National Rebuilding Day – ACCA and Dulin UMC Assist Hartwood Foundation

Our partners completed some amazing work on National Rebuilding Day this past April. Two teams from Annandale Christian Community for Action (ACCA) and a team from Dulin United Methodist Church collaborated with Hartwood Foundation to create outdoor spaces for their residents at three Fairfax homes. Hartwood operates residential service programs for people with developmental disabilities and they understand the ability to enjoy life is the ability that matters most. Our partners were all smiles too, enjoying National Rebuilding Day in spite of the rain and mud.

The Dulin team took on the challenge of building a deck and a storage shed at the Shreve Road group home in Falls Church. Six people with developmental disabilities reside at Shreve, which sits on a small, oddly shaped and sloped lot. The new deck significantly enhances the residents’ ability to enjoy many outdoor leisure activities like arts and crafts, and music. They are also enjoying having meals in a shaded and safe area. They absolutely love their new deck!

ACCA Team 1  painted the carport area and expanded and refurbished the deck at Southhampton which allows the residents to enjoy more outdoor space and enables them to enter and exit the home’s van under cover – sheltered from the elements. The residents recently invited friends over and cooked out on the deck and plan to enjoy many more relaxing evenings outside as the weather cools.

ACCA Team 2 built a permanent patio cover and flower planter boxes at Long Pine which makes the area much more usable for the residents. Additionally, they gave the family room, kitchen and dining rooms a fresh coat of paint. The five gentlemen who live there quickly made use of the new covered area which allows them to spend time outside in the shade – especially important during our hot summer. They celebrated by hosting a barbecue shortly after ACCA completed the work.

“The work done by Rebuilding Together helps us to meet our mission and imperatives, most especially providing our residents with excellent quality of life activities,” said CEO Sean McGinnis. “We thank you on behalf of our residents for the wonderful upgrades. Your teams were sensitive to the needs and challenges of the people we support and were incredible to work and collaborate with as always.”