Mr. Patterson, 65, is a retired carpenter and Vietnam War veteran living in Alexandria, Va. Due to being exposed to Agent Orange, a chemical made of herbicides used by the military in Vietnam to remove trees and vegetation, Mr. Patterson had to have both of his legs amputated. He now relies on his prosthetic legs to move around.

Rebuilding Together Alexandria worked with Mr. Patterson to ensure that his home was safe, healthy, and accessible. Mr. Patterson has spent his entire life in this home. They noticed that his lawn needed landscaping, the energy inefficiency of his home was costing him extra money in energy bills, and that it was difficult for Mr. Patterson to safely navigate his home.

The 20 volunteers that dedicated an entire day to renovating Mr. Patterson’s house wanted to give him a home where he could age in place and feel proud. The volunteers made energy efficient upgrades and renovations like cleaning out the coils under the refrigerator, sealing outlets, and weatherizing his windows and doors. While Mr. Patterson can still do many things on his own, he struggled with getting groceries from his car and into his home. Volunteers installed a gate on his porch closest to where Mr. Patterson parks. Now all he has to do is open the back door of his car, open the gate, and set the bags on the porch. Volunteers also installed a new wheel chair accessible ramp on Mr. Patterson’s back porch.

Mr. Patterson is elated with how the energy efficient upgrades have lowered his bills. And he is even happier with how much easier he can move around his home. In fact, one of his favorite things to do now is to sit out on his new porches.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to grow up in one single home, fear you won’t be able to remain there, and then receive repairs and renovations so that you can age there safely,” said Ali Feudo, the AmeriCorps Community Outreach Coordinator for Rebuilding Together Alexandria. “But John doesn’t have to imagine. He knows. And that makes me happy.”

Mr Lawrence, 71, moved back to his childhood home in Tulsa in 1999 after his wife passed away. 

His childhood memories are as fresh as ever. “I remember rolling around on this very floor as a little boy. We used to catch fireflies in the frontyard.”

Mr. Lawrence is the father of six kids and “too many grandchildren and great grandchildren to count.” He jokes saying, “I think there are 15,000.”

Rebuilding Together Tulsa renovated Mr. Lawrence’s home to ensure that he can age in place in a safe and healthy home. Volunteers installed air sealing, attic insulation, two new doors with deadbolts, handrails, and new siding. They also replaced the home’s drywall and repaired his plumbing. Mr. Lawrence’s home is now more energy efficient, weatherproof and accessible.

As part of their National Rebuilding Month celebration on April 20, Rebuilding Together Tulsa will send another team of volunteers to paint the outside of Mr. Lawrence’s home and clean up his yard. Mr. Lawrence’s home is just one of 16 projects happening that day for Rebuilding Together Tulsa. His neighborhood in particular is in great need of critical home repairs and community revitalization. 

Mr. Lawrence had this to say about his Rebuilding Together experience, “I love these guys volunteering. They are good people. You can see the light shining in them when they walk through the door.”

AmeriCorps Member Helps Bring Thanksgiving Back Home

Rachel Lehr, AmeriCorps Year Round Coordinator for Rebuilding Together South Sound, shared with us her Rebuilding Together experience

Ms. Hill is an elderly woman who lives alone in Tacoma. She has had cancer twice and has to use a walker to get around because the chemo has left her weak. She applied to Rebuilding Together South Sound because the faucets in her kitchen and bathroom were dripping constantly, the electrical system didn’t work in part of her home, and the baseboard heaters weren’t working. Her application was a little more serious than some applications that we get, but her descriptions were nowhere close to what we had anticipated.

Water ran continually, even when the sink handles were shut off, because the pipes used in Ms. Hill’s home were corroded. She had been collecting the free-flowing water in jars so it wasn’t just running down the drain. Her water bill was $600 per month. In addition, the electrical outlets in four of the six rooms in the home weren’t working and Ms. Hill was using extension cords to get power to her kitchen and bedroom. Finally, the baseboard heaters in those same rooms wouldn’t work. Ms. Hill resorted to attempting to heat her home with her oven. In the winter, her electric bill could get as high as $500 per month. After our initial home visit, I was really excited and determined to help Ms. Hill.

The Rebuilding Together South Sound volunteers couldn’t have been better! A volunteer plumber replaced the pipes and the faucets for the kitchen and bathroom sinks so they would actually shut off and be corrosion free. He checked the entire bathroom to make sure nothing would cause her any problems in the future. A volunteer contractor put in a grab bar to ensure Ms. Hill could access her restroom without assistance.  An electrician volunteer replaced all 30 broken outlets and the four baseboard heaters so Ms. Hill could actually live in her whole home. And thanks to a donation from Lowe’s, materials and new appliances were provided allowed this project to happen.

I had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Hill shortly after all the repairs were complete. For the first time in over ten years she had guests over to her home for Thanksgiving. Ms. Hill is proud of her home again. She knows she can stay in her home independently, for a longer time, and most importantly with more dignity! Her doctor was also happy because the repairs will help her during the difficult cancer recovery process.

What made me the most excited, or happy, or stunned (I’m still not really sure which) was the amount of money she is now saving every month. Her water bill dropped from $600 to $200 per month and she became eligible for the water company’s senior reduced rate, an additional $100 a month in savings. Her electric bill is a similar story - what started as a $500 bill will go down because she is heating her home efficiently and will be reduced by 30% each month. In addition to restoring a safe and healthy home, I was able to help save Ms. Hill almost $8,000 a year in utility costs!

Ms. Hill now has more freedom in her home and in her finances. I am just astounded that we can impact someone’s life so dramatically. I am grateful to have been a part of the process. I am grateful to serve.

On February 1st, Rebuilding Together will celebrate our 18th Annual Kickoff to Rebuild, a Super Bowl sanctioned charity event. NFL stars Garrett Hartley and Robert Royal will join our volunteers as we renovate the homes of low-income homeowners in New Orleans. Below are just some of the stories of the people we are helping.

The Moores

Mr. and Mrs. Moore are childhood sweethearts who have been married for nearly 35 years. Mr. Moore served in the Navy for two years shortly after graduating from high school. The Moores’ eldest son and daughter share their father’s passion for service and joined the Air Force. Their daughter assisted her fellow New Orleanians during and after Hurricane Isaac. 

“I’ve been around the world, and no matter where you go, there ain’t no place quite like New Orleans,” said Mr. Moore. The Moores plan on watching the Super Bowl together in their newly renovated home.

Anthony Hudson and Lauren Pope

Anthony Hudson joined the military after graduating high school and served one term as an Ammunition Specialist. While being stationed in Iraq, he watched as Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. Ever since being honorably discharged, he has dedicated himself to improving the quality of life for his family and others around him.

Anthony and Lauren are engaged and have three children together. The renovations they’re receiving will make their house a safe and healthy home for their kids to grow up in. 

Lois Paige

Lois Paige has lived in New Orleans for over 90 years. This retired elementary school teacher, wife, and mother has been a strong contributor within her community. Her proudest moment came when her daughter graduated from Tulane University’s Newcomb College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education.

Due to arthritis and other health issues, it is difficult for Ms. Paige to move around her house. Ms. Paige receives excellent care from her daughter and a sense of security from living next door to her grandson. However, the critical home repairs she will receive will greatly better her quality of life. 

Rebuilding Together Muscatine County helps elderly woman age in place 

Evelyn Powell, 89, has lived in her home for over 40 years. It’s where she and her husband spent their years together before he passed away. And it’s where she lives with her daughter today.

Evelyn reached out to Rebuilding Together Muscatine County to fix up some windows. When Frank Iliff, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Muscatine County, went to check out Evelyn’s home, he found that she needed much more than just a few windows. He immediately saw a safety hazard in the narrow basement stairs for the 5 foot tall elderly woman. She would walk down the stairs with a heavy basket of clothes every time she needed to do the laundry. Their bathroom was also in bad shape. The floor was rug upon rug, the ceiling lacked insulation, and the walls were weak and thin.

Frank quickly assembled a team of 20 volunteers to renovate this two story house. They installed handrails for the basement staircase. Volunteers moved the washer and dryer to the main floor to make doing laundry easier for Evelyn. Volunteers replaced Evelyn’s bathroom floor, the tub, the walls, and installed insulation, a new sink, vanity, and toilet. And for those drafty windows, volunteers replaced all 19 windows in the Powell’s home. Volunteers also cleaned out Evelyn’s basement, landscaped her yard, and built steps on her hilly front lawn.

Heather, one of Frank’s House Ambassadors, was able to give Evelyn and her daughter another special gift during their renovations. Evelyn’s daughter was born deaf and the two could hardly communicate. Evelyn learned a few words in sign language, but their communication was mostly done through notes. Heather knew sign language and spent some of the day translating for them, giving this mother and daughter one of their first conversations. Frank remembered seeing the two women in tears as they talked about Evelyn’s late husband, their wedding day and honeymoon. 

Rebuilding Together Anne Arundel County Helps Homeowner Maintain Independence

Rebuilding Together Anne Arundel County helped a 77-year-old woman maintain her independence with their recent renovations.

The mother of five had both her legs amputated at the knee due to diabetes. The woman suffered a fall on her old and crumbling ramp, breaking both of her femurs. She couldn’t use her artificial legs due to her injuries.

Surviving on Social Security, the Anne Arundel County resident couldn’t afford to make the necessary accessibility modifications she desperately needed. Due to her limited mobility, she could no longer access her bathroom safely. Without adequate financial resources for repairs, she was forced to use a plastic cup and her kitchen sink to bathe. The ceiling in her family room was caving in and her soffits were developing large holes.

Over 45 volunteers worked two days to help restore this recipient’s home. Volunteers built a new ramp, installed a new ceiling in the family room, cleaned out her attic, landscaped the front yard, fixed the faucets, installed insulation, and lowered her mailbox. Barbara Cupp, the Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Anne Arundel County, said she felt compelled to help her. “She found herself in a house crumbling around her,” Barbara said. “She was confined to one room in her house due to her situation. I don’t know how much longer she could have stayed in the house.”

Barbara said, “She’s determined, strong, and fiercely independent. She doesn’t have it in her to depend on anyone.” The homeowner was very grateful to all those volunteers who helped make it possible for her to age in place. “On her final look at the finished project, she burst into tears. The idea of her whole to-do list of 20 years being done was overwhelming.”

The volunteers were made up of two church groups and a group from the Naval Academy. One volunteer didn’t live too far from the project, so he and his wife would often go back to do finishing touches and check in on the homeowner.

Barbara said the homeowner was shy at first around the large group of volunteers, but became very social and got along wonderfully with all of them. After seeing what the Rebuilding Together volunteers did for her, the homeowner said to Barbara, “I didn’t know there were people who would help me.”

Mrs. Folden Perseveres With a Smile

Neil Folden bought his family home in 1973, and for much of that time has served as the maintainer of their home. However, recent medical troubles have greatly diminished Neil’s capability of keeping up his home. Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley was there to help the Foldens out.

Neil met his wife, Linda, while they both worked in San Francisco’s Naval Shipyard. While Neil was working in the Shipyard’s Navy Reserve, Linda was doing data entry work. Neil had previously served as a fire technician during the Vietnam War.

The couple bought their San Jose home in 1973, which Neil added a sunroom and patio himself while working for the Federal Aviation Administration. Neil also prided himself on being able to complete all the home repairs.

Neil, 74, suffered a stroke and both he and Linda, 70, were diagnosed with congestive heart failure soon after. Neil and Linda had to have pacemakers implanted to help with their condition.

Linda took up the mantle of being the home’s primary caretaker after Neil’s stroke. She started fixing their bathroom, but had to abandon the project midway due to breaking her ankle. Their bathroom was hazardous and difficult to use for the elderly couple due to their limited mobility. Their sunken shower made it dangerous for them to get in and out of the bath, and their toilet was far too low.

Last Christmas, a small electrical fire broke out in a living room wall. Neil, unable to fix the faulty circuit, resorted to having to leave the wall open with dangerous wires still protruding out. Their kitchen also had an electrical fire due to their outdated electricity.

Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley was able to give the Foldens an easy to use bathroom and an updated electrical system with energy efficient features. They worked to replace the home’s rotting eaves, finish partially installed gutters, and repair cracked windows that were in nearly every room. The home was also made safer by Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley’s installation of grab bars and smoke detectors.

Along with Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley, Neil and Linda saw support from their local community through their newspaper, Evergreen Times, and Councilwoman Rose Herrera of San Jose.

Sadly, Neil passed away a month after the renovations were completed on his home. Linda still resides in the home.