Alure has successfully completed SEVEN makeovers for ABC's hit show
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Our Newest Makeover: March 2008 for the Usea Family!
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Before |
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Sal (far right) and Doug (far left) from Alure with the Usea Family |
SEE IT ON TV: Alure's Usea makeover is the season finale
and airs on May 18th as a two-hour show at 7pm EST on ABC
CLICK HERE TO SEE THOUSANDS OF BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS
IN OUR USEA MAKEOVER PHOTO ALBUM!
RECAP: Extreme New Orleans - Builder Coalition 2008
The city of Westwego has had a tough couple of years to say the least. They have been hit by a series of hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding. These natural disasters have devastated the homes and lives of those living there. Among one of the hardest hit is the Usea family. Brad and Laura Usea had upwards of $15,000 worth of damage to their home after Katrina hit. The hurricane totaled Brad's mother's house leaving her as well as his older brother Chris and Brad's twin brother Chad homeless. Brad and Laura opened up their home to all of them. In February of 2007 Westwego was hit by tornadoes in the wee hours of the morning. At the time, 37 -year old Chris Usea was living in a FEMA trailer behind his brother Brad's house. The trailer flew across the backyard and Chris was thrown from it. That same night, Brad heard frantic screaming and ran next door to help rescue his neighbors who were trapped in their own FEMA trailer.
Coming to the rescue is in the Useas' blood. Both Brad and his twin brother are volunteer firefighters for the City of Westwego. Through each natural disaster, these twin heroes stopped at nothing to ensure the safety of their family and community. After the dust settled, the Useas have found themselves, a family of 5 adults and 2 small children, crowded in a home damaged both from Katrina and the tornadoes. The ceiling in Chris' temporary bedroom is falling down. Grandma Grace is staying in her 4-year old granddaughter Abby's Tinkerbell room. Brad's twin, Chad, sleeps on the couch in the living room. The twins, Brad and Chad are doing their best to help the city of Westwego rebuild again after the all of the devastating storms that have torn their community apart: In the process, this family is living on top of each other in Brad's family home.
By giving this family a bigger home, Brad and Laura will have the space they need to raise their family and Chris, Brad and Grandma Grace will regain their independence.
To help build the Usea family a new home, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition reached out to several builders across the country, many of whom had performed makeovers for the show in the past. This was the shows first ever "coalition of builders", that involved multiple builders working together on the project. Having already performed SIX makeovers for the show, it was only natural the show called Alure to participate in the coalition. With the opportunity to help out in a area of our country still suffering from multiple natural disasters, there was no hesitation for Alure President and CEO Sal Ferro to say, "COUNT ALURE IN!"
Ferro assembled a team of 22 motivated and heart-filled individuals, to travel down to New Orleans to help support the coalition, anticipating Alure playing support role in the build, after already heading up 6 makeover projects for the show since the first-ever New York makeover back in May of 2004.
The coalition project was a two site build - the house in Westwego for the Usea family, and Noah's Ark Missionary Baptist Church in New Orleans. The church started with some major challenges, including very tight working conditions, a busted gas line during demo, and as a result, labor, tools and materials were pulled from the house site, creating additional challenges to meet the 5 day timeline.
There were many other unexpected challenges on this build including labor shortages, material shortages, foot-deep mud in front of the house as a result of a few very strong thunder showers, cranes and lulls getting stuck in the mud, some labor walking off the project, adjustments required on the fly as some cabinetry did not match the original plans, and much more….
Ferro ended up taking on a leadership role, as Ferro, Deltec Homes' Kevin Adams and Sterling Homes' Harry Dill all worked together to oversee the execution of dozens and dozens of different tasks in order to get the home built on time, and most importantly, safely.
THURSDAY - REVEAL DAY - clean up crews were sent in around 2am, and furniture started making its way in, hurrying to get done in time for the 5pm reveal…much work was still being completed during the furniture move in.
Final touches were going on right up until about 4:30pm, just as the show was getting ready for the big reveal. A massive crowd has amassed to witness the Usea family come home. The crowd was across the street from the house…directly next door to the Usea house, about 20 neighbors were packed onto the front porch for a view of the family. They made room for me and my camera, providing the best view of the family's faces when the bus pulled away. As the limo came down the street, a grandma on the porch with her family, was so excited for the family she was smiling and giggling with joy - it was incredibly moving.
Now stationed behind the bus as the family got out of the limo, we waited while the family addressed the large crowd, as the the chants began..."move that bus". The bus' engine started to rev and you could sense the excitement of the crowd - the bus slowly pulled away, and those of us on the neighbors' porch had the best view of the Usea family as they viewed their new home for the very first time. There they stood in amazement….Mom Laura and Dad Brad, their daughters Abby and Audrey, brothers Chad and Chris, and Grandma Grace…it was immediately evident we had once again, CHANGED SOME LIVES FOREVER, and all the sweat and lack of sleep the past five days had become a distant memory….WE DID IT…AGAIN.
As we drove away in a golf cart following the reveal, some in the crowd shouted.."thank you New York" as we passed by!
This episode is the season finale and will air on May 18th as a two-hour show, 7pm est on ABC
One of the rewarding experiences of Alure's involvement with extreme has been seeing the families we've helped join us to help out the following makeovers, and the trend continued, even 1300 miles away from home:
We've had Lucy Ali cook and bring food to the John Vitale and Peter family makeovers.
John Vitale and his brother came to help at the Peter family Makeover.
The entire Peter Family came to help at the Arena Makeover.
The Arena family and the Peter family all came to help at Clearpool, and spent the entire week there to help.
Jim and Gina Arena, along with Heather Boylston (from Clearpool) and her Dad all flew down to New Orleans to help out on the Coalition for the Usea family!!!
SOME EMAILS WORTH SHARING….
From: Ferro, Sal - Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2008 2:00 PM
We did it!!!! I am exhausted, beat and yet thrilled. The accomplishment never gets old. We helped change lives again!!! I am so, so proud of my team of dedicated, committed and talented men that gave it their all and more. The south witnessed the best of the north this past week. My thanks, and appreciation to all that came and delivered here in Westwego. An additional thanks to my team who held down the fort and made it possible for us to come down here. Thank you all.
Sal
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From: eve mitch - To: Ferro, Sal (President) - Sent: Sun Mar 16 16:28:00 2008
Subject: u made the difference
Hey Sal, and the whole alure gang,
Hows everyone doing? After that kind of week we all just had, from now on all of my time will be great..lol I just wanted to let u and the gang know that because of all of ya'll , ya'll made the difference, on this job, in our lives... If u hadn't have been there, we would have walked away swearing we would never touch another extreme team makeover... I wanted to let u know that ur whole group of guys were gentlemen all the way through, not once did any of them cross a line, on the site, or off.. We had a great time because u showed us who we really ended up doing the home for.. At first it was for the family, in the middle it was to just get it over and done with, and there at the end, u showed us the family,( we had in all of u,) come toghether to finish, it, not for them, but for ourselves.. Thanks again.. I told Tha' that i thought u were a great speaker, and u are, u can and did get all of the guys, who were tired, hungry, cranky, mad, and all from different places, come together and finish the home..(i'm calling it a home because after we all finished, with it, it is now a home and not just a house) Half of us had no idea what we were supposed to do, and the other half couldn't understand each other, but when u stood up and talked to all of us, like people, and not a boss, we all understood u, and we all came toghether, to get the work done. Tha really respects u alot, and i can now see why. Please tell Berta(i dont remember how to spell his real name, tell him i'm sorry..) i missed saying good bye to him, and because of him i now have a better opinon of New Yorkers, rather then all New Yorkers, being rude, an mean, and heartless, ya'll have shown me that ya'll have the biggest hearts of all.. Tha and i would be more then happy to help on another extreme home makeover now, We would definitly be better prepared for it, thats for sure.. But it was the people that made it all a wonderfull experiance for us, not the stars, but all of ya'll.. Again i just wanted to say thank you and i hope next time ur wife can make it, so that we can met her and give her our sympythies for having to put up with u... Just jokeing, she is a lucky person to have u...
OH yeah u forgot to get my shirt for me??? lol, actually i forgot to get it from u... I believe that all of us, recieved more than we expected and could have asked for.. In meeting all of ya'll , and all of the rest of the crews, i know for sure i did... Sorry for takeing up so much of ur time, and im sure we will never see each other again, unless God throws us in ya'lls path again, but thank you again.. For teaching us so much and for putting up with me being overprotective of my husband.. I will pray and hope that maybe one day all of us will meet again.. Untill then take good care of yourself and all the rest of ur crew.. and tell them Hey from Mississippi Girl..
Thanks again, - Evelyn and Tha Mitchell.
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From: Gina Arena - Sent: Sun Mar 16 16:22:45 2008
Sal and family,
You will never know how you have touched me and my family. Being a part of this week in New Orleans reminded me of how important life and being together really is. Jimmyboy does that for me on a constant basis. But, watching you and your guys work with your hearts and souls confirmed to me what I already knew, how eternally thankful I will always be to each and every one of you. You are an incredible group of people that I am so thankful to have in my life. Every day I wake up and say thank you for everything. Most of all, I say thank you for letting me have the chance to have taken care of Jimmy and for all the incredible souls that touch my life. You and your family being up at the top. You are amazing people, and I THANK YOU for letting me share in those moments. This week was great for us - thank you.
As we approach two years in our beautiful home, I think back to everything and everywhere I have been and am enamored by all that is around me. Life is great.
From the deepest part of my soul, Sal Ferro, thank you will never be enough.
Love to Lori and the children. May God Bless You during this Holy Week.
Love, Gina
ALURE'S PREVIOUS MAKEOVERS
WATCH THE EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION TELEVISION PRODUCTION CREW TALK ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WORK WITH ALURE
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