Thanks again to the incredible volunteers who helped us at the Minneapolis Home and Garden Show from February 27th through March 3rd. We had a great time sharing information about how we help homeowners in need. And, thanks to The Toro Company for donating the snowblower that we gave away to one lucky visitor to our booth!
March 9th – 17th was AmeriCorps Week, which is an opportunity to highlight the impact of AmeriCorps members on communities across the country. As part of AmeriCorps Week, Tim Erkel, one of our AmeriCorps members, joined other members from the Rebuilding Together affiliate network in Durham, North Carolina for the Safe and Healthy Housing Summit from March 8th-10th. This event was supported by ConocoPhillips and included 33 AmeriCorps members from 17 states. The AmeriCorps members came together to identify housing-related risks for three low-income Durham families and develop and implement solutions to make their homes safer, healthier and more energy efficient.
Tim said of his experience, “The Safe and Healthy Housing Summit in North Carolina was a fantastic experience that presented a wonderful opportunity for me to bring knowledge and insight back to my affiliate and to do some good in a different community than my own. Learning about the house as a system and how improvements that we make affect it was enlightening, and going out in to the community and practicing those principles with my fellow CapacityCorps members was inspiring. I’m deeply honored to have been selected to attend the Summit.”
Rebuilding Together CapacityCorps is a National Direct AmeriCorps program with 65 full-time members serving at 35 local affiliates in 20 states. Rebuilding Together AmeriCorps members build the capacity of Rebuilding Together programs so that they become sustainable, effective and efficient in helping additional low-income homeowners in need. As developing housing preservation leaders, these AmeriCorps members serve essential roles in building the capacity of their host sites in areas such as recruiting and managing volunteers, performing direct home repairs, building community partnerships, and creating new programs.
Safe at Home Volunteers: Mariette Cole, Steve Johnson, Wesley Anderson, and Owen Christensen
Volunteers who came to our Journeyman Volunteer Night: Conrad Pawlina, Darwin Barker, Kyle Jackson, David L’Allier, Joe Abad, and Erin Bertschinger.
Office and Warehouse Volunteers: Mariette Cole, Elise Sjogren, and Craig Bruneau
Dunwoody students who did everything from helping with office and warehouse tasks to completing home repair projects: Robby Deusenbery, Brian Henrich, Thomas Connor, Jason Gascho, and Anthony Swanberg
Home Repair Volunteers: Joe Abad and Matt Edens
Dear Friends,
Earlier this month I tendered my resignation to the Board of Directors at Rebuilding Together after six and a half years of service to this wonderful organization. My resignation followed months of discussions about the organization’s future priorities, and how to best position our wonderful affiliates to better serve the critical needs of their communities. My resignation was planned and without regret, and I will continue to work with the board through the transition.
My tenure as the President and CEO of Rebuilding Together occurred during a period of tremendous growth for the organization. Our growth, impact, and ability to meet the housing needs of hardworking families, occurred because we were able to tap the very best of our national spirit. We successfully marshaled the will of our nation’s volunteers; the genius of our charitable impulse; and our common concern and empathy for our neighbors in need. These noble traits, rolled into one, provided the critical foundation for our work, and the execution of our mission.
As volunteers, sponsors, donors, and partners alike, each of you played an essential role in the success of our work. We simply could not have advanced our agenda – our mission, without your support. To each of you, I want to extend a personal and heartfelt thank you.
My departure, however, should not distract from the fundamental importance of our vision of a safe and healthy home for every person. More than ever, low- and moderate-income families need the support of organizations like Rebuilding Together. Our ability to perform renovations and repairs on the homes of deserving families – free of charge – provides much needed relief and security at a time of continued economic uncertainty. The preservation of the home contributes so much to the well-being of the family. Quality homeownership provides the primary source for inter-generational wealth transfer, positively affects educational outcomes, and is a major contributor towards health outcomes for family members. Your continued support is needed.
As Rebuilding Together undertakes this important leadership transition in the months ahead, I am confident that this critical nonprofit and network of almost 200 affiliates will continue the important work that has characterized our history. I would like to thank you for your encouragement and friendship during my tenure, but more importantly, for your continued support for this incredible organization as we seek to assist as many needy families as our resources will allow.
With gratitude,
Gary A. Officer
