New Affiliates Already Making An Impact
Rebuilding Together has more than 120 affiliates across the country, working everywhere from rural areas to metropolitan cities. We currently have affiliates in 38 states and the District of Columbia, but are actively working to increase our service area so we can bring the work of Rebuilding Together to more communities.
Some of our newest affiliates include Rebuilding Together Chattanooga in Chattanooga, TN, Rebuilding Together Northern Nevada in Reno, NV and Rebuilding Together Stephenson County in Freeport, IL. We’re also in the process of starting an affiliate in Mobile, AL to better serve the Gulf Coast as our neighbors in this area continue to be vulnerable to worsening disasters. All of these affiliates have passionate and dedicated community members involved in launching this work in their neighborhood.
Rebuilding Together Chattanooga formed in 2019 and hit the ground running making essential home repairs for neighbors in their community. While the COVID-19 pandemic postponed some of their work, they were still able to serve neighbors in need and build meaningful relationships with partners like Lowe’s and Wells Fargo. Last summer, they made repairs for Chattanooga neighbor, Verdell, who had lived in her home for 41 years. The home had been in her family for at least three generations. Rebuilding Together Chattanooga provided Verdell with an accessibility ramp, new toilet, grab bars, new flooring and more.
Rebuilding Together Northern Nevada began its first projects at the beginning of 2021, and has already expanded their services across 10 different counties. This April, they celebrated their 2nd National Rebuilding Month by engaging 50 volunteers in outdoor beautification projects for multiple neighbors, including Joe who is a veteran of the U.S. Army. They were also able to recently hire Katie Pace, who helped launch the affiliate, as their full-time executive director.
Rebuilding Together Stephenson County is the newest affiliate of the bunch, planning to host their first project on June 18, 2022. The affiliate started the launch process just before COVID-19 hit and persevered through the pandemic, officially becoming an affiliate at the end of 2021. Their volunteer board of directors has been busy making lots of meaningful community partnerships and preparing for their launch project this June!
We kicked off the 2022 Rebuilding Together Launch School this May with a cohort of community leaders from four new areas of the country looking to start an affiliate and bring Rebuilding Together services to their community. These leaders will go through a series of trainings to prepare them for a successful launch and a sustainable affiliate. We are grateful to have passionate community leaders dedicated to the vision of safe and healthy homes for all of our neighbors.
This is just the beginning for these affiliates, and we’re excited to see all they accomplish in the future. While we currently service a large portion of the country, we know there are so many more communities that could benefit from this work. Our goal is to have Rebuilding Together affiliates in most top Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and rural areas of need. If you or someone you know is interested in starting a Rebuilding Together affiliate in your community, please visit https://rebuildingtogether.org/start-local-affiliate. Let’s work together to create safe homes and communities for everyone.