Rebuilding Together Petaluma's Upcoming Community Work Day Provides a Lifeline for Impoverished and Disabled Homeowners

One of the many heartwarming projects of last year's community workdays for Rebuilding Together Petaluma saw the mass clearing of decades of old debris and overgrown vegetation from a large, otherwise sunny side yard of a severely disabled Vietnam War veteran's mobile home.

This was part of an extended Spring and Fall overhaul of the home, which was rat infested and in dire need of an electric wheelchair lift, new windows, a rebuilt porch, handrails and a new water heater. Many such mobile homes were not built to last nearly as long as they have been inhabited and without the ability or means to keep up with repairs, (though this one was extreme) it is sadly not unusual for old and disabled people to live in the midst of such serious levels of decline.

A volunteer team from  the New Life Christian Fellowship built planter boxes and a flourishing community garden has since been established. The thankful home owner is able to sit on his rebuilt porch and enjoy the company of neighborhood gardeners, who share with him the bounty from his beautifully revitalized yard. 

 

Skilled tradespeople, community groups, office coworkers and everyday Petalumans like you and I volunteer with Rebuilding Together for unforgettable Spring and Fall workdays, making the sorts of structural improvements to the homes of the less fortunate within our community that enable these people to live more safely and securely.

Though a wheelchair ramp and new water heater or a step in bath or shower for the disabled might not be a complete home makeover, these sorts of vital improvements spark significant life improvements for many recipients. Click here to volunteer.

One thousand dollars, when invested in a Rebuilding Together Petaluma Project results in four thousand dollars worth of improvement, given the program's ability to source discounted materials and mostly volunteer labor (volunteers are not assigned roofing repairs). 

And you don't have to know how to install a toilet to volunteer. Cleaning windows, dump runs, gardening, there are all sorts of things that you can do to make a difference on a volunteer team. Many volunteers actually leave the project having learned many a new home repair skill, having assisted more skilled workers and building useful relationships. 

 

This mobile home park couple is looking forward to the April 2013 Rebuilding Together Petaluma workday. 

Homeowners such as this couple must qualify as low income and many, including this couple, not only have no one else to turn to but also have compounding health issues that have contributed to their decline in an old home.

As one of this Spring's eight projects,  including select Committee On the Shelterless group homes (with the recent loss of Redevelopment Funds, Rebuilding Together Petaluma has become a fundraising machine, a portion of which comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development),  this senior couple's $9,900 mobile home major overhaul is being very generously sponsored by Wells Fargo. 

What's more, a volunteer team of employees from Wells Fargo will be undertaking all of the work which includes roofing, fencing all the way around, a new chicken coop (chickens are currently living in a run-down shed), extensive porch and overhang repairs, fixing a leak in the bathroom ceiling, replacement of refrigerator and stove. 

One of Wells Fargo's requirements is that repairs must increase the energy and efficiency of the house.

Providing "Peace of mind really affects a homeowner's self esteem and sense of self-worth," says Executive Director of Rebuilding Together, Petaluma, Jane Hamilton. "Though we can't fix major life problems, we are impacting their lives by how they function on a practical level."

Most clients come to Rebuilding Together Petaluma via word of mouth. Another disabled Veteran recipient of upcoming Spring repairs is the gentleman pictured below. His property is set to be given a thorough clean-up, with the removal of toxics, roof and gutter repairs and a new, height adjusted toilet.

Most homeowners stay on site during the workday. Volunteer team members enjoy making the direct connection with the individual whose living conditions they are collectively improving. At the end of each project, the Petaluma Garden Club places a spectacular bouquet of freshly arranged flowers inside each home. 

Rebuilding Together Petaluma  lost $175,000 in funding from the dissolution of redevelopment funds in 2012 and $250,000 for all coming years. The organization, which is part of a national group of 220 affiliates across the U.S. has been focused on filling that gap with community and grant funding and by cutting salaries and renting out a portion of its office space on Petaluma Boulevard. Rebuilding Together Petaluma was awarded by the Petaluma City Council an allocation of $182,000 from HUD to be disbursed from July 1, 2025 to June 30th, 2013.

The community at large is stepping up to boost additional fundraising needed for this vital, local non-profit to accomplish its mission. 

Rebuilding Together's Executive Director Jane Hamilton and Director of Program Services Victoria O'Riley pictured below with a client, work year round on emergency repairs for extremely low income home owners, carefully assessing what simply cannot wait.

Approximately eight major repair projects take place each Spring and each Fall on what the tireless and dynamic duo of Hamilton and O'Riley describe as simply "magical" community work days.

This Petaluma resident pictured below is younger than most Rebuilding Together Petaluma Clients, yet his suffering from debilitating Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) has impacted his life in such a way that he has been unable to make necessary home conversions essential for the navigation of his mobility scooter.

April workday team volunteers will be removing flooring and replacing it with laminate, installing a wheelchair ramp and modifying his bathroom. A second phase of repairs will follow in the Fall. Due to earth movement under his property, his garage is unaccessible and it has become extremely challenging for him to ride his scooter up a steep driveway. Rebuilding Together Petaluma hopes to raise sufficient funds to undertake these more substantial structural repairs.  

April 2013 Project Sponsors include: 

Sears Heroes at Home Program

Wells Fargo Money for Muscles Program

Redwood Credit Union

BKF Engineers

Audio Visual Design Group

If you or your company is able to secure sponsorship for Rebuilding Together Petaluma's upcoming April workday, now is the time to reach out and make a significant impact in a neighboring Petaluman's quality of life. A project can be sponsored for as little as a couple of thousand dollars. Any level of financial support is welcome.

Executive Director Jane Hamilton and Director of Program Services Victoria O'Riley are delighted to announce an expanded board of directors. They would love to hear from anyone in the community who has an interest in serving on this enlivened board, dedicated to improving living conditions for Petalumans in most need. 

A Big Shout-Out to Skilled Volunteers  - set to work on the April 2013 projects thus far including:

S.C. Barns; Armand Proulx, General Contractor; Jack Overton, General Contracting; OFD Electric; Daunell Electric; Center Electrics; One World Garden; Andrew Jacobson, Design in Wood; Jeremy Roach, Carpenter; Rick Edwards, Home Fine Tuning; Just Floorcovering;Bill Tallman, The BTC Company; Pete Sand, Handy Man Services; Craig Riddle, Handy Man Services; Roger Evje, Construction Management; Lon Wiley, LRW Construction; The Bathtub Medic; Artemio Diaz; HVAC and general contracting services; Robin Perry, The Floorworks; Mike Nyholm, Conklin Floors; Podesta Builders.

 

Rebuilding Together Petaluma Board of Directors Includes: 

Gina Benedetti-Petnic, President/Vice President 

Project Manager, Devcon Construction Inc.

Christopher McCarthy, Secretary/Treasurer

General Partner, North River Landing LP

Mark Albertson, AIA, Member

Principal, Architects MA

Joanne Ferris, Member 

Director of Advancement, Saint Vincent’s High School

Tim Saavedra, Member

Branch Manager, Sonoma Bank

Heather Mackin, IIDA, Member

Marketing Director, Trope Group

Jeff Schach, Member

EMS Battalion Chief, Petaluma Fire Department

 

All photos Courtesy of Rebuilding Together Petaluma