At Home In the Northland Magazine Spring 2007

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Visits the Northland

Ty Pennington and the ever-talented design team with the popular ABC show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, surprised the Jacobo family early Sunday morning, March 11.
Jesus and Michelle Jacobo live near Winwood Park in a 912-square-foot home. They have four children of their own and adopted Michelle’s nieces and nephews when her sister lost custody of them. Grandpa Ray, Michelle’s father, moved in to help raise all nine children, ranging from 6 months to 18 years old.

With the family vacationing in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Parkville builder Kevin Green, who has been building homes for more than 12 years, his crew and many excited volunteers had less than a week to build and furnish a 1920’s-style, 5,000-square-foot home for the Jacobo family. “When you have 12 people living in a 900-square-foot house, you’re banging the walls,” Kevin says. “The old house didn’t fit the family’s needs. This project is about people coming together for a common cause. They are a deserving family, and that’s why we’re here.”

The work began on Tuesday, March 13 – demolition day. Community members and classmates held signs that said “Congratulations Jacobos,” as an enthusiastic crowd screamed, “We want Ty!” Big smiles and shouts of joy rang out as cameras passed. Then the house was torn down. Stephen Johnson, father of five who received and Extreme Makeover home in 2005, helped in the construction process for the Northland home. The revealing of the new house, or the “Move That Bus” day, took place on Sunday, March 18.

In addition to the beautiful new home at 42nd and Spruce, the nine Jacobo children received full scholarships in attend college at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, and the entire community received a new playground.

The Jacobo episode will air in May.