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Season 4 Finale; Helping Hands

March 30, 2015
Michael & Son
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Over the past 5 years, I’ve had the privilege of working with families in our community as the head of the Michael & Son Cares Program. If you have not already heard of us, we are a local home improvement company that helps disadvantaged families with essential home repairs they cannot afford. From restoring heat to cold homes to surprise visits from celebrities; the Michael & Son Cares Program has brought smiles, tears and hope to dozens of recipients in the D.C., M.D., and V.A area. Not unlike Michael & Son Services, The Cares program has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 5 years. One of our proudest achievements regarding the Cares Program is the creation of the Helping Hands T.V. show, which documents the charitable work of the Cares Program.

The Cares Program, like Michael & Son Services, has modest beginnings. Today you can hardly drive a mile without seeing a signature blue Michael & Son truck. It was not always that way; in fact it all began with one van and a two man team. In 1968, Mousa “Mike” Mansour came to this country with a vision, to build a family business that his children could one day inherit. An electrician from an early age, Mousa’s natural inclination towards the trade was apparent in his work and he landed a Union Electrician job. On weekends and nights Mousa worked side jobs with his 6 year old son, Basim, tagging along as his pint sized apprentice. It was during those impressionable years of watching his father work that Basim Mansour learned the meaning of hard work, dedication and punctuality. He also learned the importance of giving back to the community that kept him in business. Mousa was not a wealthy man but a generous man nonetheless. He would never leave a family without power on a cold night because they couldn’t afford cost. To him, the smiles on the faces of those families he helped was worth far more than any amount of money. These instances that were witnessed by Basim left an indelible impression on him that would influence the way he would one day run his own business.

On June 1st 1990 Mousa “Mike” Mansour suffered a fatal heart attack, leaving his family and community devastated. At the young age of 19, Basim picked up where his father left off and began his own business, Michael & Son Services. Today the company has over 200 employees, offers comprehensive home services and spans four states and our nations capitol. As the business has grown, so has the number of Cares Program recipients. The CaresProgram reaches thousands of people each week through the local TV program “Helping Hands”, however, we hope to inspire more businesses and individuals to give back to their communities in any way they can. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please visit michaelandsonhelpinghands.com for more information.

Pulaskifamily mikegreencares1

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Rescued from the harsh winter!

February 17, 2015
Michael & Son
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Betty Parker sits on her front porch as four puppies vie for her attention at her feet. “There is a lot of suffering behind close doors” she says, gazing off into the horizon, “you can only suffer for so long before its time to ask for help.”

As a strong Boston-bred native living in Norfolk, Betty Parker takes great pride in her self reliance. “My father raised me to be independent; I can do anything a man can do” said Betty, “I can even make repairs around the house, to an extent.” That extent was reached when her water heater began to fail and her furnace died. At 67 years of age, Betty suffers from Parkinson’s disease; its slow, methodical march through her nervous system made even the simplest daily task a monumental undertaking. One of those tasks became boiling water multiple times a day for bathing, washing, and cooking.

Betty’s hands trembled under the oppressive weight of the large, cast iron cooking pot she carried over to the sink. She began to demonstrate the agonizing, painful ritual of filling the pot with water and lugging it down the hall and to the tub. As the temperatures began to plummet, Betty was faced with a new tribulation, the prospect of a heatless winter. Wringing her hands beside a small space heater, Betty sighed then smiled. “I’m not gonna complain, there are people out there a lot worse off than I am”.

Many people dismiss the idea of a guardian angel, but in todays cold and detached world, some just earn the title. Meet Sue, a life long native of Norfolk and friend of Betty. Sue has spent her life in service to those in need. Whether it was on an organizational level or personal, you’re sure to find Sue at the helm. When Sue realized that Betty was living without essential services in her home, she immediately sprung into action and immediately starting hitting walls. “Everyone has an excuse about why they can’t help but no one offers solutions.” Sue called just about every state agency and private charity in search of help for Betty, and when those attempts were fruitless she began calling local businesses. After calling nearly every home improvement company in her area, Sue was ready to throw her hands up in defeat. At that very moment something fateful occurred; Sue looked out of her window, and noticed a Michael & Son Services truck pulling into her neighbor’s driveway. She figured it was worth one last shot, and called the number on the truck. “I called on a Saturday and expected to just get a voicemail” said Sue, “but what happened next left me speechless,” she continued.

Sue contacted Michael & Son on a Saturday morning, and by the afternoon had secured heat and hot water for Betty’s home. “I’ve been dealing with not for profits and government agencies for decades now, and I’ve never seen a group work so fast” said Sue. “I knew right away that they genuinely cared about not only Betty, but the entire community around them” she continued.

Today, Betty Parker and her four dogs have a warm house with hot water, today there is one person suffering behind a closed door. The Michael & Son Cares Program is on a mission to not only help those in need, but to inspire others to do the same. We call upon every individual, business and organization with the means to make a difference to do just that.

If you would like to join us in our mission to make a difference, click here to find out how you can help. Also, if you or someone you know is in need of essential home repairs, visit us at michaelandson.com to learn how you can apply for the Michael & Son Cares Program. You can watch the Michael & Son Cares Program in action on the TV series “Helping Hands” every weekend, check below for local listings and air times.

Washington DC WRC NBC4 

February 21st    9:30 AM

Norfolk: WVEC

February 21st    9:00 AM

Richmond WTVR

February 22nd    11:30 PM

Baltimore WMAR

February 21st   6:30 PM

Charlottesville WVIR

February 21st    9:30 AM

 

Michael-and-Son-rescues-elderly-woman-from-harsh-winter

norfolk-virginia-helping-hands-episode

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Washington Capitals Mike Green, Surprises Fan!

January 9, 2015
Michael & Son
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Bobby Hicks  

When Bobby Hick’s returned from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, he didn’t expect to face another battle. A devastating diagnosis of Leukemia left Bobby and his family wondering what the future would hold, or if he would have a future at all. Too add to the Hick’s family’s woes, their already problematic HVAC system and water heater gave out just as the winter season begun. With no where left to turn, the family reached out to the Michael & Son Cares Program.

“When the Hicks story was brought to my attention, I knew we had to help” said Basim Mansour, Proud Son & Owner of Michael & Son Services. “Here’s a guy who gave so much for his country and asked so little in return; I not only wanted to help them with their home repairs, I wanted to do something really special for Bobby.

The Michael & Son Cares Program and The Verizon center had worked in conjunction to plan a special surprise day at a Washington Capitals game for Bobby and his family. When an extended stay at the hospital for intensive treatment foiled those plans, The Cares Program and Verizon Center decided to bring the Washington Capitals to Bobby.

When Bobby Hick’s woke up Sunday morning he didn’t think he would be meeting his idol and star defenseman for the Washington Capitals, Mike Green. Taking time from his busy schedule, Mike Green surprised Bobby at Fairfax Hospital with a signed jersey and skates. It was a moment Bobby and his family won’t soon forget.

If you would like to speak with Basim Mansour regarding the Michael & Son Cares Program, please contact Shadi Tahrawi at (571) 237-8209 or shadi.tahrawi@michaelandson.com. Media outlets are free to use the text, videos and images in any TV, print or radio media.

Click here for a clip of this visit! 

 

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Haymarket Food Pantry, spreading the love!

December 8, 2014
Michael & Son
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Haymarket Food Pantry

One of the last places most people would expect to find is food pantry is in Haymarket, Virginia. Situated between our nation’s capitol and the Shenandoah Mountains, Haymarket is a quiet and affluential suburban community and is more known for its rural quaintness and country clubs rather than families dealing with food insecurity.

However, show up to the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry on any given Saturday morning and you’ll see a different side of the community. Before the doors are open, the lines have already formed. Families from every walk of life wait patiently to receive everything from locally grown organic produce to farm raised beef and poultry. Quality, nutritious food is what sets the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry apart from the organizations in the area and that’s all made possible by generous local business and farmers.

None of the services provided by the food pantry would be possible without the help of the volunteers who take time out of their busy schedules to lend a hand in their community. A testament to their dedication was the fact that the food pantry had no running water, working toilets or the electrical capacity to handle the many freezers and appliances needed to run the operation. Earlier in the year,

Home Depot had pledged to donate all the supplies for the electrical and plumbing work but needed a company to volunteer instillation services. Enter the Michael & Son Cares Program.

The Michael & Son Cares Program got its start in 2011 helping families and not for profit organizations with essential home repairs they can’t afford. After a few phone calls and meetings, Michael & Son Services was onsite restoring water services, installing toilets and upgrading the electrical panel. Within a matter of days, the volunteers had the relative comforts of home and an increased capacity for storing perishables, something the food pantry desperately needed.

All of the work done by the Michael & Son Cares Program is documented and shown on NBC’s “Helping Hands”.

Washington DC NBC 4

Saturday, December 6th – 10am

Charlottesville NBC 29

Sunday December 7th – 10am

Richmond NBC 12

Sunday December 7th – 7:30pm

Norfolk ABC 13

Sunday December 7th – 9:30am

Thanks to our friends at Home Depot, we were able to make a huge difference at the Haymarket Food Pantry.

WATCH THE EPISODE HERE

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Helping Hands: Season 3, Episode 3

December 8, 2014
Michael & Son
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The Moore Family

The Moore Family’s two 3 year old twins sons suffer from Miller Dykes syndrome; a brain disease that causes fatal seizures. Despite the family and doctors best efforts, Nicolas and Byron will most likely only life a few more short years. The family is in desperate need of an HVAC system for their home and with the heat wave hitting the area, that need is even greater.

If you would like to discuss the Cares Program or Helping Hands with the Cares Team or their recipients, please contact Shadi Tahrawi at (571) 237-8209 or shadi.tahrawi@michaelandson.com.

Make sure to tune in, showtimes below:

Washington DC NBC 4

Saturday, November 29th – 10am

Charlottesville NBC 29

Sunday, November 30th – 10am

Richmond NBC 12

Sunday, November 30th – 12pm

Norfolk ABC 13

Sunday, November 30th – 9:30am

WATCH THE EPISODE HERE

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Helping Hands: Season 3, Episode 2

December 8, 2014
Michael & Son
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Brandon Donaghy

Brandon Donaghy, a 32 year old man from Reva Virginia, has never had it easy. At the age of 9, Brandon lost his mother to a drunk driver and was forced to endure the harsh realities of life without her loving guidance. In a devastating twist of fate, at the age of 16 Brandon was involved in a near fatal car accident which left him in a coma for weeks. As a result of the coma, Brandon was left with permanent and severe brain damage that affects his memory to this day.

Because of his injuries, Brandon is unable to work and relies on a small, monthly stipend of Government disability payments to support himself and his 4 children. With the monthly payments being hardly enough to pay for basic necessitates, Brandon was unable to make essential repairs to his home; the most pressing issue being a broken furnace. As the prospect of a harsh winter loomed over head, Brandon decided to take a leap of faith and called the Michael & Son Cares Program.

“After hearing the Donaghy story from my Cares Project Manager, I knew we had to help” said Basim Mansour, Proud Son & Owner of Michael & Son Services. It’s long been one of our goals to extend our program to all areas in Virginia; the Donaghy family great is a great place to start!

You can see the whole story on the season premiere of “Helping Hands” Sunday, November 16th at 12:30 pm. Helping Hands documents the work of the Michael & Son Cares Program and the families they assist. If you would like to discuss the Cares Program or Helping Hands with the Cares Team or their recipients, please contact Shadi Tahrawi at (571) 237-8209 or shadi.tahrawi@michaelandson.com.

Make sure to tune in, showtimes below:

Washington DC NBC 4

Saturday, November 22nd – 10am

Charlottesville NBC 29

Sunday, November 23rd – 10am

Richmond NBC 12

Sunday, November 23rd – 12pm

Norfolk ABC 13

Sunday, November 23rd – 9:30am

WATCH THE EPISODE HERE

Wizards Game!

Not stopping at just the home repairs, the Michael & Son Cares Program worked with their friends at the Verizon Center to give the Donaghy family a special night out at a Wizards game. The family enjoyed court side seats for the Wizards warm-up where they were able to meet players and take pictures. The Donaghy’s went from court side to a luxury, catered suite to watch the rest of the Wizards / Pacers game. It was surely a night they won’t soon forget.

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