Rebuilding Together Marks its Annual National Rebuilding Month in April
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2015 - Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit with a vision of a safe and healthy home for every person, announced today that April 2015 marks its fifth annual National Rebuilding Month. National Rebuilding Month is a nationwide call to provide safe and healthy homes for low-income homeowners and families across the country during the month of April punctuated with the annual National Rebuilding Day on April 25. Nearly 50,000 expected volunteers will serve at more than 1,800 affiliate-led rebuild projects on National Rebuilding Day.
“Through the work of our Rebuilding Together affiliates, we are able to see real and positive change in the homes and lives in the communities we serve,” said Sandra Henriquez, interim President and CEO of Rebuilding Together. “National Rebuilding Month unites community members and funding partners around the goal of preserving and maintaining the homes of homeowners in need.”
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, there are 5.2 million homeowners who live in deteriorating, physically inadequate homes that threaten their wellbeing. Therefore, the demand for Rebuilding Together’s services continues to grow as limited income homeowners, faced with diminishing resources, must choose food and medicine over critical home repairs — choices that, over time, lead to crumbling foundations, dangerously sagging roofs, and windows and doors that can’t be secured for their own safety.
National Rebuilding Month’s origin began in 1973 in Midland, Texas with the simple act of neighbors helping neighbors to rebuild their homes. Realizing the growing need — homes in disrepair and homeowners not able to afford the critical repairs — a small group of people volunteered their time and skills to rehabilitate the homes of their neighbors. This group became the founders of Rebuilding Together, which they called Christmas in April to represent the spirit of giving during their month of service each year in April. Eventually, its mission spread beyond the idea of providing service one month per year to bringing together partners from all walks of life to help their neighbors year-round. In 1988, Rebuilding Together opened its national headquarters in the District of Columbia.
To learn more about National Rebuilding Month, visit rebuildingtogether.org/nrm.