The Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity announced it will work to repair 100 tornado-ravaged homes by Dec. 15, 2026, for families to be back in them for Christmas.
This ‘Tornado Rock the Block 100’ effort will focus on replacing roofs, windows, doors and exterior damage to homes to get them prepared for the fast-approaching winter season. Taking on the challenge of repairing and winterizing 100 homes in a 100-day period is nothing new for the Fox Cities Habitat team or the hundreds of volunteers that support them.
Six years ago in Menasha, Wisconsin, the blueprint for this program was successfully accomplished through Fox Cities Habitat’s first Rock the Block 100 campaign. Clearly, that previous work was not as extensive or expensive as it is this time, but it was important, and Habitat got it done on time and on budget.
Tuesday, Sept. 1, Fox Cities Habitat will host a press conference in Jefferson Park at 11 a.m. where they will outline the qualification criteria and how the program will operate. After the press conference, residents of Menasha, Neenah, Fox Crossing and Appleton with significant tornado damage will be able to apply online at foxcitieshabitat.org.
Since the tornado on July 27, Fox Cities Habitat has been on the job helping to coordinate and support volunteer-led crews with debris removal and early recovery efforts. This Tornado Rock the Block 100 is shifting the focus to the most pressing repairs needed to put families back in their homes before winter sets in.
Contractors and materials are already being coordinated for this important step forward in our community’s journey to help the hundreds of families that have been affected. Work through this project is expected to focus on urgent stabilization and weatherization needs,
Tornado Rock the Block 100 is supported by Kimberly-Clark, Bergstrom Automotive, Menasha Corp., Plexus Corp., Alta Resources, Miron Construction, U.S. Venture, Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and Fox Communities Credit Union, who together have contributed $3 million to pay for this first step of the housing recovery effort.
This will be the largest single effort in more than 30 years for Fox Cities Habitat.
For more information about Fox Cities Habitat, its homeownership programs, or how you can get involved, visit foxcitieshabitat.org.
