How It Works
The phone rings between 50 and 100 times a day at the Umbrella of the Capital District office in Schenectady. Over 500 elderly or disabled members rely on the organization for help with everything from routine housecleaning and yard work to dealing with plumbing or heating emergencies. For them, Umbrella means peace of mind. As one member put it, "I regard Umbrella as the best and cheapest insurance in town. I know that in an emergency help is just a phone call away--24 hours a day-- and that the Umbrella repairperson will arrive at my home within 90 minutes.... I have often called upon Umbrella for the annoying problems other services are not willing to handle or advice on larger issues.... I plan to be a member as long as I am “aging in place”.
Umbrella recruits retired men and women who wish to remain active and continue using their skills to supplement their income. Thus the program increases employment opportunities for active seniors, while helping meet the needs of the frail elderly and disabled members of our community.
We have a dedicated workforce of more than 140 retirees from throughout the Capital District with a wide variety of skills that can help you to maintain your home and your independence. If you need a service that we don’t provide, our staff will do their best to help you find the help you need.
We have agreements in place with licensed plumbers and electricians that charge our members a reduced rate. And for bigger jobs, we can recommend contractors that we know and trust.
Services we offer
• House cleaning and organizing.
• Basic home repairs.
• Painting.
• Gutter cleaning.
• Gardening and lawn care (using your tools).
• Small engine repair.
• Grocery shopping and meal prep.
• Companionship.
• Transportation (using your car).
• Snow blowing (using your blower).
Need something that isn't on the list? Ask and we'll let you know if we can do it.
What we provide
• Reliable, fixed-rate handyman and homemaker services.
• Screened service providers.
• Referral services for jobs we don't do.
• Satisfaction guaranteed for work scheduled through our service department.
• Annual home safety inspection and written report emphasizing safety, regular maintenance and preventive repair.
• $20.00/hour handyman services for routine repairs & odd jobs.
• Discounted rates for licensed plumbers and electricians.
• Weather-related home watch (available upon request).
• Handyman labor scheduled through our service office is warranted for one year.
• One hour of free service if handy person is more than one hour late for a scheduled appointment.
What we don't do
• Because our handypersons are retirees, they do not go on roofs or do second-story exterior work.
• And because they are older, we do not all our handy persons to shovel snow--you must have a snowblower.
• Due to insurance regulations, we cannot drive you to an appointment unless we use your car.
• We are not licensed to do personal care.
• Umbrella's mission is to maintain your home so you can live in it. We do not repair or fix up homes in order to place them on the market.