Home repairs program builds its capacity to help residents in need
Home repairs can be costly, especially for low-income residents. But Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada, 611 S. Ninth St., aims to assist these residents by providing no-cost repairs to veterans, the elderly and low-income homeowners.
Cynthia Baca, executive director, said that although the Southern Nevada chapter has been under the radar since its inception in 1994, the organization has increased its outreach and budget in the last couple of years. Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada assisted 554 clients in the last fiscal year, according to Baca.
“We’re the only nonprofit that does strictly home repairs,” Baca said. “We don’t build from the ground up, and we try to put the Band-Aids on as best we can.”
The organization offers emergency repairs and home-safety modifications for clients year-round, as well as two annual home-repair events. Potential clients must meet several criteria to qualify for repairs, including being disabled, a veteran, at least 60 years of age, a grandparent raising grandchildren or the caregiver of a disabled or chronically ill family member, according to rtsnv.org. They also must be a resident of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson or Clark County.
Organization officials hire licensed contractors to perform needed emergency repairs and modifications throughout the year. The annual events, however, consist mainly of large volunteer teams of at least 25 people from corporations and local businesses.
One annual event, National Rebuilding Day, which is planned for April 28, is set to begin with a kick off breakfast at 8 a.m. today at St. Rose Dominican Hospital, 8280 W. Warm Springs Road.
Baca said the breakfast provides an opportunity for teams to select projects tailored to their goals and skill sets.
“Our primary volunteer opportunities are geared toward corporate teams because it’s a great team-building activity,” Baca said. “With this program, we have people look at (the clients’) needs. Some need help cleaning up the yard, straightening up a fence. Some need more major repairs. From there, we have an idea of what team we need and the skill level required.”
Baca described National Rebuilding Day as “Christmas in April” for homeowners and said veterans and military families receive the same assistance during the Heroes at Home event in November.
Carol Long, widow of a Korean War veteran, is one homeowner who received improvements from the Las Americas Lions Club during the Heroes at Home event Nov. 5, 2011. Volunteers assisted with landscaping and gardening in the front and back yards of her home.
Long said she is grateful for the help she received through Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada and the Las Americas Lions Club.
“I didn’t want to do anything after my husband died, and my yard became too much for me,” Long said. “I feel very blessed to have the help. It gave me a new desire to go out and do things.”
Long keeps in contact with members from the Las Americas Lions Club team and said she often has dinners with some of the members and was invited to join the organization this year. Baca said corporate teams often develop relationships with the clients extending beyond providing home repairs.
Despite its success in the past couple of years, the organization has not been without challenges. Baca said finding potential clients and funding have been two of the biggest tests.
“Public and private funding has become much more competitive,” Baca said. “We target low- to moderate-income families, and we don’t want to depress home values. Our biggest challenge is finding the clients, but as we increase service to the community, we’re getting word out there of what we do.”
Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada receives the bulk of its funding from donations and grants. The organization received its first grant of the year — $20,000 from the JP Morgan Chase Foundation — Jan. 4 as part of the Neighborhood Stabilization Affordable Homeownership Program.
Baca said that although donations and volunteers are integral parts of the organization, the homeowners are the main priority.
“The people (volunteers) are assisting are worthy of help because they’re longtime investors in the community,” Baca said. “This is neighbors helping other neighbors.”
For more information on Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada, call 259-4900 or visit rtsnv.org.
Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Lisa Carter at lcarter@viewnews.com or 383-4686.
