EMHE: The Johnson Family (Kansas City)

[janakisses]

The show has been filming about a mile from where I work since last Wednesday. The reveal is set for today. A local country radio station had a birthday party last Thursday and the crew showed up and declined the V.I.P. section in favor of visiting with the regular people in general admission, they were sooooo nice and could easily be mistaken for just one of us.

I would assume there will be a room decorated in Kansas City Chiefs since Trent Green (the quarterback), was at the home.

Johnson is a single father, who works 48 hour shifts as a firefighter, then fills in cutting hair and washing windows to support his 3 kids and their 2 friends, whose adopted mother died and Johnson adopted to prevent them going to foster care. Last year, we had a standoff in a burning house, where the lunatic was opening fire on the firefighters and paramedics. A paramedic was shot and Johnson left the safety of his truck to pull her to safety. The paramedic nominated Johnson and his family.

Here is a story from our local paper with a few details of what the family will receive, I will also post the link, but you have to register with the site to view it, there are some great pics on the site and you can search the archives for stories published each day:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/11311249.htm

Makeover brings out fans, donors

Community shows support for firefighter and family

By MARÁ ROSE WILLIAMS

The Kansas City Star


Hundreds of people Monday swarmed about the lawn and inside the home built in less than a week for Kansas City firefighter Stephen Johnson and his blended family.

Thousands of people, fans of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” have descended on East 79th Street in Kansas City throughout the week to watch the crews demolish the Johnson family's old 1,200-square-foot ranch home and build a new, two-story, two-car-garage house that is nearly four times the size of the old one.

Many of the onlookers came expecting a glance at or autograph from show host Ty Pennington. Others came bearing gifts, food and drinks for the workers, even bags full of money they collected and household supplies for the Johnsons.

Kevin Green, president of Kevin Green Homes, general contractor in charge of the construction, said he had been inundated with offers from local businesses, corporations and individuals who want to donate something to the makeover project.

“Everything you see here from the nails to the grass and every drop of sweat has been donated,” Green said.

A lender who will be revealed when the show airs — broadcast tentatively is scheduled for May 15 — paid off the mortgage on the Johnsons' old home. The new one is free.

From the moment the public learned that Johnson, one of six firefighters who in a barrage of gunfire pulled a wounded paramedic to safety last year, would get a new home courtesy of the ABC makeover television show, Green's marketing team has fielded a call about every 10 minutes from Kansas City area residents who want to help.

People have offered to donate “just about every conceivable consumer item, cookware, digital cable, computer service, and someone even wants to videotape every item in the house for insurance purposes,” said Tony Libra, director of the marketing firm working with Kevin Green Homes.

“The support from the community has been overwhelming,” Green said. “I think it is indicative of Kansas City.”

There already have been many pledges of money. Green said that when the family gets the keys to their new house, a college scholarship fund will be set up for the five children, two of them boys adopted by Johnson, who is a single parent. Information about the fund will be online at kevingreenhomes.com.

While thousands have visited the 24-hour work site already, producers expect thousands more to show up between noon and 3 p.m. on Wednesday when the family returns to get a first look at their home. To avoid traffic congestion, the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City is offering free shuttle service from parking lot A at Kauffman Stadium to the site. Buses will run today and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every 30 minutes.

[Dauwer77]

That Is So Neat!! I Applied For The Show For Me And My Family...i Have My Fingers Crossed But There Are Probably More Deserving Families Out There...abc Gets Thousands Of Applications Per Day So There Is No Way Of Telling If They Even Noticed Mine In The Piles Lol...it Is So Cool To Know Where They Are All The Time Though. I Thought They Were Hard To Track But Apparently They Are Not Because Whenever They Are In Someones Neighborhood They Post It...cool Cool...good Luck To Anyone Who Has Applied...

[janakisses]

The Reveal

The producers were on the news last night and said that with over 7000 people, Kansas City set a record for the number of people at a reveal!

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/11329052.htm

Posted on Thu, Apr. 07, 2005

‘God opens a window and pours out a blessing'


An extremely sweet homecoming

By MARÁ ROSE WILLIAMS

The Kansas City Star


Move that bus!

Firefighter Stephen Johnson leaped for joy and did a high-stepping dance in the street when the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” bus rolled away and he and his five children first saw their new home.

The children screamed and embraced in a group hug. Then Johnson dropped to his knees, buried his face in his hands and cried in front of more than 7,000 well-wishers who had descended on East 79th Street in south Kansas City to celebrate the moment with the family as cameras rolled.

On his feet again, Johnson, a single parent who works three jobs to take care of his family, waved and blew kisses to onlookers and to his mother.

“This is overwhelming,” said Jean Anderson, Johnson's mother. “It's one of those times when God opens a window and pours out a blessing. … It is more than enough.”

The Johnsons on Wednesday had returned from a weeklong vacation in Disney World in Florida. While they were away, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and Kansas City area construction workers demolished their two-bedroom brick ranch and built a 4,200-square-foot, state-of-the-art home in its place.

Then, to top it off, they filled it with new furnishings and appliances. They stocked the pantry and refrigerator with food. They built a deck, brick smokers and hot tub in the back. They raised a metal memorial to firefighters on the back lawn and parked a brand-new red convertible in the driveway.

The ABC show highlights deserving families by giving their homes one-week makeovers.

Johnson, 38, was selected after being nominated by Mary Seymour, the MAST paramedic who was shot in the chest in February 2004 while responding to a fire in south Kansas City. Johnson was one of the six emergency workers who ran through a hail of bullets to rescue Seymour.

“This is great for Steve and his family. And Kansas City is getting national attention too,” Seymour said after the family saw the house. “He really deserves all of this.”

On days off from the fire station, Johnson, who has never married, works as a barber and window washer to care for his three children — Stephen Johnson Jr., 18, Duane Johnson, 14, and G'na Johnson, 12. Then last December he adopted two neighborhood brothers — Ryan Brownfield, 13, and Brandon Brownfield, 15 — who had just lost their adoptive mother.

That left Johnson's 1,200-square-foot home more than crowded.

“We had been trying to figure out ways to fix the house,” said Johnson's mother, who spends most days making sure the children eat and get off to school.

“All he (Stephen) wanted was more space for his kids,” she said. “God used ABC to come in here and build him a new house.

“I watched his house torn down, and it was heartbreaking, like grieving because that was his first house. But I knew something beautiful would stand in its place.”

The new home is nearly four times as large. A lender paid off the mortgage on the old house. This one is free. Utilities, homeowner's insurance and security for the house have been donated.

To build and furnish it in six days, crews worked around the clock.

It took 12 hours for 90 workers from Advantage Framing of Olathe to frame the six-bedroom, five bathroom house.

“From the roof trusses to the concrete base, the best-quality materials in the nation were used,” said Michael King, building superintendent on the framing project, and Johnson's uncle. “This house is strong and it will be standing for a hundred years. It's gorgeous too.

“The basement alone is 1,200 square feet, the same size as Steve's entire old house.”

Everyone who worked on the project volunteered. Parkville builder Kevin Green pulled it all together, and on Wednesday he cried along with the Johnson family when it was unveiled.

“I knew they would love it,” Green said. “This is wonderful. It's emotional. But most of all I'm proud of everyone who came together to make this happen.”

Show producers said a record number of people came out in Kansas City to support the effort and to watch the demolition and Wednesday's return of the family.

[marybethp]

I love the generosity of this show

[janakisses]

This one is airing this week, Sunday, May 8th.

[Arielflies]

It starts in 15 min. I'm already crying just from reading...better keep the tissue box next to me...I so worry about the expenses of these new homes and am so glad to hear and read others are also. Mortgage, upkeep and taxes, oh my. There is so much more to helping out than building up.

[Dauwer77]

It starts in 15 min. I'm already crying just from reading...better keep the tissue box next to me...I so worry about the expenses of these new homes and am so glad to hear and read others are also. Mortgage, upkeep and taxes, oh my. There is so much more to helping out than building up.

They gave them an envelope with enough money to pay off their mortgage and also enough money to pay 10 years worth of utility bills...heck I'll take the envelope never mind the house...lol...At least they can use some of that money to help pay the enormous tax bill they are going to get! Better call that accountant pretty quick...

[Dauwer77]

It starts in 15 min. I'm already crying just from reading...better keep the tissue box next to me...I so worry about the expenses of these new homes and am so glad to hear and read others are also. Mortgage, upkeep and taxes, oh my. There is so much more to helping out than building up.

They gave them an envelope with enough money to pay off their mortgage and also enough money to pay 10 years worth of utility bills...heck I'll take the envelope never mind the house...lol...At least they can use some of that money to help pay the enormous tax bill they are going to get! Better call that accountant pretty quick...Besides all that he was probably my favorite father yet! I loved the house!

[Scrappymom]

This was a good episode, but I'm curious. Did this particular contractor strike anybody else as behaving like a politician? DH and I got that kind of vibe from him.

[Qboots]

They gave them an envelope with enough money to pay off their mortgage and also enough money to pay 10 years worth of utility bills...

Also, as seen on Monday night's "How Did They Do That?", they're sending each of the 5 boys to college. They also spruced up the sleeping quarters of the fire station where Stephen Johnson works.