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| Rebuilding Together Omaha |
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Justice and the homeowners grandchild working on the yard |
Justice, Cheri and I have worked on 2 Rebuilding Omaha Projects. The first was my foster mother's house. She had taken me off of the streets when I was 15 and helped me with a battle with the system. She was a very large part of my life and what kept me from the negative lifestyle I could have fallen into on the streets. This is the second project we worked on helping and elderly lady near 25th and Ames. |
Each year, on the last Saturday in April, our "Rebuilding Day Program" has 30-40 teams with over 1,000 volunteers performing repairs on homes in the older part of Omaha.Our clients own their home and are on average over 70 years of age or permanently disabled at any age. Their home has fallen into disrepair and they don’t have the financial resources or the physical ability to do the work themselves. The teams of volunteers do work like painting, cleaning, repairs to bathrooms, kitchens, porches and stairs. The average team size is 24 but we have teams of from 10-50 people. Teams usually do some prep work before the actual work day but on average spend 1 to 2 days doing all of the work. All materials and supplies are provided by Rebuilding Together or by donations from local retailers. Teams provide the tools, food, and most importantly the people to get the work done. Rebuilding Day is a great way to give something back to the community while helping a homeowner who would otherwise not get the help needed to allow them be independent by staying in their home.
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Our home for 2008 |
Working hard at the job site. |
Ask your employer, civic club, church or synagogue to sponsor a house!
Corporations, civic clubs, religious organizations, universities, manufacturers, utilities, healthcare facilities, chamber of commerce, boards of realtors, etc., all help work on or sponsor homes for rehabilitation.House sponsor contributions usually range from $1,000 to $5,000, but you don't have to sponsor to work on this project or take on the task of rehabilitating a complete home through your organization. The average cost of supplies and materials for each house in 2007 was $1,200, so we do need to raise money to complete our work. All you need to do is to gather 10 to 25 friends or co-workers willing to put in some time and work! Generally teams provide a captain and co-captain to lead the group and are responsible for completion of tasks.
Start a Team in your company or organization today! Just contact us for more information at rebuildingtogether@cox.net and complete sign-up forms. Encourage skilled trades groups to participate! Ask carpenters, electricians, plumbers, or other trade professionals you know if they would like to volunteer! Get your school involved! Across this community young leaders are making a difference in their communities by volunteering for Rebuilding Together. Through internships or working on houses, you can have a chance to make a lasting contribution! Volunteer to work on houses! Join us by volunteering to work on a house to: paint, haul trash, landscape, coordinate supplies, build wheelchair ramps, replace water heaters, install windows and doors. These are just a few of the many jobs volunteers can do to help homeowners in need.
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