A Community Comes Together to Help a Neighbor Age Safely at Home

For more than 30 years, Mr. J’s Arlington house has been the center of family life. It is where he and his late wife raised five daughters, welcomed grandchildren, and built a lifetime of memories. As he got older, Parkinson’s disease made mobility more challenging and maintaining the home and safely navigating its stairs and bathrooms became increasingly difficult.

After learning about Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church (RT-AFF), Mr. J’s family reached out for help. What followed was a multi-phase project coordinated by RT-AFF that brought together our longtime partner St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Mr. J’s family, contractors, and skilled RT-AFF volunteers to make the home safer, healthier, and more accessible.

The first phase took place on National Rebuilding Day when volunteers from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, including contractors who helped lead the more complex repairs and modifications. St. Peter’s has partnered with RT-AFF for 35 years, and church member Bruce Jolly was one of RTAFF’s founding board members. Their longstanding commitment to serving neighbors in need continues to strengthen our work together.

As Bruce reflected afterward, “What made this year’s RT-AFF/St. Peter’s experience special? Every year is special—but this time, the homeowner’s five daughters, along with spouses, grandchildren, and even one great-grandchild (far too young to help), all showed up and pitched in.”

St. Peter’s volunteers contributed more than 130 hours of service. Team leaders and skilled volunteers spent many hours before National Rebuilding Day planning the project, designing the ramp, ordering materials, and coordinating the day to make the greatest possible impact.

St. Peter’s volunteers and Mr. J’s family members worked together to clear years of accumulated items from all three floors of the home. The St. Peter’s team also repaired kitchen cabinets, installed appliances, replaced a basement sliding door, repaired railings, improved drainage, completed landscaping, installed a new storm door, and built a wheelchair ramp to reduce fall risks. Volunteers also demolished a deteriorated deck and prepared the site for a future replacement.

One family member shared that they had tried for years to address many of the home’s challenges but simply couldn’t keep up with the growing list of repairs. Seeing a team of volunteers accomplish so much in a single day was both emotional and inspiring.

The project also created opportunities for learning and connection. Experienced St. Peter’s volunteers mentored newer participants throughout the day, sharing skills while working side by side—a reminder that volunteering builds confidence, skills, and community.

The work did not end on National Rebuilding Day. Through funding from Arlington County, a contractor completed a full bathroom renovation, replacing an outdated tub with a walk-in shower designed to meet Mr. J’s changing needs.

Finally, a team of skilled RT-AFF volunteers installed a stairlift along with grab bars to help Mr. J safely access the stairlift, along with grab bars in the bathroom and powder room. These important accessibility modifications will help Mr. J move through his home with greater confidence and independence.

Today, the home is safer, more functional, and better equipped to support Mr. J as he ages in place. More importantly, the project demonstrates what is possible when a dedicated partner, volunteers, donors and contractors come together around a shared purpose. Through careful planning and multiple phases of work, RTAFF was able to help Mr. J remain safely and comfortably in the home where he raised his family while giving his loved ones greater piece of mind.

Helping neighbors live safely in their own homes—the homes they love and the neighborhoods that matter to them—is at the heart of our mission. This project is a powerful example of what can happen when a community comes together to care for one another.

Thank you to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church for 35 years of partnership and for your continued commitment to helping neighbors in need.

Please visit our Flickr to see more photos of St. Peter’s team in action on National Rebuilding Day.