Extreme Home Makeover Season Finale: McFarland Family

On Sunday, the season finale of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will feature the McFarland Family of Indianapolis. Bernard McFarland, a computer specialist for Indianapolis Public Schools, managed to overcome odds of his own impoverished upbringing and consumed books and knowledge en route to getting a college education. Now, he is raising his three boys in an Indianapolis home that is unsafe due to holes in the ceiling, walls and floors, water damage in the sub-flooring and rusting pipes, plumbing, corroded wiring and crumbling drywall. That has all changed, as viewers will see on Sunday, when the ABC show airs its season finale at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. Central).

As most followers of this show know, makeover recipients are not selected on home need alone; the recipients are usually very involved members of the community who give back before they give to themselves. Such is the case for Bernard McFarland. Determined that kids in his neighborhood wouldn’t be deprived of books and information, he formed “Pack House 2000,” a program for youngsters which involves reading groups and trips to libraries, museums and cultural events in the city, even though Bernard had few resources.

The McFarland home at 2356 N Oxford St, Indianapolis, IN, was demolished in March, then built in one week’s time while the McFarland family toured Paris.

According to Indy.com:

Estridge built McFarland a 2,500-square-foot home and a 900-square-foot library and resource center that he can use when he mentors children. Estridge’s crew constructed a basketball court and a putting green to go with the home.

The team also spruced up the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood, planting more than 1,000 trees, paving the alleys, arranging for free Internet access and touching up several nearby homes. The closed IPS School 37 will be turned into a community center, and Estridge is in talks with community officials about helping to renovate it.