New fund aims at improving curb-appeal in Gainesville

A new fund has been launched in the Ozark County Community Foundation with the goal of encouraging Gainesville property owners to complete repairs and maintenance work on their homes to improve curb appeal while also increasing their property’s value.

OCCF board president Kerrie Zubrod said the fund, Gainesville Hometown Makeover, has been established by current and former Gainesville residents who hope to restore their hometown’s charm and appeal that they remember from their growing-up years here. 

In spring 2022, the fund’s founders and board members will invite Gainesville residents to submit simple applications describing improvements they would like to make to increase their property’s curb appeal – projects such as painting, roofing, trash and old-vehicle removal are encouraged. When a project is accepted for funding, board members will help the property owner find a contractor to complete the job, and the funds will be paid to the contractor when the job is completed.

While the fund has been launched with some generous donations, Zubrod said the donors, who choose to remain anonymous, know the fund will be quickly depleted as projects are completed. So more donations are needed to keep the fund going – and help homeowners enhance the appearance, and the value, of their property here.

As part of the Ozark County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, the fund is a 501(c)3 organization, and donations are tax-deductible. Make checks payable to the Ozark County Community Foundation and drop off at Century Bank of the Ozarks, or mail to Zubrod at Century Bank, P.O. Box 68, Gainesville, MO 65655. Be sure to note “Gainesville Hometown Makeover Fund” in the memo line.