2011: Year in Review

2011 was a busy year!  We partnered with 665 volunteers who dedicated more than 6,600 hours of service to repair 74 homes and three non-profit facilities.  Thank you to all of our volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to these projects!

We would also like to recognize our generous sponsors and partners.  Your support enables us to stretch our resources further and help more low-income homeowners live independently in safe and warm homes. The following organizations provided support for Rebuilding Together Twin Cities from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011:

$20,000 - $50,000
Honeywell
Mosaic Company
Otto Bremer Foundation
Sears Holdings Corp.
The Michelle & David Fries Charitable Fund
Travelers
Wells Fargo Foundation  

$10,000 - $19,999

Ameriprise Financial

Choice Hotels

Dr Pepper Snapple Group

F.R. Bigelow Foundation

GLS Companies

Mardag Foundation

MidCountry Bank

Saint Paul Foundation

Stevens Square Foundation

Sundance Pay It Forward Foundation

$5,000 - $9,999

Lowe’s

Marathon Petroleum

Richard A Newman Foundation

Turner Family Foundation

WSB & Associates

Up to $4,999

Allegra Print & Imaging

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

Dorsey & Whitney Foundation

Econo Lodge Franchisee Association

EMC Insurance Foundation

Guy Carpenter

Mohn Brothers’ Vineyard, LLC

Morgan Stanley

Mortenson Construction

Nauen Mobile Accounting Inc.

Nemer Fieger

Northern Tier Energy

Padilla Speer Beardsley

Saunders Family Foundation

Tee It Up for the Troops

Wayzata Community Church

Western Bank

Willis North America Inc.

IN-KIND GIFTS

$5,000+

Honeywell

Nemer Fieger

Number42 Creative Services

Select Evergreen Roofing

Standard Heating & Air Conditioning

Tile by Design

Valspar

$2,500-$4,999

ABC Supply Company

DayCo Concrete Company

Up to $2,500

AgeRight Retrofit

Allegra Print & Imaging – Footprints Fund

Cemstone

Citi-Cargo & Storage

Dr Pepper Snapple Group

Eddington’s

Great Harvest Bread Co.

Home Depot

J.G. Hause Construction

On Site Sanitation

Pizza Luce

Presswrite Printing, Inc.

Sherwin-Williams

Subway

We would also like to recognize Dunwoody College of Technology as a partner in 2011.  Students from Dunwoody’s Construction Project Supervision Program served in key leadership roles on both Home Repair and Safe at Home projects, and they were involved in all aspects of the home repair project, including previewing the home, planning the scope of work and supervising volunteers on the project day.  Through this partnership, Dunwoody students have an opportunity to apply their skills outside of the classroom and they are helping us help more homeowners live independently in safe and warm homes.  We are excited about continuing this partnership in 2012!

In addition to helping more homeowners and communities than ever, we also grew in terms of staff in 2011.  In August, we hired Stephen Burk as our Business Development Director.  Three new AmeriCorps members also joined us in August.

As the need for our services continues to grow, we plan to help more homeowners than ever in 2012.  Thank you again for helping us ensure that more people can live independently in homes that are safe and warm!

Executive Director Elected to Rebuilding Together National Board of Directors

Our Executive Director, Kathy Greiner, was recently elected to serve on the Board of Directors for Rebuilding Together, Inc.  As a Director, Kathy will be part of the team responsible for the policy oversight and financial integrity of the National Rebuilding Together organization.  She will advise and guide the organization in policy making and planning for the future; serve as an advocate for the mission of Rebuilding Together on both a local and national level; and help raise funds for Rebuilding Together.  Kathy will serve on the Board of Directors for the next three years.  

Congratulations Kathy on your election to this position! 

AmeriCorps Adventures: Rebuilding Together National Conference

As November approached, most people had turkey on their minds.  I was thinking about gumbo.   Between November 10^th and 12^th, members of Rebuilding Together affiliates from across the country gathered in New Orleans for our National Conference.  Most people flew.  The three AmeriCorps members in the Twin Cities opted to drive.  This decision forced us to confront a lot of big issues: Will our friendship survive? Interstates or byways?  What music should we bring?  Where is the nearest Waffle House?

We agreed that we didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to follow US-61 along the Mississippi River.   So, early on Tuesday morning, we rolled out of St. Paul and headed south.  During the weeks leading up to the departure date, the three of us had been compiling a playlist of songs to keep us pumped.  The final product included cuts by James Brown, The Temptations, Johnny Cash, Robert Johnson, as well as other tunes that would keep us dancing through the entire state of Mississippi – which they did.

We had only two planned stops along the way.  The first was St. Louis, where we would spend the night and pick up another Rebuilding Together AmeriCorps member.  The second was Memphis, mostly for the music and barbecue.  And boy, Memphis did not disappoint.  We found a place where - for $3.85 - I got what was perhaps the best pulled pork sandwich on the planet.   After spending the afternoon walking around Beale Street, we piled into the car and continued on our way.

We pulled into New Orleans late Wednesday night, and the next morning we made a bee line for Café du Monde and beignets.   After eating our fill of deep-fried dough covered in approximately three pounds of powdered sugar, we headed back to the hotel for the start of the Conference.  We tried to split up, so that we could attend as many different sessions as possible.  Some of the topics covered at the sessions I attended were engaging the faith-based community, lessons learned from the recovery efforts in New Orleans, rebuilding a neighborhood, and my personal favorite, service learning as a creative partnership, presented by Rebuilding Together Twin Cities’ very own Dave Christensen and Dunwoody College of Technology’s Heather Gay.

Throughout the Conference, we had the opportunity to meet several special guests, including Mary Landrieu, U.S. Senator from Louisiana; General Russell Honoré, the commander in charge of coordinating military relief efforts in New Orleans immediately after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and Congressman Cedric Richmond, who represents much of New Orleans.

While driving back to Minnesota, we stopped for dinner in a small town in West-Central Mississippi.  What appeared to be just another small southern town – with great po’ boys, by the way – was actually the birthplace of one of my childhood idols.  It wasn’t until I googled the Town of Leland, Mississippi, that I realized it was the birthplace of Kermit the Frog and Jim Henson.  We could have included “It Ain’t Easy Being Green” on our roadtrip soundtrack, and we missed the chance.

All told, we racked up 2,481 miles, 45 hours in the car, and eight states.  Needless to say, friendships survived, waffles were consumed, and really great connections were made between affiliates.  The next time the AmeriCorps members will be together will be for the work week in Pittsburgh to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.   So, tune in next month, folks….

Written By:  Alex Rosselli, AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator

Home for the Holidays

Great post from Gary Officer, CEO of Rebuilding Together, Inc., about donating to charity this holiday season.

New Partnership with Park Nicollet

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities recently announced a new partnership with the Park Nicollet Health Services that will focus on helping older adults live safely and independently in their homes.  Through a new pilot program, Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and Park Nicollet will work together to provide home safety assessments, and safety and accessibility modifications for 15 low-income, older adult homeowners in St. Louis Park.  Modifications will help prevent falls in the home, enabling the homeowner remain in their home and lowering the costs associated with hospital and nursing services, and may include installing grab bars, shower seats, raised toilet seat adapters, and interior and exterior handrails. These services will be provided at no cost to the homeowner. 

 “Park Nicollet recognizes how important it is for older adult homeowners to maintain their independence and stay in their homes longer,” said Patti Betlach, Director, Park Nicollet Community Care. “We are very pleased to be partnering with Rebuilding Together Twin Cities on this program and we look forward to making homes safer for people around the Twin Cities community.”

Over the last two years, Rebuilding Together Twin Cities has made home safety and accessibility modifications for more than 80 low-income homeowners in the Twin Cities through their Safe at Home program.  The funding for these projects has been provided by Allianz Life Insurance, F.R. Bigelow Foundation, Frey Family Foundation, Kinney Family Foundation, Mardag Foundation, Saint Paul Foundation, Senior Staying Safe at Home, Stevens Square Foundation, and the U.S. Administration on Aging.

If you or someone you know lives in St. Louis Park and could benefit from this service, please contact us for more information at 651-776-4273 or homeownerservices@rebuildingtogether-twincities.org.  

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities PSA

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities recently released a new PSA, featuring Joan Steffend! 

Click below to view this video:

http://youtu.be/HoCjf_VxuDc

Please help us promote our work by forwarding this link on to your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers or posting it on your Facebook page.  Thanks for helping us get the word out about what we are doing to help homeowners in need!

And, a HUGE THANKS to Joan Steffend, Nemer Fieger, Number42 Creative, OddTonic LLC, and Audio Rocket, who donated their time and worked hard to put together this fantastic PSA!

Give to the Max Day

Tomorrow, November 16^th is Give to the Max Day!  You can maximize your giving impact by donating to Rebuilding Together Twin Cities through GiveMN.org for Give to the Max Day!

GiveMN’s Give to the Max Day amplifies your giving impact in a number of ways:

• Win a Golden Ticket! $1,000 will be given to a random donor’s charity every hour.  You could be that donor! 
• Put Us on the Leader Board for Small Non-profits! $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000 prize grants will be awarded to the top three small non-profit organizations – with budgets under $750,000 – which receive the most dollars on Give to the Max Day.
• Up to $5,000 in Matching Funds are available for Rebuilding Together Twin Cities.

Please consider participating in Give to the Max Day tomorrow.  To donate to Rebuilding Together Twin Cities, visit http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Rebuilding-Together-Twin-Cities.  Thank you in advance for giving to the max!

Partnership with Sears Focuses on Helping Veterans in our Community

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities recently partnered with the Sears Heroes at Home program to make repairs and improvements to a Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) home in Minneapolis.  MACV provides transitional housing and services to homeless veterans, and the home we worked on provides transitional housing for several veterans.   

On September 17th, more than 20 volunteers from the Honeywell Retired Volunteers Program (HRVP) added a bedroom to the basement of the home in order to increase the number of veterans who can live there.  HRVP volunteers added an egress window, constructed a wall and ceiling, installed a new refrigerator and backsplash in the kitchen, and installed a new shower kit and trim around the shower in the bathroom on the main floor of the home. 

Sears generously provided the funding for this project, and Heroes at Home projects were completed in more than 60 cities across the country.  We thank Sears and HRVP for partnering with us to help more veterans in our community!

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities Partners with Two Local Companies

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities recently partnered with the Mosaic Company and GLS Companies to provide critical home repairs for two North Minneapolis homeowners. 

On September 23rd, volunteers from the Mosaic Company descended on the home of Harry, who has lived in his home in the Willard-Hay neighborhood of Minneapolis for nearly 20 years.  Harry is a retired athletic equipment manager from the University of Minnesota, and he suffered a serious heart attack in 2009.  Volunteers painted the interior and exterior of the home, repaired cracks in the foundation, replaced the front door, repaired the plumbing and made other repairs to the home.  The sponsorship from the Mosaic Company will also cover the cost to replace the roof, and Standard Heating and Air Conditioning donated a new furnace.

Volunteers from GLS Companies repaired the home of Annette on September 24th.  Annette has lived in her North Minneapolis home for more than 30 years, and she is partially disabled due to a back injury.  Volunteers painted the interior of the home, re-graded to improve water drainage, replaced a hazardous walkway with pavers, and repaired and painted the deck.

This is the fourth year in a row that Rebuilding Together Twin Cities has partnered with the Mosaic Company and the first collaboration with GLS Companies.  We thank both companies for their commitment to helping homeowners in need live independently in homes that are safe and warm!

A Homeowner’s Story

Last month, I met a homeowner with a truly special and remarkable story.

I arrived at the home only aware of the homeowner’s basic information and what home safety and accessibility modifications we planned to perform to accommodate a warm, safe and independent lifestyle. I was not there to perform the preview for this project, so learning about the unfortunate disadvantage this man was living with that day left me in shock and wonder.

John was an All-American track athlete.  He was featured and covered in popular running-based magazines and maintained a vigorous exercise regimen for most of his life. John excelled nationally from the time he arrived at Washburn High and graduated from college at the University of Minnesota in the long jump, hurdles, shot put, high jump and 1,000 meter run. He loved surfing along the shores of the California coast as a young adult and was fond of woodcarving. John was an outstanding and devoted competitor who would surely live an independent and healthy life.

We sometimes forget that life can change in a single moment.

On February 13, 2008, John was found on the track of the University of Minnesota’s Field House laying face down. Bystanders rushed over to help him as they immediately called 9-1-1. John was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance where both his health and fate were unknown.

After four and a half days in a coma, John was diagnosed with having a heart attack. Even after months of rehabilitation, John remained in a state where he would live a complicated independent life, if he chose to live that way. With limited walking mobility, a distinguishable speech adaptation, diminished hearkening ability, and restricted use of his hands, John chose to stay in his home.

John was born in his house in South Minneapolis, and at 61, John had spent his entire life in that home. Although his pride of being a homeowner never diminished, his ability to maintain his home did. On September 15th, we installed handrails going to the basement and second floor, grab bars in the bathroom and handles along doorways through our Safe at Home program so that John could live a safer and more independent life. John is now being considered for our Home Repair program, which would provide additional improvements and modifications to his home.

John’s story is a reminder that life is precious and can change suddenly. More importantly, John’s life is a valuable lesson that we are not defined by the obstacles we are confronted with, but how we choose to overcome them.

Written by: Tyler White, Safe at Home Coordinator

CB Richard Ellis Revitalizes Full Cycle Bicycle Shop

More than 80 volunteers from CB Richard Ellis joined us to make improvements to the Pillsbury United Communities Full Cycle Bicycle Shop in South Minneapolis on September 20th.  The Shop provides internship opportunities for homeless and street-dependent youth to gain the skills and confidence they need to become independent.  Volunteers spent the day building and painting work benches, creating a green space in the back for the interns to take a break and eat lunch, painting the interior of the shop and office, and building a bin for recycling tires.  Council Member Elizabeth Glidden and Rebecca Lucero, a representative from Congressman Keith Ellison’s office, also stopped by to visit with volunteers and tour the project.

Matt Tennant, founder and Director of Full Cycle, thanked the CB Richard Ellis team and Rebuilding Together Twin Cities, writing “What an amazing day!  I can’t thank you guys enough for what you were able to do to help us out at Full Cycle.  Our staff and the young folks we work with are very proud of that space and the awesome work and relationships that happen there.  We all thank you for making it better!”

This project was part of CBRE Cares, a national corporate philanthropy program, and more than 20 CB Richard Ellis offices nationwide participated in rebuilding projects last month.  Thank you to CB Richard Ellis for partnering with us on this project!

Welcome New AmeriCorps Members!

We are proud to welcome three new AmeriCorps members to the Rebuilding Together Twin Cities team: Lisa Berglund, Alex Rosselli and Tyler White.

Lisa, AmeriCorps Project Coordinator, will be responsible for managing our home repair projects from start to finish, including previewing the home, developing a workscope, creating a budget, identifying volunteer and material resources needed to complete the home repairs, and supervising the work. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan and recently received a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Design from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.  She has also held several internships and has volunteered for various organizations.

Alex, AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator, will be responsible for recruiting, training, coordinating and retaining volunteers to provide critical home repairs for the homeowners we serve.  Alex recently received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Macalester College in St. Paul.  He has worked on several political campaigns and has experience recruiting and supervising volunteers.  Alex is passionate about affordable housing, education and economic development.

Tyler, AmeriCorps Safe at Home Coordinator, will be responsible for managing all aspects of our Safe at Home program.  Tyler recently received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern Maine. While earning his degree, Tyler worked for the Home Depot, gaining valuable experience and knowledge about home repair and construction.  Tyler also has experience both as a volunteer and an intern for various nonprofit organizations.

Rebuilding Together, Inc. currently has 66 AmeriCorps members serving in 30 Rebuilding Together Affiliates in 20 states. The goal of the CapacityCorps program is to build the capacity of grassroots Rebuilding Together programs so they can be more sustainable, effective, and efficient in helping homeowners in need. This is the fourth year that Rebuilding Together has been awarded an AmeriCorps grant through the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Volunteers from Wells Fargo Help Two North Minneapolis Homeowners

On August 19^th and 20^th, Rebuilding Together Twin Cities partnered with Wells Fargo to repair the homes of two homeowners in North Minneapolis:

Chloe and Donald have lived in their home for more than 45 years.  All of their children and grandchildren live nearby, and Chloe often watches her granddaughter in their home.  Donald is a veteran of the Korean War, and he’s suffered from some health problems in recent years. 

Kaye is a retired nurse and special education teacher.  She was born and raised in North Minneapolis and raised her two kids in her home.  However, staying in her home has become increasingly difficult for Kaye due to some health and mobility issues. 

The Wells Fargo volunteer teams made a variety of repairs for these homeowners, ensuring that they can continue to live independently in safe and warm homes.  We would like to thank Wells Fargo for their continued support and hard work to help homeowners in need.  We look forward to partnering with you again!

Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Work at Gibbs Museum

On August 17^th, more than 100 volunteers from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx joined forces with Rebuilding Together Twin Cities to make repairs at the Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life in St. Paul.  Volunteers installed new fencing, repaired existing fencing and worked in the gardens.  This is the fourth year in a row that Rebuilding Together Twin Cities has partnered with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the FastBreak Foundation to improve community spaces in the Twin Cities. 

The Gibbs Museum is an important community resource that provides subsidized tours for schools serving lower-income areas, performs outreach programs in local schools, hosts programs for home-schooled children, and provides information about pioneer and Dakotah life to teachers in the nine-county region.

Thanks again to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx staff who came out to volunteer at the Gibbs Museum and thank you to the FastBreak Foundation for providing the resources to make these improvements!

Remembering 9/11

On September 10^th, more than 250 volunteers joined Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and HandsOn Twin Cities to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of 9/11.  Senator Amy Klobuchar spoke at the event, along with Brian Dunn, Best Buy CEO, and Kathleen West, civic leader.

Volunteers spent the morning cleaning and polishing tribute markers along Victory Memorial Drive; gardening at Loring Elementary School; planting trees and shrubs at Theodore Wirth Park; drawing and writing on a Freedom Banner; and writing letters to the troops.

The volunteer event on 9/10 was the culmination of a larger initiative by Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and HandsOn Twin Cities to engage 1,000 volunteers to provide critical home repairs and services for 30 families in need, including several veterans and their families. 

Thanks again to everyone who was able to join us and a huge thank you to sponsors of projects connected with this event, including Ameriprise Financial, CB Richard Ellis, GLS Companies, Honeywell, Minnesota Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation, Mosaic Company, Sears Heroes at Home, and Wells Fargo; and sponsors of the commemoration event, including the HandsOn Network, Best Buy, and Target.

Honeywell Family Day Spent Volunteering at Gibbs Museum

Volunteers of all ages joined Rebuilding Together Twin Cities at the Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life for the Honeywell Family Day on Saturday, July 30^th.  More than 80 volunteers came out for this annual event to spend the day working, having fun and enjoying a picnic lunch. 

Volunteers started digging and installing posts for a new fence on the North side of the property. Volunteers also worked in the Gibbs Museum garden, weeding and landscaping.

Thanks again to everyone who came out for the Honeywell Family Day!  We look forward to working side-by-side with you again next year! 

Wells Fargo Interns Lend a Hand to Repair Tornado-Damaged Home

Volunteers from the Wells Fargo Talented Tenth Internship program joined Rebuilding Together Twin Cities on Friday, July 29th to make repairs for a single father of four young children whose home was damaged by the tornado that hit North Minneapolis.    

Volunteers repaired and painted walls; removed an existing cracked walkway, re-graded and installed concrete pavers; repaired tile in the bathroom; and installed several railings, window screens and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  In addition to these repairs, the sponsorship grant from Wells Fargo also covered electrical repairs and upgrades and repairs to the roof.

We really enjoyed working with the Talented Tenth interns and other Wells Fargo volunteers!  Thank you for all of your hard work!

Ameriprise Financial Interns Make Repairs for Three Homeowners in Need

On Tuesday, July 26th, more than 40 volunteers from Ameriprise Financial’s internship program descended on the homes of three North Minneapolis homeowners to make repairs. One of the homes repaired that day was damaged by the tornado that hit North Minneapolis in May. Volunteers performed a variety of tasks including painting, repairing a water-damaged ceiling, finishing trim around doors and windows, landscaping to prevent water from seeping into the basement, repairing concrete steps, installing a paver walkway and making other minor repairs to these homes.

To view KSTP news coverage of this project, click here.

Thanks again to this incredible team! We look forward to partnering with you again in the future!

Coming Together to Commemorate 9/11

This September marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a tragic day that affected countless individuals, families and communities. In the aftermath of that terrible event, we witnessed neighbors reaching out to help one another, organizations and businesses supporting those in need, and volunteers providing hours upon hours of service. In 2009, September 11th was designated a National Day of Service and Remembrance to recognize the power of people coming together to help each other recover and rebuild.

To commemorate this anniversary, Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and HandsOn Twin Cities are partnering to provide critical home repairs and services for 30 families in need, including several veterans and their families. Together, we plan to engage 1,000 volunteers through this initiative, which will culminate in a large volunteer event on September 10th that will recognize fallen soldiers, veterans who have served and those who are still serving.

On Saturday, September 10th beginning at 9am at the Victory Memorial Flagpole at the intersection of Victory Memorial Drive and 45th Avenue North, volunteers will gather and listen to local dignitaries share about the importance of service. Immediately afterwards, volunteers will participate in various activities, including cleaning and polishing tribute markers along Victory Memorial Drive; beautifying Farview Park; planting trees and shrubs at Theodore Wirth Park; and speed volunteering opportunities at Folwell Park, such as drawing and writing on a Freedom Banner, sending electronic tributes to the troops, and writing letters to the troops.

Community members will be able to sign up on HandsOn Twin Cities’ project calendar beginning the week of August 22nd.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this event, which includes employee projects throughout August and September and thorough event recognition, please contact Kathy Greiner at k.greiner@rebuildingtogether-twincities.org.

Thank you to sponsors of projects connected with this event, including Ameriprise Financial, GLS Companies, Honeywell, Minnesota Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation, Mosaic Company, Sears Heroes at Home, and Wells Fargo; and sponsors of the commemoration event, including the HandsOn Network, Best Buy, and Target.

Building a Healthy Neighborhood

On June 18th and 19th, as part of a special pre-conference event to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s National Healthy Homes Conference, Rebuilding Together led a major rebuilding effort in the Barnum neighborhood of Denver. Hundreds of volunteers repaired more than 40 homes and Lowe’s and Carter’s Kids provided a new playground for a local park with HGTV’s Carter Oosterhouse. Other special guests included HUD Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control Director John Grant and Actress Amy Smart.

Click here to watch a video about this incredible project.

During the National Healthy Homes Conference in Denver, Rebuilding Together received a “Leading the Nation to Healthy Homes, Families and Communities” Award, presented by HUD. Rebuilding Together was recognized as a leader in providing solutions and advancements to a safer and healthier way of life for thousands of homeowners across the country.