Suddenly it was Christmas in April, as a group of community volunteers associated with nonprofit Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley gutted the room as part of a larger project to rehabilitate Mann's 81-year-old residence, located at 1020 Ramona Ave. in Willow Glen.

"The kitchen had the original cabinets, which were heavy and hard to open, and only two electrical outlets that worked," said Bob Doucette, house captain for Mann's project. "Plus, the plaster in the kitchen was falling off as a result of damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. These were all safety issues that needed to be fixed."

Since its establishment in 1991, Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley—formerly known as Christmas in April South Bay—has remodeled more than 180 home and community facilities, providing the equivalent of $3 million in repairs.

Rebuilding Together serves low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners who cannot complete large-scale renovations or maintenance projects on their homes. The organization's mission is to rehabilitate homes so that homeowners can live in warmth, safety and independence.

"Our primary focus is to make homes safe for the people living there," said Beverly Jackson of Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley. "We won't take on a project just because a resident doesn't like their green carpet anymore."

To be considered for a Rebuilding Together project, candidates must complete an application, which is reviewed by a team of volunteers from the project-selection committee. Members of the team visit the homes and talk with the homeowners. The team determines whether the home meets defined eligibility requirements and is suitable for sponsorship.

"Our volunteers visited about 80 houses this year," Jackson said. "Of those 80 houses, 31 were selected for this year's project."

Rebuilding Together works on two weekend days late in April, with the first day typically being prep work and the second day applying the finishing touches. This year the days were April 24 and May 1. Some homes require additional hours to complete the projects, as was the case with Mann's home.

"We were here last weekend with a team of 20 volunteers, and many of us have spent every night this past week working on the house," said Doucette, who is quick to point out the scope of this project is not typical.

Sponsored by the Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church, rehabilitation of Mann's house included repairing the walls and ceiling in the kitchen and laundry room where the plaster was cracked and falling as a result of the 1989 earthquake; installing new cupboards, a countertop, sink and faucet in the kitchen; installing grab bars around the bathtub; painting the exterior of the house to protect the wood; and replacing a rotted doorsill at the back door.

Volunteers are encouraged to assist wherever they are comfortable.

"We try to keep everyone busy," Doucette said. "Some people like to do work they have experience with, others like to learn something new."

Mann was excited about all the commotion that was going to result in an "extreme makeover" of sorts to her home.

"I think it's great. I'm just trying to stay out of the way," she said. "It will be fun trying to put everything back together again."

Mann's daughter, Vicki Rogers, was also appreciative of all the energy and time being spent improving her mother's home.

"We are very grateful for the work of the volunteers," she said. "All it would have taken was another earthquake for the kitchen ceiling to come down, and the wiring in the kitchen is much safer. Now there are more outlets in the kitchen than any other place in the house."

And the project has been equally beneficial for those helping.

Volunteers like Rich Lynn found the experience very rewarding.

"I'm sore all over, but happy," Lynn said. "I have paint in my hair but a smile on my face."

And volunteer Jyl Simpson agreed.

"I've wanted to do this for a while," Simpson said. "At first I felt I should be a professional, but the support and combined effort of everyone is wonderful. People just gravitated toward what they were interested in working on."

Mann wasn't the only Willow Glen resident who benefited from the nonprofit's generosity.

Irene Silva's 1926 home at 1161 Willow Glen Way was also chosen. Silva has lived in her house for 50 years. Her work was sponsored by GE Nuclear Energy. The work done on her home included the repainting of the home's exterior, the replacement of the wooden gutters along the house's roof edges and the installation of grab bars by the front door to help 80-year-old Silva enter her home more easily.

"These projects are wonderful for people who are on a limited income and cannot afford to have the work done otherwise," Silva said.

Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley is part of a nationwide nonprofit volunteer rehabilitation home network with 257 Rebuilding Together affiliates through the country. Collectively, the members of the organization will complete more than 8,500 projects in 2004.