FREED Center for Independent Living, a nonprofit serving older adults and people with disabilities across Nevada, Sierra, Sutter, and Yuba Counties, is facing a 49% reduction in funding for its Fix-It Program, a free home modification and repair service that helped nearly 300 households last year stay safely in their homes.
The Fix-It Program provides minor but critical home modifications including grab bar installation, ramp installation, stair and railing repair, handheld shower installation, and minor plumbing repair. Services are provided at no cost to recipients and delivered in partnership with a dedicated team of expert volunteers.
Last year, the program served 193 households in Nevada and Sierra Counties and 99 households in Yuba and Sutter Counties. The funding cut threatens both materials purchasing and program coordination, putting the program’s continuation at risk.
“Our Fix It Program operates on a shoestring because of our dedicated volunteers. Without these modifications, many people face a stark choice: risk injury in an unsafe home, or leave the home they’ve lived in for years,” said Carly Pacheco, Executive Director of FREED. “This program is often the difference between someone staying in their community or ending up in a nursing facility.”
Research consistently links accessible home modifications to reduced falls, fewer hospitalizations, and delayed or avoided nursing home placement — outcomes that benefit not only individuals but the broader healthcare system and our local communities.
FREED is actively seeking community and philanthropic support to sustain the program while pursuing replacement funding.
About FREED Center for Independent Living: FREED is a consumer-directed nonprofit providing services and advocacy to people with disabilities and older adults in Nevada, Sierra, Sutter, Yuba, and Colusa Counties. For more information, visit www.FREED.org