National Rebuilding Month Project Profile: Rebuilding Together Dayton

Living on less than $700 a month, Margaret, the widow of a US Air Force veteran, and her adult son Michael, a US Army veteran, are faced with difficult decisions every day. She raised 4 sons and 4 daughters while working as a machine operator in San Antonio. She moved to Dayton in 1990 when her sister died. She and her son have done everything they can to take care of their home, but right now they could use some help.

Through a grant from the Sears Heroes at Home program and funding from MetLife, Rebuilding Together Dayton will be able to provide critical repairs and renovations to Margaret’s home- easing the burden on her very tight budget.

Margaret’s arthritis is to the point where she requires a walker to get around and is not able to get in and out of her tub without assistance. She is currently only able to bathe once per week. Rebuilding Together Dayton will fully renovate her bathroom- including installing a step in shower and grab bars so Margaret can safely access her shower.

As volunteers, employees from MetLife, Standard Register, and ACCO will also replace an exterior door, repair and patch walls and the ceiling and provide landscaping clean-up.

“It [volunteering] was my chance to give back. Many people are in need in the Dayton community. By helping those who have lived in their homes, raised families (sometimes multiple generations) and are now at a point where they don't have the means to make necessary repairs, it is beyond rewarding to spend the time and make a difference,” said Brian Haines, house captain for Rebuilding Together Dayton. “This impact affects the houses next door, the street, and ultimately the entire community. The appreciation and thanks can be seen in their faces and felt in the hugs they give as we finish up.”

This project is part of National Rebuilding Month, a nationwide call to provide safe and healthy homes for America’s low-income homeowners and families across the country during the month of April leading up to National Rebuilding Day on April 26, an annual culmination of the month’s events. Last year across the country, more than 50,000 volunteers served at over 3,000 affiliate-led rebuild projects during the month of April. National Rebuilding Month is embraced by community leaders and national corporate partners as a way of bringing immediate, large-scale impact to communities across America in a single month. Follow the projects at on Facebook and Twitter (#rtnrm). Learn more at www.rebuildingtogether.org/nrm2014/