When I heard what Clint Kershaw, owner of the Mr. Rooter® Plumbing of the Hudson Valley shop, did for a customer I had to share it with you. He recently donated $15,000 in services to help a widowed woman who is raising her 9- and 11-year old grandkids.

It is a story that tugged at my heart, as I am a grandmother. And I am sure it will tug at yours as well. Here is the story our Communications Manager Whitney Wyatt wrote.

Mr. Rooter® Plumbing of the Hudson Valley turned the hazardous backyard of a widowed woman who raises her grandchildren into a safe haven.

With a price tag of $15,000, Clint Kershaw says it’s a donation he’s happy to give because it’s priceless in his eyes. When Kershaw and his team drove to Elizabeth Vantassel’s house they could see sewage spilling out of the ground and leaking into the yard.

“It was heartbreaking,” said Kershaw, owner of Mr. Rooter Plumbing of the Hudson Valley. “Mrs. Vantassel is a wonderful woman, and we wanted to give her and her grandkids a backyard again.”

Clint Kershaw with Mrs. Vantassel

Every day chores like doing laundry flooded her yard. Vantassel knew her plumbing system was old and rusty, but what Mr. Rooter technicians found was much worse.

After someone drove over her yard, her septic tank was severely damaged. The ground was covered in waste.

“The backyard was a wet mud pit,” said Dave Abramson, operations manager at the plumbing shop. “It was a safety hazard.”

Vantassel takes care of her two grandchildren – ages nine and 11. Abramson, Kershaw and two of their technicians had this on their minds when repairing her plumbing problems.

They found her system to be made of corroding steel that would one day cause extreme damage to her home. In addition to digging out the old tank, they installed a new system. Mr. Rooter Plumbing technicians worked two days to ensure her plumbing and yard were in perfect condition.

“Mr. Rooter is just a blessing,” said Vantassel, who lost her husband to cancer after battling the disease for 10 years. “I’ve had a nice bunch of guys working out there.”

Mr. Rooter Plumbing of the Hudson Valley team working

They also cleared out the old scrap metal in the yard her husband collected. Vantassel’s church will use the money from selling the metal to purchase materials to make repairs on her house.

“This community means a lot to me, and I want to give back,” said Kershaw, who repairs plumbing problems at no charge for one homeowner who can’t afford it each month. “If you know someone who is in a position like Mrs. Vantassel, please let us know. We want to help.”

To submit a name of someone whose house needs plumbing, go to http://www.facebook.com/TheHudsonValley.MrRooter.

Mrs. Vantassel, thank you for sharing your experience of working with Clint and his Mr. Rooter Plumbing team with Whitney. She says you are a wonderful lady, and we are delighted to know you.

I would also like to take this moment to thank Clint for doing this good deed. I’m wowed by your selfless sense of service to your community. This is a wonderful reflection of Mr. Rooter Plumbing’s reputation of being known around the world as being courteous.

Here’s wishing you a world class day.

Did you participate in Mr. Rooter Plumbing’s “Rolls of Love” Drive? Our Mr. Rooter Plumbing shops across the United States and Canada donated more than $19,000 worth of ‘Wish List’ items to the Ronald McDonald House® program in their communities.

We would like to thank everyone who donated toilet paper, paper towels and other household items. It was so successful we will do it again next year.

At Mr. Rooter Plumbing, we live by a Code of Values™. One of them is “Having Fun in the Process”, so we encouraged our shops to build “something” fun with all of their donations. We ended up with some entertaining photos.

We want you to vote on your favorite photo – check them out below! You have until Friday, May 18 to cast your vote. Tweet the number of your fave picture to www.Twitter.com/MrRooterCorp or post the number on www.Facebook.com/MrRooterCorporation.

The shop that gets the most votes will receive a pizza party for the team, a story here on the Mrs. Rooter Blog and recognition in our internal newsletter.

Let the voting begin!

1. Toiletries Toilet Tree: Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Mid-Ohio, owned by Trent Dawson.

Toiletries Toilet Tree: Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Mid-Ohio, owned by Trent Dawson

2. Train Driven by Ronald McDonald in a Mr. Rooter Uniform: Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Southern Colorado, owned by Charlie Hall.

Train Driven by Ronald McDonald in a Mr. Rooter Uniform: Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Southern Colorado, owned by Charlie Hall

3. Mr. Rooter TP Tech: Mr. Rooter Plumbing of San Gabriel Valley, owned by John and Belinda Malcolm.

Mr. Rooter TP Tech: Mr. Rooter Plumbing of San Gabriel Valley, owned by John & Belinda Malcolm

4. A Plumber with a Heart for Our Community: Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Amarillo, owned by Deward Adams.

A Plumber with a Heart for Our Community: Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Amarillo, owned by Deward Adams

5. The Tower of Love: Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Sonoma County, owned by Paul and Saunda Kitchen.

The Tower of Love: Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Sonoma County, owned by Paul & Saunda Kitchen

6. Van Pulling a Radio Flyer Driven by Ronald McDonald:  Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Mid-Michigan, owned by Brad Sims and Amanda Walton.

Van Pulling a Radio Flyer Driven by Ronald McDonald: Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Mid-Michigan, owned by Brad Sims & Amanda Walton

We look forward to seeing your votes. Here’s wishing you a world class day.

I am delighted to share with you what Mr. Rooter Plumbing is doing in celebration of Mother’s Day. We will post recipes from our upcoming cook book here on the Mrs. Rooter Blog each week. We’re calling it “Mondays for Moms”.

These recipes will come from all over the United States and Canada. This might surprise you, but we have a lot of mothers who co-own Mr. Rooter Plumbing franchises as well as work in them. There are also several moms here at our Mr. Rooter corporate office, including myself.

Today, we have some special Mother’s Day recipes for you! This is a way for all of us at Mr. Rooter Plumbing to say thank you for everything you do for your children.

These fun recipes come from Sue Glovan, Mr. Rooter Plumbing’s “Woman of the Year” in 2009 and the organizer of our cook book. Sue is a mother and grandmother as well as co-owner of Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Buncombe and Henderson Counties in North Carolina.

Sue and her husband Don with their granddaughter

Breakfast Pizza

• 1 store-bought pizza dough (like Pillsbury)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons Cinnamon-sugar, divided recipe follows
• 2 cups cream cheese
• ¼ cup vanilla yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 cups sliced strawberries or raspberries/blueberries mixed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to temperature directed on package. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness of about ¼ inch. Transfer the dough to the lined baking sheet and brush the dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle 2 tablespoon of cinnamon-sugar on pizza and bake until golden brown (10-15 minutes). Remove crust from pan and allow to cool on wire rack (keeps the crust crisp). Meanwhile, mix together cream cheese, yogurt, lemon juice and zest. Just before serving, spread cream cheese mixture on top of cooled crust. Top with berries and sprinkle rest of cinnamon sugar on top. Use pizza cutter to cut slices and serve.

Baked French Toast

• 1 loaf French bread
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Maple syrup (for topping and at serving)

Topping: do not make until just before baking

• 1 stick butter (melted)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 10 oz bag frozen blueberries (defrosted)
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Slice French bread into approximately 20 slices, about 1 inch thick. Arrange slices in a buttered 9 by 13 flat baking dish (I prefer to use glass). In a large bowl, combine the eggs and remaining ingredients with a whisk just until combined. Pour egg mixture over and between bread slices. Make sure all slices are covered with egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove cover off refrigerated slices. Combine melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon. Spoon over French toast. Bake toast for 40 minutes or until puffed and lightly golden. Sprinkle defrosted blueberries over top and serve with additional maple syrup.

We hope you enjoy these recipes, and be sure to come back on Mondays for more! Here’s wishing you a world-class Mother’s Day!

I am excited to share with you the story of how one of our Mr. Rooter Plumbing technicians became a hero in his community. This story goes to show you how being in the right place at the right time and having a desire to help people, can turn you into a hero.

Shawn McGrail, a Mr. Rooter Plumbing technician in Manchester, N.H., was going about his normal day when he saw a car run a stop sign and hit a passing car. The car flipped over, leaving the driver suspended from his seat belt and the passenger thrown to the back of the car.

Thumbs up for Shawn, who got a photo afterward with a thumbs up like our mascot does.

Shawn heard the two trapped passengers crying for help, and he ran right over. He was actually the first person to the scene. He climbed into the vehicle and released the seat belt from around the neck of the driver.

Shawn stayed with the driver, keeping him calm and alert, until the rescue team arrived. One fireman was so grateful for Shawn’s help he asked Shawn to stay and assist in keeping the driver stable while he placed a neck brace on him.

I am so proud of the way Shawn responded in this situation. It would have been easy for anyone to just sit by and watch, but this Mr. Rooter service professional rose to the occasion and became a hero. Shawn, we’re glad to have you on our Mr. Rooter team!

Here’s wishing you a world class day.

One thing I remember from when my children were younger was the amount of stuff scattered around our home. Pictures on the fridge, Lego’s on the floor, crayons on the counters – I am sure this sounds familiar to you. It’s very hard to devote the time and energy to constantly picking up items as your toddler drags toy after toy out of their room. And school aged children have all their assignments, books, and backpacks. Next thing you know the house is in chaos.

Check out some tips that worked for me and may help you achieve a clutter-free home:

-use an accordion file folder to keep pictures and report cards together – you can even sort by year and have a different color for each child.

-hide board games and books under the couch for easy access and to keep hidden from view.

-designate one room for doing homework and playtime to reduce the whole house being covered with items.

-set up a shelf in your entry way closet to put backpacks. That way they are easy to find when leaving in a rush for school.

-look at getting a coffee table that opens. It is a quick and easy fix to load with the toys when company is coming.

-to reduce video game and movie clutter get a binder with disk sleeves and fill with the disks, save the cases in a box in the garage.

-walk around with a big basket to collect items, then take it to each room to redistribute back to its original home at the end of the day.

-try to keep kid’s books on their own bookshelves, this way they don’t get damaged.

-donate older toys when new ones are received.

-designate a drawer in the kitchen to craft supplies where paper, glue, scissors, etc. are always put back.

Here’s wishing you a world class and clutter free day!

As you know, we often cover blogs written by our sister company in the UK, Drain Doctor. Just this past month they covered a blog for our site! Thanks Drain Doctor.

They referred to our blog on washing machine hose failure, which is one of the top five causes of water damage in a home.

If you still have rubber hoses connecting your washing machine to its water source you should refer to the following steps to help prevent this happening to you:

Here are the steps to follow when installing new washing machines hoses:

1)      Purchase stainless steel braided flexible hoses (recommend 5-inch minimum).

2)      Turn hot and cold water off at the water connection (confirm by turning the washer on to ensure water is off).

3)      Move the washer away from the wall for access. (Be sure not to damage the floor when moving the washer).

4)      Have a small bucket handy to catch water remaining in hoses once disconnected.

5)      Use adjustable pliers to unscrew hot and cold hoses from the wall anticlockwise.

6)      Remove hoses from the machine in a anticlockwise direction.

7)      Install stainless steel braided hoses, making sure hose washers are in place before tightening both ends of the hoses in a clockwise direction.

8)      Turn water on to leak test before moving washer back into position.

9)      While you are at it, clean behind the washing machine to avoid other potential hazards.

10)  Return appliances to their original position.

And don’t forget to check out the Drain Doctor blog at http://draindoctor.wordpress.com/.

Here’s wishing you a world class day!

When I heard about windshields being ranked at the top of important safety factors for drivers, I asked Glass Doctor®, one of Mr. Rooter Plumbing’s sister companies, for some information we could share with you.

Becca Broaddus, the PR Specialist for Glass Doctor, is today’s guest blogger. She has some great advice for you about your vehicle’s windshield.

Before you get behind the wheel, remember car maintenance isn’t just under the hood. A cracked windshield is a safety risk. It can impair the driver’s vision and put passengers at risk. Not to mention, most automotive safety experts rank the windshield as the third most important safety component in today’s vehicles, behind seatbelts and airbags. Laws require seatbelt use and prevent tampering with airbags, but there are no laws about windshield replacements.

Consumers should ask these questions before a replacement windshield installation:

1.      Will the old adhesive be removed from the vehicle frame? If the adhesive isn’t removed down to the adhesive manufacturer’s recommended level, the fit may not be tight and the new adhesive won’t bond correctly.

2.      Will the technician wear gloves to keep from contaminating the glass? If oil and dirt get on the edges, the new adhesive (called urethane) may not bond correctly.

3.      Will the new urethane adhesive stand up to the high deployment pressure of airbags? The best available manufacturer equivalent urethane adhesive should be used, not butyl tape. Ask for adhesive made by Dow, Sika or the original car maker’s adhesive supplier.

4.      How long does the urethane adhesive need to set until the vehicle can be driven? Every urethane has a “safe drive-away time.”

The Auto Glass Safety Council™ (AGSC), formerly AGRSS®, promotes safe auto glass industry standards, which an auto glass technician should follow.

Glass Doctor voluntarily supports the standard glass replacement procedures approved by AGSC, and Glass Doctorshops offer original equipment manufactured (OEM) windshields. Only OEM glass can provide the quality necessary to ensure a proper fit, which greatly reduces the safety risks.

For more information, you can visit www.glassdoctor.com. Here’s wishing you a world class day.

We at Mr. Rooter Plumbing schedule appointments every day. We understand how important it can be to run a tight schedule. Our customers depend on us to arrive on time to keep their plumbing, and their lives, running smoothly.

When I was a young mother it surprised me how often though our children ended up with too much scheduled for them. Do you find that at the time when our children need lots of rest to grow and develop their minds, we have them running from school to soccer practice to piano lessons and more? The time for play and imagination also gets squished into a few stolen moments.

I know when my kids where young they participated in everything from soccer, to girls scouts to theater. There were days we literally ran from event to event. I had to consciously work to make downtime for them and us as a family.     

While we all want our children to be well-rounded, exposing them to many opportunities like sports, music, and art we need to remember our children sometimes just need a little more time to be kids. For those preparing for college, the time constraints and constant pressure to be involved in everything, get good grades and often hold down a part-time job can be exhausting!

Some of the questions I had to ask myself were have I let my children have a say in what extra curricular activities they want to be involved in? Had we given them adequate time to just be kids and not worry only about homework, practice and chores after school? Was there time to play?

After all, who wouldn’t love to be back in school with time to explore and discover the world? I sure would.

Here’s wishing you a world class day!

42  years ago Earth Day was started to encourage the world to come together to recognize the need to protect and save our planet. It has evolved in to so much more as we the world has grown smarter and we’ve learned we must protect our planet.

Earth Day was first recognized in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson who hoped that a grassroots movement regarding environmental issues would alert the government to how concerned its citizens actually were about protecting the sustainability of our earth.

The Earth Day Action Center works to recognize and tackle issues such as climate change, conservation and biodiversity, alternate energy, recycling and sustainable development.

There are many ways to get involved every day locally by composting, using mass transit, riding your bike or just plain walking are well as choosing to eat locally and conserving water. Check out www.mrrooter.com for tips on how to use less water in your home.

This is a great opportunity for us to unite and create a sustainable future for our children. For more information about Earth Day check out www.earthday.org.

Here’s wishing you a world class day!

Have you read about legendary Dallas Cowboys Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Jay Novacek reuniting for the second annual Cowboy Scramble, which benefits The Nova Center, on April 23? It’s seems to be everywhere online from ESPN to USA Today.

It was written by our Communications Manager Whitney Wyatt. She is donating her PR skills and time to help make this event successful.

You’ve had the opportunity to read numerous blogs, reviews and stories over the years about our Mr. Rooter Plumbing service professionals who go the extra mile to help our customers. They’re known around the world as being courteous and caring.

This year, I will share with you what some of our corporate team members do in their communities when they’re not in the office. I’m starting with Whitney since she got Mr. Rooter Plumbing involved in her latest charity work with The Nova Center.

If you aren’t familiar with this charity, they are dedicated to helping individuals who are battling clinical depression and other debilitating ailments and their families. In addition to Whitney doing the PR for the Cowboy Scramble, Mr. Rooter Plumbing is a sponsor of the event.

To read more about the Cowboy Scramble, go to http://www.pitchengine.com/mrrootercorporation/legendary-dallas-cowboys-reunite-for-charity-golf-tournament. You can also check out the charity on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Nova-Center/380548861965506?ref=tn_tnmn, and their website is www.thenovacenter.com.

We hope the golf tournament goes well, and want The Nova Center to know we are honored to help them, or in Whitney’s words “Pay it Forward”.

Since Whitney beat Stage 3 brain cancer in 2008, she likes to give back. Whether it’s speaking at American Cancer Society events, serving on the Community Cancer Association board or reading with elementary school kids, she pays it forward every chance she gets. All of us at Mr. Rooter Plumbing are happy to join her and “Pay it Forward” for The Nova Center.

Here’s wishing you a world class day.