Rebuilding Together Dutchess County To Rebuild 3 Homes on National Rebuilding Day
Dutchess County, NY – April 30, 2022 – Rebuilding Together Dutchess County (RTDC), a local affiliate of the leading national nonprofit organization, Rebuilding Together, will host its annual National Rebuilding Day on Saturday, April 30. With a vision to ensure safe homes and communities for everyone, RTDC works year-round to provide critical home repairs for our most vulnerable neighbors.
In our community of Dutchess County, RTDC will host approximately 75 volunteers to repair three homes for our neighbors in need on April 30th. This National Rebuilding Day marks a commemorative moment as it is the local nonprofit’s 30th year helping our neighbors in need and making a difference in Dutchess County. Volunteers are the backbone of the organization, performing the bulk of the repairs on homes, and so it is a special occasion that this April also marks the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that volunteers will be reengaged on projects.
“The last few years have shown us the importance of having a safe place to call home,” said Christopher Pels, Interim Executive Director and Past President of RTDC. ”The critical repairs being made not only in April, 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.”
Candida, a Poughkeepsie resident, is one of our neighbors receiving repairs on the 30th. The 79-year-old widow fell in love with her home the moment she saw it 26 years ago and the love has continued ever since. She rejoices in the peace and quiet, and being a “homey type,” she spends most of her time there.
Candida used to be able to keep up with most of the required home maintenance herself, until five years ago, when she had a heart attack and doctors told her she had to drastically limit her activities. “I was like a busy little bee,” she said, “always in and out, but now with the surgery it has really slowed me down.” Her son then stepped up and helped her, but since he moved out of the country a few years ago, she says the house has been neglected.
The repairs RTDC will do for Candida will first and foremost allow her to navigate her home more safely: grab bars and handrails will be installed, her back deck and stairs will be replaced, and the side walkway to the house will also be replaced.
To Candida, home means a sense of security and safety, but she hasn’t been feeling that as much lately. As a Christian, she often prays and one recurring prayer she says is “Lord, let me go from this house to your house.” With the repairs she will receive on National Rebuilding Day, Candida’s confidence and sense of security will be restored and she will continue aging in place safely.
The two other Dutchess County residents who will be served this month are Comly, an 87-year-old disabled veteran and Alice, an 82-year-old widow. Both Comly and Alice live in the Town of Poughkeepsie and have done so for 58- and 53-years, respectively.
As with all of RTDC’s repair projects, a variety of critical home repairs are made in order to ensure low-income homeowners live independently in warm, safe, healthy and dry homes. These can include things like flooring repairs, weatherization improvements, roof and window replacements, accessibility modifications, painting, landscaping, electrical work, and other major home rehabilitations. The repairs are provided at no cost to neighbors in need.
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Rebuilding Together is the leading national nonprofit in repairing homes, revitalizing communities, and rebuilding lives with more than 40 years of experience. Along with corporate and community partners, Rebuilding Together transforms the lives of low-income homeowners by improving the safety of their homes and revitalizing their communities.
Rebuilding Together Dutchess County and nearly 350 volunteers complete about 20 rebuild projects county-wide each year. The organization celebrates their 30th anniversary in 2022 – three decades of transforming the lives of low-income homeowners by improving the safety of their homes and revitalizing our communities. Learn more and get involved at www.RTDutchess.org.
Photos attached (2)
A Poughkeepsie homeowner served in 2019 with project volunteers and an RTDC staff member.
Volunteers on a project site during National Rebuilding Day 2019, the last year volunteers were engaged for NRD projects.
