For qualifying homeowners, home repairs have just become a little easier.

Each October and April, Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley, a nonprofit group, gathers donated materials and volunteers to repair homes and nonprofit facilities. The organization enlists hundreds of volunteers each year to assist low-income, disabled and elderly homeowners who are unable to do the work themselves.

The repairs in homes can range from painting and minor plumbing to electrical work, roof repair, carpentry, yard cleanup and safety modifications.

Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley executive director Beverley Jackson says that usually the work is performed for people who have lived in their home for 30 to 40 years. The average homeowner is around 70 years old and common work performed includes installing grab bars and handrails and making sure that the stairs in the home are secure.

The work is completed at no cost to the homeowner and usually takes one to two days.

In October, five projects were completed, but Jackson anticipates more will be completed in April.

The organization is currently accepting applications for repair work to be performed in April 2004. Applications for April home repairs are due Dec. 31.

For more information on volunteering or to obtain an application form, call 408.578.9519.

First-time home buyers are helped by nonprofit

The Housing Trust of Santa Clara County, a nonprofit organization, received a $500,000 contribution from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to help provide affordable housing for low-income county residents.

The county board of supervisors voted on Nov. 18 to give the Housing Trust the money from funds earmarked last year for capital and housing purposes. The nonprofit will use the money to support its First Time Homebuyer program, which offers loans for closing costs to qualified first-time homeowners.

According to Housing Trust spokesperson Maury Kendall, potential home buyers need to have a cumulative household income of no more than $115,200 and be purchasing a home at a price no greater than $550,000. And, the organization needs to authorize the lender chosen by the home buyer.

The organization provides $6,500 to each qualified home buyer. This means that approximately 76 home buyers will be helped from the $500,000 contribution.

For more information, visit http://www.htscc.org/m2_s1.php.

Safest place to live is the city of San Jose

San Jose beat out El Paso, Texas, and Honolulu to earn the honor of the safest big city in America. The city was compared against 31 cities across the nation with populations over 500,000 and the findings were based on 2002 FBI crime statistics, according to findings released by Morgan Quitno Press.

The Morgan Quitno Safest City Award is based on a city's rate for six basic crime categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft.

"I am very proud that San Jose remains at the top of the list of nation's safest big cities," San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales said.

For more information regarding the rankings of each of the 350 cities and 281 metropolitan areas considered for the Safest City Awards, contact Morgan Quitno Press at www.morganquitno.com or by calling 785.841.3534.