A group of parents with children enrolled at Hopkins House's Helen Day Preschool Academy in the City of Alexandria banded together to help raise money and get a Home Rehabilitation Loan from the city government to repair the home of longtime resident and Hopkins House maintenance professional Willie Mann.  They also reached out to local nonprofit, Rebuilding Together Alexandria.

While Rebuilding Together Alexandria was able to make some repairs and clean up the backyard, the home, located in the historic district of Alexandria on Princess Street, and two doors down from the preschool academy, needed a great deal more work.  It needed a new roof, new plumbing, insulated windows, new kitchen, and a home ventilation system. 

After hearing about Mr. Willie's struggle to find the money for all these repairs, Cheryl Kluwe and a group of other Hopkins House preschool academy parents organized an online campaign through YouCaring to raise $4,000.  At the same time, Kluwe and parents reached out to government officials for help.  The online campaign raised over $5,200 from 39 donors across the country.  These funds will be used to buy furniture and other incidentals not covered by the loan from the city.