Rebuilding Together Alexandria’s National Rebuilding Day a Success!

Nearly 1,000 Rebuilding Together Alexandria (RTA) volunteers helped repair and maintain homes of 60 Alexandria, Va. residents in need during National Rebuilding Day. With support from Freddie Mac, GenOn, Wells Fargo, and Sears, volunteers restore and upgrade homes for low-income, disabled, and elderly residents—many of whom are veterans—during National Rebuilding Day, a nationwide Rebuilding Together initiative that mobilized more than 200,000 volunteers to complete 10,000 rehabilitation projects. A highlight of National Rebuilding Day is Heroes at Home, a partnership with Sears Holdings that focuses on improving the lives of the military and their families through extensive home rehabilitations.

The kick-off breakfast event took place at First Baptist Church with our speakers, Mayor Euille, Katharine Medina, Don Holley from Freddie Mac and a long-time client, getting volunteers ‘charged up’ for the project work day. Congressman Jim Moran, a wonderful supporter of RTA, also came to the kick-off event to show his support. This was the first time that we tried the breakfast ‘pep rally’ and we plan on making it part of NRD in the future, as it turned out to be successful overall.

Teams of volunteers made home improvements, such as repairing windows and doors, replacing cabinets, installing grab bars and safety rails, painting, doing yard work, installing smoke detectors, weatherizing and much more.

Here is a sampling of clients whose homes were repaired during the National Rebuilding Day:
• 84 and 92 year old couple living in their home for 52 years. He had a stroke 30 years ago which left him in a wheelchair.
• 50 year old single man living in his boyhood home in Old Town who has kidney/renal failure, requiring him to do dialysis.
• Couple in their 70s with mobility and health issues who have lived in their home for 37 years.
• Single mother of 3 children.
• 57 year old musician and single father of a 15 year old boy who recently suffered a stroke and is unable to work.

The weather was perfect, the volunteers did an amazing amount of work, and it was a great day of making a difference in the lives of Alexandria homeowners in need!