Respite Repair began long before it had a name. My father was a master builder, a working general contractor who personally handled every phase of construction with only a small crew of helpers.
Since I was old enough to walk, I was one of those helpers. While other kids were earning karate belts, I was earning a tool belt. While they were swinging baseball bats, I was swinging a hammer. I hardly recall playing with toys; I played with power tools. Starting before sunrise and working until dark, my childhood summers were spent with my dad, working and learning. The scent of demo dust from an old city home or sawdust from fresh-cut lumber still takes me back.
Growing up with firsthand experience in multiple trades, I was sure I’d become a tradesman myself; it was only a matter of choosing a path. As a young man, that choice proved difficult. Determined to find my own way and driven by a thirst for knowledge, I worked across several trades, broadening my experience even further. I traveled, earned a couple of degrees, and eventually had a child of my own.
Every parent knows that having a child changes your life forever. Far fewer understand the changes that come when your child receives a disability diagnosis. What does it mean for their future? Who will they become? What kind of life will they have? No one has an answer. The fear of those uncertainties can tear a parent’s heart in two. But we pull ourselves together because our child needs our support and will continue to need it. So we hold our heads up and step into the unknown, preparing for whatever may come next.
As I learned how to support and advocate for my little one, my perspective began to change, my priorities changed, and so did the direction I chose for my career. I began working directly with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), first in a day program, where I learned the importance of patience, listening, and understanding each person’s unique needs. Eventually, I transitioned into a role helping individuals and families connect with the supports and resources they need.
Through the homes I’ve visited and the families I’ve worked alongside, I’ve seen time and time again how common it is for caregivers to have more to do than they have time or energy to handle. I’ve also experienced firsthand how a runaway to‑do list, even one filled with seemingly mundane tasks, can tip the scales and make life feel overwhelming.
Not enough energy to spare. Not enough resources. Not enough available help. Any of these can make even ordinary household needs difficult to address. I understand that reality personally, and I wanted to do something practical about it.
That is why I started Respite Repair.
Respite Repair allows me to combine the practical skills I learned growing up with a purpose that has become deeply important to me: providing dependable handyman services while making that help more accessible to caregivers in the IDD community.
I approach every home with respect, communicate clearly, and only accept work that I can complete safely and properly. I also serve the general public at standard, fair rates. That work helps make it possible for me to offer more affordable labor to caregiver families in the IDD community.
So if you are not a caregiver in the IDD community and you’ve still read this far, I appreciate you, and I hope you consider Respite Repair for the jobs you need done. Your support helps make this mission possible.
Respite Repair is about giving care to caregivers.
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