Volunteer engineers turn a house into a home.

The Rebuilding Together Organization, together with Bonim--Builders for Bergen, are the latest recipients to benefit from the volunteer efforts of Milestones Engineering, EC., (MEPC), an engineering consulting firm based in Morris Plains, NJ.

Reaffirming the concept that giving makes one feel good, Haila Hudson, President of MEPC, was happy to agree to this volunteer request made by Adrienne Isacoff, Esq.

Ms. Hudson had met Ms. Isacoff, counsel to Lowenstein Sandler, P.C., (LS) in Roseland NJ, last year when both were volunteers for Habitat for Humanity. Ms. Isacoff, Chair of LS's Women in Construction Initiative, is also a volunteer with Bonim--Builders for Bergen, knew she could count on Ms. Hudson's assistance for this project.

Ms. Hudson then persuaded colleagues from Johnson Electric Inc. and R & M Design Group, Inc. to join her to update the electrical wiring in the home of Ms. Elizabeth Dunson in Englewood, NJ.

The house, originally owed by Ms Dunson's great grandmother, still has the original gas pipe used for lighting. Ms. Dunson, the mother of three children, is grateful to the Rebuilding Together and Bonito-Builders for Bergen volunteers for working to update areas of the house so that an attached apartment can be rented out, thereby making it possible to meet the financial demands of maintaining the house. Ms. Dunson feels fortunate to enjoy and share the history and love of this three generation family home with her children.

Milestones Engineering, a minority, woman owed firm, is not new to volunteering. Last year, MEPC staff members led by Ms. Hudson, provided the electrical work on a new house for a Habitat for Humanity; Women Raise The Roof Again project. The house is now home to a Guatemalan immigrant and her four children.

Rebuilding Together, whose national volunteers work to preserve and revitalize communities one home at a time, and Bonim--Builders for Bergen, a community based group of volunteers committed to building and/or renovating simple, affordable housing for Bergen County families in need, make ideal collaborators. Ms. Hudson felt it was important to support both organizations in realizing their shared goals. "I believe in the combined efforts and goals of these organizations to improve their communities. Whenever people come together to help other families in their neighborhood, it's a positive endeavor that should be supported.

"I grew up in Westfield, NJ where the neighborhood was an extension of family". "It's my privilege", said Ms. Hudson, "to support the efforts that improve neighborhoods and the community way of life".

Ms. Hudson is grateful to her colleagues, Mr. Brownie Johnson, President of Johnson Electric, Inc. based in Union, NJ, to his employee, Mr. Charles Brooks and to Ms. Pati Melissari, Principal of R & M Design Group, Inc. located in Saddle Brook, NJ, for volunteering their time, expertise and material to the project.

Ms. Melissari, whose firm specializes in renovations and remodeling, has a personal interest in restoration of older homes and appreciated working on this turn of the century house.