Rebuilding Together

Rebuilding Together is a 30-year-old national US non-profit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing free home repairs and modifications for neighbors in need. By utilizing CapacityCorps members, Rebuilding Together's own branch of AmeriCorps members, neighbor volunteers, skilled trades people, the support of local businesses and donors, and major corporate partners, Rebuilding Together is able to offer every repair at no cost to the homeowner. Rebuilding Together collectively has completed work on more than 200,000 homes, nonprofit and community centers across the nation, roughly 10,000 homes per year.[1] Today, the Rebuilding Together affiliate network consists of 142 offices throughout the United States. Community-level Rebuilding Together offices act in partnership with and on behalf of Rebuilding Together Inc. national headquarters, located in Washington D.C.. These local offices are called Rebuilding Together "affiliates."

Rebuilding Together has several targeted programs that address the needs of specific homeowner populations: veterans, elderly, disabled, and victims of disaster [2]. The work of Rebuilding Together positively impacts the condition of the surrounding community as well, through community center rehabilitation, playground builds, and partnerships with organizations[3] focused on energy efficiency[4], sustainable community gardens, volunteer engagement, and homeowner education[5]. Home by home, block by block, entire communities are transformed.

History

Rebuilding Together began with a small group of founding affiliates more than 30 years ago and continued to grow when the national headquarters opened its doors in 1988. The Rebuilding Together network has completed more than 100,000 homes across the nation and has 2.5 million volunteers.

Examples of programs

  • National Rebuilding Day is the signature event of Rebuilding Together. Held on the last Saturday in April, National Rebuilding Day is the day when affiliates plan projects to celebrate the organization’s mission and to bring national attention to the plight of America’s low-income homeowners. The day is embraced by community leaders and national corporate sponsors as a way of bringing impact to America’s communities in a single day.
  • In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Rebuilding Together launched the Gulf Coast Operations initiative and a commitment to rebuild 1,000 homes across the Gulf Coast. Rebuild 1000 is executed in partnership with its Gulf Coast affiliates, sponsors, and thousands of volunteers.
  • Rebuilding Together’s Veterans Housing was created to meet the needs of veterans from past and present wars. Rebuilding Together fills the gaps in modifications and repair services that retired and active service men and women struggle to meet.
  • Rebuilding Together’s AmeriCorps program, called the Rebuilding Together CapacityCorps is a National AmeriCorps program of 70 full-time AmeriCorps members serving in 30 Rebuilding Together affiliates in 23 states. Rebuilding Together CapacityCorps members increase the capacity of Rebuilding Together affiliates to serve additional low-income homeowners through volunteer recruitment, client outreach, repairs for low-income homeowners, new project implementation, community partnership development, and program expansion.

References

  1. ↑ https://rebuildingtogether.org/annual-report
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZiJDcmrzjo
  3. ↑ "Our Partners". Green and Healthy Homes Initiative. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  4. ↑ "Our Partners". Green and Healthy Homes Initiative. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  5. ↑ "Our Partners - Spectrum Responsibility". Spectrum Responsibility. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
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