Smithville resident Erin King is in the running for $10,000 toward a home-makeover project in Waverly Home’s Paint for a Purpose contest.
King is one of five finalists in the contest, which will be decided by votes on its Facebook page.
She hopes to use the money to make improvements to the 1850 home she shares with her new husband, Joseph, her two children and her husband’s two sons, who live with the Kings part of the time.
King’s is a story of perseverance. She said she left an abusive marriage six years ago with two children and only the $150 she’d managed to put aside in a bank account. The family lived in her parents’ basement for about eight months and then in public housing, while King worked to support the family and scrimped to save what she could.
When the brick house she’d loved for a long time came up for sale, she watched the price drop repeatedly until finally she made a bid on it. She lost out to another bidder, but when that deal fell through, she became a homeowner in March 2011.
Her husband, whom she married in May, is an Air Force veteran who was disabled in a car accident while he was in the service.
With six people in the house, money is tight, King said. The house needs extensive work, not the least of which is the addition of a second bathroom. Other problems include floors that need leveling, mortar that’s crumbling, a termite-damaged support beam that needs shoring up and a kitchen that has five types of cabinets, two types of countertop materials and a sink with drainage issues.
Visitors to www.facebook.com/Waverly can read the contestants’ submissions and vote for their favorite. Voting ends Monday.
Store donation
La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries of Northeast Ohio recently donated living room furniture to make life a little easier for the families staying at Ronald McDonald House of Akron.
The stores donated a sleeper sofa that can be used for extra bed space, as well as two chairs with matching ottomans.
Ronald McDonald House lodges families of sick and injured children who are patients at Akron Children’s Hospital.
Events, programs
• Antiques in the Alley, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, downtown Millersburg. Indoor and outdoor antiques show throughout downtown. www.starlightantiques.com or www.historicdowntownmillersburg.com.
• Knitting and Crocheting Circle, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, Highland Library, 4160 Ridge Road, Granger Township, Medina County. Learn the basics or bring your projects and swap tips. Registration: 330-278-4271 or 330-239-2674.
• Cleveland Botanical Garden events, 11030 East Blvd. Ask the Gardener, noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays during summer. Garden admission: $9.50; children ages 3-12, $3; members and younger children, free. 216-721-1600 or www.cbgarden.org.
• The Art of Bonsai, through Aug. 12, Corbin Conservatory, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron. Bonsai exhibit produced in collaboration with the Akron Canton Bonsai Society. Exhibit included in all Stan Hywet admissions. Closed Monday. 330-836-5533 or www.stanhywet.org.
• Knitty Gritters, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Lake Community Branch of Stark County District Library, 11955 Market Ave. N., Lake Township. Instructions for beginning knitters. 330-877-9975.
• Warm Up Akron meeting, 3 p.m. Tuesday, Danbury of Cuyahoga Falls, 1695 Queens Gate Circle. Members knit or crochet squares that are used to make afghans for needy people in the Akron area. Information: 330-699-3252 or http://warmupakron.webs.com.
• Worm Composting: Creating Black Gold With the Friendly Red Wiggler, 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, community garden at Kenmore Boulevard and Ira Avenue, Akron. Part of the Talking in the Garden Series. Free. 330-572-8304.
• Needlework Circle, 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Seville Library, North Center Street. 330-769-2852.
• Fairy Garden Workshop, 5:30 -7 p.m. Wednesday, Graf Growers Garden Center, 1015 White Pond Drive, Copley Township. Children and adults will make miniature gardens in containers. Class and potting soil free. Bring a planter or buy one. Plants and tiny accessories available for purchase. Space is limited. Registration: 330-836-2727, or sign up at the store.
• Yarncrafters meetings, 1-3 and 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Medina Library, 210 S. Broadway. Knitting and crocheting group. www.mcdl.info or 330-725-0588.
• Ellison Die Cut Days, Thursday through Saturday, Highland Library, 4160 Ridge Road, Granger Township, Medina County. Bring paper to use with the library’s die-cutting machine. Registration: www.mcdl.info, 330-278-4271 or 330-239-2674.
• Barn sale, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Aug. 12, Afterwords Farm, 3947 Brush Road, Richfield Township. Antiques and vintage items.
Submit notices of classes, programs and events two weeks in advance to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com or Home and Garden News, Features Department, Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309-0640. Please include name and phone number. All events must be open to the public.
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. You can also become a fan on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @MBBreckenridge and read her blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/mary-beth.
