Milkin Home Rebuild Project Needs Volunteers

A group of construction contractors and volunteers is asking for help Saturday to finish a new home for Sgt. Leonid Milkin, whose wife, two sons and sister in law were murdered in 2006 at their house on Forbes Lakes in Kirkland, which was then set on fire.

For the last 16 months the group has spent countless hours rebuilding the home, where Milkin now lives, and this weekend will put on the final touches, finishing the garage, deck stairs and landscaping.

“We’ll actually be finishing the project by the end of the day,” said Michele Yousef of Finn Hill, spokesperson for the group. “This has been an amazing, incredible community effort.”

Milkin was serving in Iraq with the U.S. Army National Guard when the murders and fire occurred. A former Kirkland resident, Conner Schierman, was convicted of the murders last May.

The group rebuilding the house decided to finish the work on Memorial Day Weekend. Local veterans, led by staff and students from the Construction Industry Training Council of Washington (CITC), along with veteran Joe Cantwell of CDK Construction, are gathering Saturday to completely finish the home.

“We’ll finish the garage, and we have a lot of landscaping to finish,” Yousef said Monday. “The more volunteers we have, the quicker it will go.”

More than 40 local companies and business owners have joined together and donated materials to make the project happen. Yousef said they want to help bring Milkin some peace by completing the home in memory of his family.

“This has also been a difficult time for these companies with the economy,” she said. “A lot of these businesses are suffering. They’ve all stepped up.”

The work will start at 9 a.m., and volunteers are being asked to bring gloves, rakes and wheelbarrows, and be prepared to work outside. There are also volunteer opportunities on Friday, May 27, beginning at 9 a.m., for skilled professionals, to do prep work for the garage. Food and refreshments will be provided.

Learn more on the group’s Facebook page, or by emailing milkinhouserebuild@gmail.com or calling 425-260-0570.

 Yousef said volunteers can contact the group, particularly if they have skilled labor to share, or just show up at the house, at 9520 Slater Ave. NE.