WOODLAND PARK, N.J. (AP) - North Jersey seniors have a new option for painting walls in their homes, repairing loose boards and cleaning basements: ask a “neighbor” to do the tasks, with help from an online service.

New York-based Umbrella pairs people who are older than 65 with local contractors who help them complete day-to-day tasks and odd jobs for a reasonable fee, allowing people to stay in the homes they’ve owned for decades, even after they can no longer do housework.

Those tasks include everything from faucet repair to grocery stopping to technology tutoring.

“People are always surprised by the range of things that we can do,” said Umbrella Founder Lindsay Ullman. “We came to New Jersey because we had folks in the community who asked us to be there.”

Word about Umbrella, which launched almost two years ago, has spread largely via word of mouth. The company now has thousands of customers and contract workers, and its establishment across Bergen County is its first expansion outside New York.

“I mentioned it at the senior center,” said Hermina Magee, a Wood-Ridge resident who joined Umbrella in June. “It’s a great answer for senior citizens. It’s very easy.”

The Bergen Volunteer Center in Hackensack has a similar but more limited home improvement program, said Michele Ogden, the center’s manager for successful aging. When residents call the center with requests that are beyond the scope of her volunteer team, she directs them to Umbrella.

“I give a lot of referrals to Umbrella,” Ogden said. “It’s very well received.”

The company is grounded in technology. Umbrella members can submit service requests online or through the company’s smartphone app. Other residents, such as Magee, prefer to phone in service requests.

But Ullman said technology isn’t a roadblock for most of Umbrella’s customers.

“We’re seeing our members increasingly use and be comfortable with technology,” Ullman said. “When we go and visit our members, they have Alexas in their house, they have Ring doorbells, they have Nest thermostats.”

Umbrella membership costs $200 annually, plus $20 hourly for a myriad of services. There’s a one-hour minimum for all tasks, with services billed in 15-minute increments after the first hour.

Umbrella’s independent contractors, known as “neighbors,” make $16 hourly. Neighbors must undergo an interview, a background check and three reference checks before joining the network.

Fewer than 10 percent of neighbor applicants are approved. Most are recent retirees who “love these home maintenance tasks,” Ullman said, adding that the company rarely hears complaints about jobs gone wrong.

“They follow up on everything,” Magee said, adding that the list of services offered expands weekly. “They’re always on time. I was very, very pleased.”

Members are responsible for purchasing any supplies needed for improvements but can have Umbrella neighbors pick them up from a store.

The company also offers a 24-hour emergency phone line for issues such as burst pipes, broken air conditioners and lockouts.

For larger fixes, the company connects its members with local professionals. The cost for intensive projects varies, but businesses partnered with the company also undergo screening, and must provide advance quotes and priority service to Umbrella customers.

“There’s a lot of worry among older adults, among seniors, about making sure they get a fair price,” Ullman said. “There are many very talented professional companies out there who want to do a good job for all the people they serve. Our job is to find them and vet them.”

Online: https://njersy.co/2PbaDCS

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