Last month, we joined Rebuilding Together affiliates across the country for National Rebuilding Day when 10,000 volunteers nationwide provided free home repairs and upgrades to homes and communities. In Alexandria, more than 800 volunteers stepped up on this national day of service to help low-income homeowners with repairs. This giant effort was an important way to show the power of volunteerism in revitalizing a community and changing lives.
But we don’t wait for the fourth Saturday of April to harness the skills, time and work ethic of our dedicated volunteer corps. We are out in the community in force throughout the year.
One way we enjoy working in the city is in partnership with other nonprofits that are providing important services to the community. Over the past month, we teamed up with four different nonprofits to extend our work to even more Alexandrians including:
- Salvation Army: 100 Rebuilding Together Alexandria volunteers helped Salvation Army clients on Mount Vernon Avenue by building vegetable green houses, benches, and tables; planting bushes and trees; constructing raised vegetable gardens; and painting a mural so residents can enjoy their outdoor space.
- Wright to Read: 45 of our volunteers built 60 desk/bookshelf combos for children that participate in this exceptional tutoring program who then painted their own whimsical designs on the desks.
- Friends of Guest House: A team of 20 volunteers sorted through hundreds of clothing and household items at this shelter for ex-offender women. They also built shelves to store the items and organized the goods.
- Carpenter’s Shelter: 25 volunteers organized materials and painted many rooms for the residents of this outstanding shelter that serves families and individuals who are homeless.
Helping homeowners remain in safe and healthy homes is important to strengthening our community and preserving housing affordability. There’s more than one way to do it as our teaming up with other nonprofits that are interacting with at risk Alexandrians demonstrates. Partnering with other local nonprofits is a growing and vital part of our work that’s bringing efficiencies and new ideas to the community.
If you know of any struggling homeowners — or a nonprofit who serves them — who could benefit from our expertise fueled by volunteer power, contact us at RebuildingTogetherAlex.org or call 703-836-1021.