Army of Local Volunteers Provide Free Home Rehabilitation for Low Income Homeowners
Ten homeowners in a local Marion County neighborhood received gifts of free home repairs thanks to more than 225 corporate volunteers working with Rebuilding Together Indianapolis. Volunteers completed the repairs during a one-day work blitz on Saturday, April 28th in the SEND – Twin Aire neighborhood.
The 19th annual Rebuilding Together Indianapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Day began with a neighborhood rally at 8 a.m. at the Rebuilding Together Celebration Tent located at the corner of Prospect and Madeira Street.
In the sprit of community partnership, representatives from the city of Indianapolis participated in the opening ceremony to celebrate the community impact associated with this collaborative effort. Guests included Craig Jackson from Indianapolis Power and Light, as well as Vop Osoli, Blake Johnson and David Ray from the Indianapolis City County Council. Radio personalities Jim, Deb and Kevin from WFMS 95.5 emceed the opening ceremony.
During the day, volunteers worked on a variety of tasks ranging from carpentry, plumbing and electrical projects to cleaning and weatherizing. Improvements were made in the neighborhood bordered by Prospect Street to the north, Sherman Drive to the East, Apple Street to the South, and Vandeman Street to the West. Each dollar raised by Rebuilding Together Indianapolis returns $4 to the community in the form of in-kind donations of materials and time. This year, Rebuilding Together Indianapolis raised more than $125,000 in cash contributions, which will result in more than $500,000 of investment in the homes and neighborhood.
The Twin Aire neighborhood has already received significant home repairs from Rebuilding Together Indianapolis. On Saturday, April 21, volunteers from the Indiana Union Construction Industry joined forces with Rebuilding Together Indianapolis to provide the necessary skilled work to prepare the homes for the volunteers arriving this weekend for Neighborhood Revitalization Day.
“This is a true community effort focused on strengthening Indianapolis neighborhoods one home at a time,” said Bill Davis, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Indianapolis. “Rebuilding Together Indianapolis is committed to our mission of helping residents remain in their homes in warmth, safety and independence,” said Davis. “We believe making improvements to even just one home can spark a neighborhood revitalization.”
