Rebuilding Together Metro Denver eNews

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Welcome to Rebuilding Together Metro Denver's eNews. Once each month we send out news of our programs and the people making it possible. Please forward to friends or colleagues who might also be interested in keeping our neighbors warm, safe, and dry and living independently.

Inside this issue:

From Laurie McCaw
Homeowner Spotlight: Wanda in Aurora
Ramping up for Rebuilding Day
Wells Fargo returns as presenting sponsor

From Laurie McCaw, Executive Director:

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year from Rebuilding Together! We hope it is a healthy and prosperous one for you. We find ourselves in a state of excitement and anticipation for the coming year.

In our first Enews of 2006, I'd like to formally welcome the 2006 Rebuilding Together Board of Directors. Our new Board Officers are: President, Debra Bustos; Vice President, Nancy Sonnenfeld; Treasurer, Kristen Sundin; Secretary, Jenny Roberts. Board Members at-large Shawn Anthony, Carol Taylor Boyd, Sue Foster, Pam Lorenz, Cory Peterson, Amory Narvaes, Lynn Matthews and Wade Manning. Welcome to all returning and new members!

As we gear up for our 6th Rebuilding Day Event this coming April, there is a buzz around the office and lots of activity. The staff are getting all the systems in place including identifying homeowners in need, preparing for volunteer training, and finalizing sponsorships for the annual event on April 29th. Rebuilding Together's young year round repair program, A Home for all Seasons, is growing and assisting homeowners continually with minor home safety repairs. With renewed support from Energy Outreach Colorado, we will be able to assist homeowners with specific energy related repairs and improvements this year.

Also, thanks to a grant from the Administration on Aging, Rebuilding Together will produce a new video that will highlight our work and demonstrate the critical need for home modifications for elderly and disabled homeowners. The video will help educate our volunteers and sponsors about the very important work accomplished by our volunteers and teams of Rebuilding Together - and how they can be part of the effort!

There are several new initiatives in 2006 including expanding our ability to perform more ramp installations for homeowners with Rebuilding Together's new ramp program. Please GET INVOLVED and join us as we help over 200 homeowners in the coming year! We welcome your help in so many ways as we reach out to needy homeowners so that they live in warm, safe and dry homes this coming year. Contact Rebuilding Together at rebuild@qwest.net

Homeowner Spotlight: Wanda in Aurora

Wanda K., a resident of Aurora, recently had some work done at her home by Rebuilding Together's A Home for All Seasons minor repair program. Her husband Fred has been in long term care and Wanda wanted to bring him home. One of our HAS volunteers met with Wanda to determine what changes would help her husband manage more easily at home.

Rebuilding Together provided a number of modifications - grab bars, shower seats, handheld shower heads and an elevated commode seat for easier bathroom access; handrails on the porch and low rise steps for safer entry and exit of the home; and basic home safety equipment such as smoke & CO detectors, fire extinguisher, and a peephole in the front door. This type of project is what HAS focuses on - safety and access to the home for individuals who need a bit of help getting around.

Wanda called recently to express her gratitude for the project and was so pleased that she would now be able to bring Fred back home.

Repaired steps
Steps converted to low rise for easier access

In 2006, Rebuilding Together welcomes St. Mary Land & Exploration as the first official sponsor of the new year-round Home for All Seasons program. Support from St. Mary Land will help the program to expand and reach out to new volunteers, providers, homeowners, and government organizations, as well as to perform additional repairs in underserved communities. We wholeheartedly express our thanks to St. Mary Land on behalf of our low income elderly and disabled homeowners.

Ramping up for Rebuilding Day

Volunteers paint and patch

Volunteers at work during Rebuilding Days in April and October 2005

A new door goes in for safety and security

For the past several months, the House Selection Committee has been busy talking with homeowners and screening applications. With over 100 applications to look at so far, it's keeping them very busy. The applications come in from churches, other agencies, and even the neighbors of homes we've revitalized on previous Rebuilding Days.

After applications are screened for basic criteria such as income level and the type of work being requested, one of the committee members interviews the homeowners over the telephone. A detailed series of questions helps to determine whether their need fits a Rebuilding Day project or perhaps should be referred to A Home for All Seasons (above) or another agency.

If it is a good fit for our mission of helping low-income elderly or disabled persons to have a home that is warm, safe and dry and to live independently, a home visit is made by our program management team. Brad and Joey get a close look at the work that's needed, often identifying other things that the homeowner hadn't thought of, and they get to know the applicants, too.

The final step is to match the selected homeowners with appropriate volunteer teams from our sponsors and community partners.

So far, 25 homes have been selected for Rebuilding Day on April 29th, half way to the 50 homes we expect to repair and revitalize during 2006.

Wells Fargo Returns as Presenting Sponsor

We are very pleased to welcome back Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage as the Presenting Sponsor for the Rebuilding Day projects in metro Denver for the second year. We thank them for their commitment to Rebuilding Together's mission to revitalize homes and neighborhoods and improve quality of life in metro Denver.

Wells Fargo &
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Presenting Sponsor 2006

Rebuilding Together Metro Denver relies on contributions from generous corporations, foundations and individuals to revitalize neighborhoods and help low-income homeowners who are elderly or disabled to stay in their homes by improving safety, accessibility and quality of life. Your donation will enable us to provide more grab bars, more ramps, more secure doors and locks, more smoke detectors, for more people in our community.

Make your tax deductible donation online through Network for Good or mail a check to:

RTMD
5480 Evans Ave
Denver, CO 80222

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Rebuilding Together Metro Denver is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that rehabilitates homes in our community,, keeping low-income elderly, disabled and families with children warm, safe, and dry and living in independence. www.rebuildingdenver.org