Volunteer installing A/C unit

RT-AFF Addresses Heat Emergency at Harmony Place

Cutting wood for A/C installationExtreme heat is a silent killer, and this was the hottest summer on record. During the heat emergency Rebuilding Together – AFF partnered with the Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions and the office of Supervisor Rodney Lusk to provide relief to residents at Harmony Place Mobile Home Park. Some of the homes had insufficient cooling, and some had no A/C at all.

We started with a group of RT-AFF volunteers who have strong electrical skills. They assessed each mobile home and tested the electrical systems to ensure they were adequate and safe for running new air conditioning units. After addressing needed electrical repairs, our installation teams put in the new A/C units. During installation, we discovered other issues. In one home the floor was rotted due to the old A/C unit draining into the home. Volunteers rebuilt the floor and wall, then installed a new a/c unit to keep the home cool. Another home had an unsafe stove, so we installed a newly donated stove, allowing the family to safely cook meals. We also installed 16 smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Harmony Place residents were grateful for all the work to make their homes safe and healthy.

27 volunteers gave 405 hours to install 31 A/C units in 29 homes

“As the temperatures soar once again, I’m feeling especially grateful for all of you,” wrote RT-AFF Executive Director Patti Klein in a note to the volunteers. “Your dedication to providing relief and comfort to the families at Harmony Place is truly heartwarming. In times like these, your efforts make a significant difference, ensuring that our community stays safe and comfortable. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our mission and for being such an essential part of the RT-AFF family.”

You can read more about the project on the Fairfax County website. Please check out the photos on our flickr too.

Volunteers installing A/C Unit Volunteers installing A/C unit Leveling the A/C bracket Volunteers install A/C unit

 

Volunteer Team with Supervisor Rodney Lusk

Dulin Team

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 UnitedACCA Volunteers 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.”

ACCA painting

ACCA Team 2

Dulin volunteers setting a post. ACCA volunteers building a canopy for the deck.

Partnering with Navy Federal Credit Union to help Veterans and Neighbors in Need

As part of Rebuilding Together’s Veterans at Home program, we partnered with Navy Federal Credit Union to assist Mr. J in Arlington. Approaching his 90th birthday, Mr. J has lived in his cherished Arlington home and neighborhood for 50 years. As he aged, he became unable to manage simple repairs and maintenance. In collaboration with NFCU, volunteers rebuilt his shed door, constructed safe steps from his back deck to his driveway, installed LED lighting in his kitchen and stairway for improved visibility, raised a stair rail, and added a new one to make it safer for him to get to his basement laundry room. The team also painted both inside and outside, addressed overgrown landscaping, and more. The NFCU team, brought some skilled volunteers, who collaborated with RT-AFF volunteers on the carpentry projects. Other NFCU volunteers learned how to make safety modifications and repairs on the job, with the assistance of RT-AFF skilled volunteers.
RT-AFF has a longstanding partnership with NFCU, having worked on over 30 projects in our area, including homes, nonprofit organizations, schools, and the United Service Organization (USO) Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir which serves injured and ill soldiers and Veterans, families and caregivers (and is the largest USO in the world). We are thrilled that NFCU has joined forces with RT nationally, assisting three veteran homeowners this fall: Mr. J in Arlington, a homeowner in Dallas, and another in Atlanta. We look forward to continuing this great partnership that encourages NFCU employees to dedicate time to community service.
Working on the sidewalk

National Rebuilding Day – Three Faith Groups Partner to Assist a Veteran

Pouring and leveling cementNational Rebuilding Day included a variety of rewarding projects undertaken by our faith and corporate partners, including the work King of Kings Lutheran Church accomplished for Mr. W. in Centreville Mr. W. is a Marine Corps veteran who was stationed at Paris Island and Quantico before becoming a business owner in our area. He took care of his wife for many years until she passed away in 2020. Mr. W. took pride in his home but in recent years due to health issues and lack of financial resources he couldn’t keep up with the mounting maintenance and repairs needed to continue to live safely in his home of 56 years.

It Takes a Village

For over 20 years, we have counted on our partner King of Kings Lutheran Church to take on challenging projects.  Due to the breadth of the work needed on this home, team leader Oscar vontwo volunteers Bredow recruited volunteers from Fairfax United Methodist and Christ Presbyterian Churches to partner with his church. In total, 35 volunteers with a range of skills worked over two weekends to make Mr. W’s home safer. The first weekend a smaller group of volunteers cleared out extensive debris from a tree-damaged back porch.

Then on National Rebuilding Day, the larger team worked together to improve access to the house, make safety modifications and repairs, and do a major yard clean-up The volunteers patched the driveway, and spent hours removing the old walkway and building a new walkway to the front steps. The process included hauling bags of cement, running the cement mixer, pouring cement, and leveling and smoothing the cement. They also repaired the steps to the front porch and replaced the porch light so Mr. W. can now safely enter and leave his home.

Inside the house, the work focused on aging-in-place modifications like installing a comfort height toilet and grab bars in the main bathroom; fire safety by installing smoke detectors, changing out the plastic accordion dryer vent to metal ducting and replacing the kitchen exhaust fan to remove grease, smoke and fumes from the kitchen; and tackling a host of other repairs that included installing a new cooktop, replacing the leaking dishwasher, repairing a leaking pipe in the basement, removing old carpet and installing vinyl plank flooring.

Good Work is its Own Reward

With this much work to do, the team ended up spending 10 hours at the house on National Rebuilding Day (NRD), plus additional hours preparing materials and removing debris the week prior to NRD. You can see how our generous volunteers participated in the work with enthusiasm and smiles:

The homeowner’s daughter, who lives in Maryland, expressed her appreciation to the team:

“When you see everyone in church tomorrow who worked so hard on my Dad’s house today, please tell them how VERY MUCH we appreciated everyone’s time! Everyone who came was so helpful, suggestive, kind, friendly, and skillful! Both their talents and graciousness shone through. All worked so hard today, and we appreciate and thank every one of you. Bless you all!”

We’re grateful to our partners at King of Kings Lutheran Church, Fairfax United Methodist Church, and Christ Presbyterian Church and proud of the work they did to ensure that Mr. W. is safe and comfortable in his home.

If you’d like to get involved in supporting a rebuilding project or if you know a homeowner in the area who could use our support, please contact us!

 

Team in front of the house

Please visit our Flickr albums for more photos from this project and all of our National Rebuilding Day 2023 projects.

There’s No Place Like Home

The homeowners we assist are grateful for the life-changing repairs and modifications made by our volunteers and for the donors and funders who provide the financial support to make our programs possible. We recently interviewed four homeowners and want to share their gratitude with you. Please watch the video, and scroll down to read Mrs. B’s lovely thank you note.

 

 

Mr & Mrs H

Highlights from National Rebuilding Day

Collage of 3 projects
National Rebuilding Day (NRD), our signature annual event, is made possible by our partnerships with local faith, corporate and community partners. Our partners financially support their projects and recruit House Captains who mobilize volunteers, plan repairs, and coordinate all the details to make the workday a success for their teams and the homeowners they are serving. Our partners and volunteers are motivated by the desire to give back and make the homes of our neighbors safe and healthy. After missing two National Rebuilding Days due to the pandemic our partners were eager to rejoin us for NRD 2022.

Annandale Christian Community for Action (ACCA), King of Kings Lutheran Church and Washington Building Congress (WBC) are longtime partners for NRD, and each team brings an amazing set of skills and enthusiasm to their projects. “The last few years have shown us the importance of having a safe place to call home,” said Patti Klein, RT-AFF Executive Director. “The critical repairs being made not only on National Rebuilding Day, but year-round are improving the physical and mental health of our neighbors, increasing their safety and sense of independence and are improving their economic security and sense of community connection.”

ACCA/RT-AFF’s 35+ Year Partnership
ACCA put together two teams this year as they have done for many National Rebuilding Days during our 35+ years as partners in safe and healthy housing. ACCA Team #2 included volunteers from Ravensworth Baptist, John Calvin Presbyterian and Providence Presbyterian Churches ranging in age from college students to retirees. The team helped Mr. and Mrs. D, a couple in their 80’s who have lived in their Alexandria home for 41 years. Mrs. D spends much of her time caring for Mr. D who is blind, hearing impaired and uses a walker. His safety is her biggest concern, and due to their age and disabilities they also had a lot of deferred maintenance projects to be tackled.

House Captain Brian Meli, assisted by co-captains Jim and Laurie Lewis and Woody Woodburn divided the work among eight task leaders. Critical repairs included improving drainage and downspouts to move water away from the home to keep it dry, repairing rotten flooring near the furnace, sealing leaking windows, gaps and cracks for better temperature control and to keep pests out of the home, securing handrails and adding grab bars to prevent falls and changing out regular light bulbs with LED bulbs to make the home brighter and help prevent falls. The team also did a major yard clean-up and improved the landscaping around the home. “I’m really proud of our eight task leaders and how they divided and conquered the work,” said House Captain Brian Meli. “Everyone came together to help paint the kitchen after their tasks were completed, which brought great joy to Mrs. D and gave the entire team a boost at the end of a long day.” Click to see  ACCA Team #2 Flickr Album and the ACCA Team #1 Album.

King of Kings Lutheran Church Assists Chantilly Family
Mrs. B’s knees don’t work as well as they used to, and she had fallen on the long sloping stairway leading to her car. Led by House Captain Oscar von Bredow and co-captain Bert Roepe, the King of Kings Lutheran Church team constructed an outside railing and added second railings to the inside stairways so Mrs. B can safely get up and down the stairs. The team installed grab bars in the bathroom, made plumbing and electrical repairs, repaired walls and doors, installed a new storm door, cleaned up the yard, installed smoke/co detectors and much more. Mrs. B and her family, who have lived in their home for 26 years, were so inspired by the amount of work the team was able to accomplish in a short time that they arranged for several family members to visit and help paint the newly repaired walls. Mrs. B wrote a lovely thank you email and said, “Your generosity went beyond a day’s work; it filled our hearts with hope and a real feeling of community.” Mrs. B can now use her stairs without the fear of falling, walk down the long walkway to her car holding onto a sturdy railing, and she and her entire family can take pride in their safe home. You can read Mrs. B’s letter and watch an interview with her and 3 other homeowners about their experiences with RT-AFF in our recent video.   Click here to see King of Kings Project Flickr album.

building a railing

Washington Building Congress Brings Pro Team to Help Alexandria Couple
Washington Building Congress (WBC) is a commercial trade association consisting of businesses from the real estate, design, and construction community – a perfect partner for National Rebuilding Day. House Captain Juliane Medd brought together a skilled team of industry professionals to help Mr. and Mrs. H with repairs and modifications at their Alexandria home. Mrs. H is a wheelchair user and was not able to leave their home without assistance, so the installation of a ramp was a top priority for the team. Team member firms provided professional electricians, plumbers, carpenters, landscapers, and other volunteers to complete repairs and modifications including the installation of the ramp, a stove top vent, double stair railings, LED light fixtures, GFCI outlets, a comfort height toilet and bathroom grab bars. The WBC team helped the family by clearing out and disposing of old furniture, building shelves, and organizing their pantry and storage. The project had a large outdoor component, so the Landscape Team was busy clearing out the overgrowth and brought in a bobcat to haul out sections of a tree that had fallen years before. “Mr. H has a lot of pride in his property, and was especially proud of his blueberry bushes,” said House Captain Juliane Medd. “We cleared a path so he could get to the blueberries easily. Mr. H was overwhelmed with gratitude for all the work but especially the small touches that showed we were listening, and we cared about him and his wife.”
Click here to see the WBC Project Flickr album.

“It takes a tremendous amount of compassion, organization and coordination to develop good rapport with the homeowner and pull off a one-day project” said Patti Klein, RT-AFF Executive Director. “We are truly grateful to our partners and all the volunteers who came out for National Rebuilding Day to make life-changing repairs and modifications for our neighbors in need.”

Washington Building Congress NRD Team

Don Ryan

Check Your Home for Health and Safety Hazards

Join Don Ryan, Rebuilding Together-AFF Director of Partnerships, to learn how you can check your home for health and safety hazards.

Click the image below to start the video presentation.

 

Volunteer Team

Wells Fargo Grant Funds Deep Repairs for Alexandria Homeowners

Thanks to a grant from the Wells Fargo Builds program, RT-AFF completed repairs for three families in Alexandria in the Audubon Community of manufactured homes. The Wells Fargo Builds program provides philanthropic financial support for the construction, renovation and repair of homes for low-to-moderate income households. Nationally, Wells Fargo donated $1.25 million to Rebuilding Together. Since 2010, Wells Fargo has donated more than $16 million to Rebuilding Together and its affiliate network and last year RT affiliates collaborated with Wells Fargo to repair 100 homes.

Manufactured homes, sometimes called mobile homes, are an important source of affordable housing in our expensive housing market. Our team met the Audubon Community property manager when our volunteers built a wheelchair ramp for another homeowner. The property manager was delighted to learn about Rebuilding Together and introduced us to the homeowners in dire need of repairs, and she made our job easier by arranging for disposal of trash and old appliances.

All three of the homes we worked on were over 35 years old and in need of deep repairs, including roof repairs. Our first priority was making the homes watertight. Wells Fargo’s grant allowed us to hire a roofing contractor to repair and seal the roofs on all three homes.

installing range hoodMr. And Mrs. C’s home was built in 1976 and the kitchen floor was badly deteriorated and about to collapse. Our volunteer team removed multiple layers of flooring, including ceramic tile, to get to the root of the problem. They secured failing joists, replaced missing insulation and the subfloor, and then installed underlayment and finally a durable vinyl plank floor. They replaced the stove, a kitchen cabinet, and installed a range hood with an exhaust fan vented outside to keep the air clean in their small home. The couple now feels safe in their home and embraced by the kindness of our volunteers.

Bill Marshall, the volunteer team leader for the project said, “Mr. C just loved his new kitchen floor and range hood, and all the repairs we made. His happy eyes from beneath his mask and his multiple “thank yous,” after just having returned from a chemo session, reminded me of how blessed I am, and how much enjoyment I get from giving back to neighbors in need like Mr. and Mrs. C.”


The second homeowner we helped was Ms. T. who has chronic health problems and had lost her job at a nearby Senior Center due to the pandemic. Ms. T loves to cook but her kitchen had no cabinets, countertops, sink or working stove. The grant from Wells Fargo and the work done by our volunteers was truly a gift to Ms. T. Our team of volunteers and staff installed cabinets, countertops and a sink with a garbage disposal. They installed a new range and a stove-top vent to keep the air clean from cooking grease and odors. The team also installed a grab bar in the bathroom, repaired the wooden stairs, and replaced the clothes dryer and vented it safely outside. Ms. T now has a fully functioning kitchen and can safely age in place in her modest home. Here’s part of Ms. T’s survey:

Ms. T's Thank you note

 

working in the small kitchenErick and Mirna are a young couple expecting their first child. Erick had been tirelessly working to rehab their mobile home. It was constructed in 1982 and the couple pulled together all their resources and had hands-on help from family and friends, but money was tight, and they could not afford to finish repairs. With their first child arriving soon, they desperately needed a functioning kitchen. Erick had already purchased kitchen cabinets and he worked alongside our volunteers to tackle some of the interior repairs. Our team finished installing the cabinets and installed a garbage disposal, stove, microwave, and kitchen exhaust fan. The team also installed drywall in another room of the home. We are awaiting delivery of a replacement window that will help make it easier for Erik and Mirna to heat and cool their small home.

Erick wrote to us, “I have a kitchen again and I can cook for my family!  Thank you for your team. They are all good people. And thank you for your time, and for your dedication for helping others.”

Check out photos from the projects funded by Wells Fargo and many other #Rebuilding projects on our Flickr.

Three completed projects

Volunteers working

Amazon Web Services Fall Rebuilding Day

Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church (RT-AFF) is excited to kick off a new collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS’s head of Global Social Impact Maggie Carter was familiar with Rebuilding Together having previously led Day of Service projects in Dallas, TX and Los Angeles, CA when she was driving community relations and social responsibility at the National Basketball Association. The AWS Global Social Impact team works alongside governments, nonprofits, international aid organizations, academia, and private entities to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges by applying AWS’s resources including cloud computing technology and expertise as well as volunteer and financial support.

The AWS team of 12 skilled, hardworking volunteers came together on a sunny fall day in November 2021 to assist Mrs. B, an 87-year-old homeowner in Springfield. “We are thrilled that Maggie and the team from Amazon Web Services joined us for a Fall Rebuilding Day,” said Patti Klein, RT-AFF Executive Director. “They put together a great team with many rebuilding skills, they were passionate about helping and they had fun too.”

“Supporting the individuals and communities is a priority for our team. It is gratifying to be able to roll up our sleeves with Rebuilding Together to support members of the local community,” said Maggie Carter, Global Social Impact Lead, AWS. “We’re proud to support Rebuilding Together and it’s mission to uplift the community by revitalizing neighborhood homes.”

Mr. and Mrs. B were the original owners of their home. They took great pride in their home, and Mr. B, a veteran of the Korean War, was very handy and maintained the home himself. After Mr. B died, Mrs. B did her best to keep up, but the list of needed repairs and safety modifications kept growing. Her front stoop had sunk so she lugged two cinder blocks over to serve as steps. Each bathroom had a different problem and not one was fully functional, water was pooling around the foundation during rainstorms, pests were getting into the home and her yard was overgrown.

The team worked hard and with great enthusiasm all day. Inside the home volunteers installed smoke detectors, a fire extinguisher and long-lasting LED lights so all the rooms, hallways and stairways are brighter and safer. The team installed a new, sturdy railing on Mrs. B’s stairs and grab bars in her bathrooms to reduce her risk of falling.  They also made a few plumbing repairs and caulked the bathrooms and then a plumber was hired to take care of more complex repairs. Mrs. B’s bathrooms are now fully functional and safe.

Outside, volunteers built a new front step so Mrs. B can safely enter and leave her home. A tripping hazard created by the uneven front walkway was repaired, and they cleaned the gutters so water is carried away from the foundation and doesn’t pool in the yard. The team cleaned up the yard, trimmed trees that were encroaching on the house, and removed ivy that was growing on the house. Holes in the siding that were allowing pests to get inside were filled, and the volunteers pressure washed the siding and even washed Mrs. B’s car. Mrs. B was incredibly grateful for the help and at the end of the day told the volunteers “I love each of you and appreciate your work, efforts, and your energy. I know when you go to the next place that you will affect that homeowner the same way.”

The AWS team corrected 11 health and safety priorities and now Mrs. B’s home meets all 25 Rebuilding Together Health and Safety Priorities, making her home safe, healthy and livable.

See more photos on our Flickr.

Volunteers making safety repairs

Volunteers working

Helping Ms. P Breathe More Easily

Volunteers removing carpetingOur neighbor Ms. P has lived in her home for 23 years. She raised a big family and had a good job with the federal government. She yearned to be in a helping field, so she went to night school to become a medical assistant. She dreamed of helping babies and older people. Then, due to health complications she had to stop working, and stop going to school.

Ms. P is proud, self-sufficient, and doesn’t like to ask for help. Then she realized she was no longer able to go up and down her stairs safely. And when her doctor told her that the old carpeting in her living rooms was contributing to her breathing problems, she accepted that she couldn’t do everything on her own.

Our volunteers made essential repairs to help make her home safe again, all a zero cost to Ms. P.

OurVolunteers showing new floor volunteers installed grab bars in her bathroom, a second stair rail and LED light fixtures to brighten her kitchen, hallway and stairway. But the thing that brought the most joy to Ms. P was her new living room floor. Our team removed the old wall to wall carpeting and replaced it with vinyl plank flooring, removing a major source of allergens and asthma triggers and helping Ms. P breathe more easily.

Ms. P sent us a lovely handwritten note, saying in part, “Thank you for all you do for the people you bring joy to… Please know you are making a difference and you are appreciated.” (Ms. P’s letter is included at the bottom of this page).

Through our years of helping our community, we know just how much a safe and healthy home brings a new sense of hope to a senior aging in place, a family trying to make ends meet, or a disabled person who wants to remain in their home.

The last two years have challenged all of us in new and unexpected ways. We have felt that keenly at Rebuilding Together-AFF when talking to the neighbors we serve.

Your support can help make a year that has been difficult for everyone a little better. Please support our work with the most generous contribution you can. Your gift will bring warmth, safety and caring into the home of someone right here in our area.

With your support, we are able to help neighbors like Ms. P.

Click here to make a tax deductible contribution, or mail your gift to:

RT-AFF, 10723 Main St, Ste 135, Fairfax, VA 22030