NACO — Premier Alliances, Inc., joined several other local organizations in sponsoring the annual Step Up Bisbee/Naco Build Day on Saturday, in which over 100 local volunteers banded together to provide much-needed repairs to several homes in the Bisbee and Naco communities.

Repair, renovation and retrofitting efforts on more than a dozens homes took place on Build Day, with Premier Alliances’ sponsorship dollars going specifically to projects which would improve the lives of people with disabilities.

One of those who received help was Evelyn Montgomery, who has lived in her home just outside of Bisbee for three decades and whose mobility is limited due to several chronic conditions.

“I’ve almost fallen a couple of times already,” she said. While she will likely have to begin using a wheelchair in the near future, Evelyn said she is trying to stay on her feet for as long as possible.

Other repairs sponsored by Premier Alliances, Inc. include new cabinets for a couple living with Alzheimer’s, new gutters to help divert rainwater from the home of a man living with severe narcolepsy, grab bars for the shower of a 93-year-old Bisbee resident, improved flooring to mitigate tripping hazards for an elderly woman with limited mobility and more.

Premier Alliances, Inc. CEO John Charley said, “This partnership with Step up Bisbee/Naco is a natural extension of Premier Alliances’ mission of improving the lives of people with disabilities. Thank you to everyone involved in this worthwhile effort.”

Started in 1998, Step Up Bisbee/Naco is dedicated to keeping low income, elderly and/or disabled homeowners in the Bisbee and Naco communities in warmth, safety, independence, dignity and decency through home repair and rehabilitation services.

“With generous support from Premier Alliances, Step Up Bisbee/Naco is now able to assist more disabled homeowners than ever before. We truly appreciate our new partnership with Premier Alliances,” said Sloane Bouchever, Step Up Bisbee/Naco board member.

Premier Alliances, Inc., one of the longest-running non-profit organizations in Cochise County, traces its history to the Bisbee community where, in 1961, several concerned citizens came together to provide educational opportunities for the community’s children with disabilities.

After relocating its main office to Sierra Vista in 2014, Premier Alliances has sought to reconnect with the community which supported it for years, and this effort with Step Up Bisbee/Naco represents a renewal of its commitment to re-establish itself as a supporter of Bisbee and the surrounding communities.