Parkville Luminary March 16, 2007
By Brittany Libra Special to the Luminary
Parkville’s Green Goes to Extremes
Local builder takes in TV challenge
On the morning of March 11, a knock on the Jacobo family’s front door changed their lives forever.
After 60 days and more than 1,000 hours of planning, ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: pulled into Kansas City to revamp the Jacobos’s house and their lives, with the help of Parkville-based Kevin Green Homes and the community.
An army of people invaded the Jacobos’ neighborhood, near Chouteau Trafficway, and they worked to transform the 912-square-foot house into the Jacobos’ dream house.
Twelve people have been living in the small space: parents Jesus and Michelle, their four children, Michelle’s father and their five nieces and nephews after their abusive mother lost custody.
But because of the cramped and dilapidated conditions of their house, the Jacobos were in danger of losing their nieces and nephew, ages ranging from 6 months to 18 years, to the state’s welfare system. They appealed to “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” to help them fix their house and keep their family together.
It is the second time Parkville resident and business owner Kevin Green of Kevin Green Homes will take on such a mission. He first built a house with the television show in 2005, and he said he gladly takes on the challenge again.
“It’s a second time to showcase our great city,” Green said. “It’s just a great feeling to help a family in need, a deserving family.”
By Sunday, Kevin Green Homes, it’s subcontractors and the team of volunteers will have built the Jacobos a brand new house fit for their large family.
“I hope to deliver them a great house, a house that will fulfill all of their needs and give them a bright future and make them feel good about coming home,” Green said.
Like Green, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” designers Michael Moloney and Paige Hemmis insist that despite the cameras, the show’s goal is to help people.
“It is a TV show…but at the end of the day, no matter how much production is standing around you, you see the lives of theses families changed,” Hemmis said.
Moloney said he didn’t think “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” was reality TV.
“Reality TV brings out the worst in people,” he said. “We are the total antithesis of that. We show the strengths of people, the goodness that can come out of people…This is not just about making a TV show; it’s much bigger than that.”
Moloney and Hemmis said they were excited to be back in Kansas City and work with Green.
“Being here in 2005 was the most fun we’ve ever had,” Hemmis said. “Kevin is first-class.”
“After working with Kevin we were like, OK this is how it should be. We should be able to feel this calm during the week and not feel like we’re not going to finish, and fell like the family is getting a good, quality home,” she said.
The house should be completed Sunday, when the Jacobos will return from their vacation in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“By the end of the week I hope everybody in that family has a safe, warm place to lay their head,” Maloney said.
The show is scheduled to air April 29 on ABC at 7 p.m. |