MARK WAITE / PVT Bill Sutherland of Pahrump and Richie Costa of Las Vegas put up storm windows at a manufactured home on West Piltz Street as part of the Christmas in April program. Advertisement

Volunteers for the Christmas In April program targeted two Pahrump homes for renovations this year. The work was completed last weekend.

Applications were solicited for the program last September, but when they were opened Christmas Day only five people requested assistance, Superintendent Rick Remington said. Volunteer Pat Watson said 13 or 14 applications for assistance are the norm.

Christmas In April has been in existence in Pahrump since 2000. The volunteers are largely workers at the Nevada Test Site, which provides funds for the program.

"All of our labor is volunteer. We're a United Way affiliate, so we get grants from United Way every year. The new contractor at the Nevada Test Site, National Securities Technology, donated some money this year," Remington said.

Volunteers finished work Saturday on the home of George Lease, who lives on medical disability in a manufactured home on W. Piltz Street. It was a project extending over five weekends, cleaning up the yard, reworking the electrical receptacles, putting in a sewage disposal system, and on Saturday, finishing up installation of a stove and storm windows.

The volunteers also targeted the home of Sharon Hurst on W. Blosser Ranch Road. Remington said volunteers there replaced the floor, which was broken up and rotted out. They repaired the roof, put in three ceiling fans, a new porch light and cleaned up her yard. Volunteers from the 4-H program helped with the clean-up.

Officials with the Christmas In April program drive past the homes to check out the applications. They then interview the homeowners. Remington said the residents applying for assistance have to own the properties in question.

Some of the volunteers have a trade, like a journeyman electrician who helped out this year. Remington said some Nevada Test Site workers, like Richie Costa, came out from Las Vegas to help.

"We look at low income, elderly, the disabled," Remington said. "We hardly make a dent in what needs to be done, but at least we're doing something."