School kids help Toledo family get home makeover

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- Sixth graders at Toledo Christian School wanted to do something when one family wasn't picked to get their home repaired when ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" came to town.

So the children collected coins, asked businesses to help and joined with another school to raise enough money to replace the family's roof and fix a broken sewer line.

"The kids in my class felt bad that the winning family gets everything and everybody else got absolutely nothing," said Kari Bunnell, a sixth-grade teacher at Toledo Christian.

They're also planning to rewire the electrical system, remodel the kitchen, and paint the house for the Clark family, which has five special-needs children.

Susan and Brian Clark adopted four of their children and have taken in between 80 and 100 foster children over the last 19 years. They recently also brought a homeless girl into their house.

"I always, always wanted to do foster care, even as a kid," said Mrs. Clark.

Their house needs much work, but the family couldn't afford the repairs on her husband's teaching salary. She had worked as a respiratory therapist but quit to stay home with the children who are ages 17 to 21 and have challenges that include mental retardation, bipolar disorder, and fetal alcohol syndrome.

Mrs. Clark said she didn't want to apply for the TV makeover show, but a friend started a petition to recommend the family and collected 5,000 signatures.

She said wasn't hopeful until the network sent a film crew to her family's home in March. "The stress of hoping is a killer. It's such an emotional roller coaster," she said.

Instead, the show selected another Toledo family that adopted five children from a Haitian orphanage and three other children.

That's when the school children decided to help the Clarks. So did folks at Central Catholic High School, where Brian Clark teaches.

Together, the groups decided what needed fixing.

"We prioritized the five most immediate needs to the home," said Mike Kaucher, Central Catholic principal.

First, they took care of a plugged sewer line that left a foul smell in the basement. Then came the leaky roof that caused some of the ceilings to collapse.

Susan Clark said they are all grateful for the help. "It's fabulous to be getting this done," she said. "We had no other options."

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Information from: The Blade, http://www.toledoblade.com/