By Robert J. Hansen | OBSERVER Staff Writer
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento held its eighth annual Rock the Block Oak Park, a two-day community revitalization event May 9-10 hosted at Saint Paul Church in partnership with the City of Sacramento. The initiative aimed to preserve affordable housing by providing critical home repairs such as roof replacements, pest abatement, and landscaping to seniors, veterans, and low-income families at little or no cost.
Nearly 500 volunteers participated, completing 20 home repairs and four community projects.
Since its launch in 2018, Rock the Block Oak Park has brought $4.2 million in investment to the neighborhood, resulting in more than 120 homes being repaired and 25 community projects completed. Over the years, more than 4,000 volunteers have supported Rock the Block Oak Park.
Tammy Brooks Vaughan, a longtime Oak Park resident who received repair services, shared the impact Rock the Block has had on her home.
“My house was almost uninhabitable,” she said. “The bathroom floor had sunk in, the roof was leaking, and it needed all kinds of repairs. We started trying to fix things ourselves back in 2016, getting help from the Habitat ReStore with appliances and flooring. But COVID put everything on hold. What Habitat has done through Rock the Block is a blessing. It gave me back a home I can actually live in.”
Vaughan could barely describe how grateful she was when she got the notice that her home was selected to be repaired. “I cannot explain it. I searched in the dictionary and there’s no adjective that can describe how I feel. I’ll just go with the typical: elated, happy, overwhelmed, giddy, grateful.”
Vaughn also provided a banana pudding as dessert at lunchtime for the nearly 500 volunteers.
Leah Miller, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento, reflected on the event’s long-term goals.
“We started together in 2018 with the idea of wanting to make an impact on investment [in Oak Park] over time, so we set the goal for five years, and from there it just continued. I’m so proud that we get to make a difference in a community that is often underinvested in,” she said. “It’s amazing to be able to work together in partnership with the community and do good work together, arm in arm, which has been really rewarding and impactful.”
She added that part of what makes Sacramento such a cool community is the people who are willing to come together and make an impact in it. “In a world where there’s a lot going on, we come together and realize we have more in common than what separates us. That ability to truly make an impact brings hope, joy, and a distraction from the noise we’re hearing around the world.”
Organizers and community members emphasized the event’s continued role in building equity, restoring dignity, and strengthening neighborhood ties. The 2025 effort was supported by the City of Sacramento, Sacramento Impact Partners, the Greater Sacramento Urban League, and several others.
Those interested in having their home repaired during next year’s event can visit habitatgreatersac.org/rtb-inquiry-form and fill out the form.