furniture as it arrived and organizing it in the garage. “It felt like Christmas with all this new, beautiful furniture coming in,” she said. “We displayed it in the garage so the designers could walk through and select what they wanted to use.”
They assisted builders and moved in furniture, working alongside some of the show’s stars, including designers Michael Moloney and Didi Snyder. Looking back on the experience, Brittany was most struck by the sense of community: “It reminded me of an Amish barn building. I was really moved by how we all worked together. I didn’t know most of the people I was working alongside that night, but we were in sync, working together for a common cause. I can’t wait to see the show and see the Hill family’s reaction. It was a remarkable experience.”
