RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
Richmond City Council – Richmond City Hall - 900 E. Broad Street, Suite 200 - Richmond, VA 23219 - www.council.richmondva.gov
COUNCIL PUBLIC INFORMATION NEWS ADVISORY
IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO BE FORWARDED AND SHARED
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Councilwoman Newbille invites all to see 50 free home make-overs in Richmond's Greater Fulton Neighborhood this Saturday: Year of planning, preparation and production realized
Rebuilding Together of Richmond to deploy 1,500 volunteers to fix homes owned by seniors with low-income and people who are disabled
WHAT (Richmond, Virginia U.S.A.) -- The Honorable Cynthia I. Newbille, Councilwoman, Richmond City Council, East End 7th Voter District, invites everyone to come out and see 50 homes in the Greater Fulton Neighborhood receive free home repair make-overs this Saturday. The project includes homes owned by seniors with low-income and people who are disabled.
Produced and managed by Rebuilding Together of Richmond, the 2013 Richmond Rebuilding Day is part of a national event that locally represents a year of dedication and hundreds of hours of planning, preparation and production. Work completed up to this point has included soliciting and reviewing applications; coordination of funding and supplies; months of skilled trades work done in preparation; and, coordination and management of 1,500 community volunteers.
Examples of repairs and renovations include painting, heating/cooling systems, roofs, windows, handrails, porch repairs, lighting and removal of dangerous trip/ fall hazards.
Rebuilding Together of Richmond is a local nonprofit agency that was established in 1992 and receives its supplies and funding from Richmond-based businesses, individuals and community partners.
Homes to be repaired are chosen annually from applications submitted to Rebuilding Together of Richmond in the previous year. Criteria for assistance include: homeowners who are 55 years of age or older or have disabilities; have a household income less than $25,000; and, living in a property in a selected project area (assessed annually).
WHEN Saturday, April 27, 2013
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
WHERE Event Headquarters
Neighborhood Resource Center
1519 Williamsburg Road
Richmond, Virginia
WHO The Honorable Cynthia I. Newbille, Councilwoman, Richmond City Council, East End 7th Voter District
Ms. Amy King, Executive Director, Rebuilding Together of Richmond
CONTACT For more information, please contact Amy King, Executive Director, Rebuilding Together of Richmond, at: 804.513.8628 (mobile); or via email, at: amy@rebuildingtogetherrichmond.org; or website, at www.rebuildingtogetherrichmond.org
or
Sam Patterson, Council Liaison, for The Honorable Cynthia I. Newbille, Councilwoman, Richmond City Council, East End 7th Voter District,
at 804.646.3012 (tel), or sam.patterson@richmondgov.com (email)
BACKGROUND __________________________________________________________________________
Rebuilding Together of Richmond
Rebuilding Together of Richmond was established in 1992 and is part of nation's largest nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing critical home repair and modification services to those in need at no cost to homeowners. With the help of community volunteers, skilled tradesman, the support of local business and major corporate partners, Rebuilding Together affiliates in America’s largest cities and smallest towns make life considerably better for thousands of low-income homeowners. In addition to its core home repair work, Rebuilding Together also rehabilitates community centers and conducts home modification and repair programs that focus on aging in place. Rebuilding Together has programs dedicated to energy efficiency, veteran’s housing, and disaster recovery and reconstruction. For more information, please visit the Rebuilding Together website, at www.rebuildingtogetherrichmond.org
2013 Rebuilding Together of Richmond Overview
• Fifty or more homes will be served in the Greater Fulton community on this day and throughout the year via Partner Builds.
• All homes are owned and occupied by low-income elderly or disabled residents of the City of Richmond.
• More than 1,500 community volunteers participate in Rebuilding Together of Richmond each year.
• The services and products delivered by this program are sponsored and underwritten primarily by Richmond-based businesses, community and faith-based partners.
• To date, Richmond Rebuilding Together has rehabilitated 925 homes and helped revitalized 18 communities in the Richmond area.
• The project works to create safe and healthy homes by:
o Reattaching gutters and downspouts, improved drainage
o Adding handrails to the front and back stoops, adding/repairing ADA wheelchair ramps
o Weatherizing doors and windows
o Roof replacement, heating restoration, insulation
o Hot water tank and other appliance repair and replacement
o Electrical service upgrades
o Bath fixtures replacement
o Repair to floors rotted by wet conditions
o Addition of security doors, deadbolts and peepholes.
• The Home Modifications component of this program includes a falls assessment of the homeowner and family members. Volunteer occupational and physical therapists make recommendations of products and modifications to be included in the rehab effort, such as:
o Supplying durable medical equipment – tub benches, toilet railings, grab bars
o Resolving safety issues – large numbers on telephones, CO2 and smoke detectors
o Elimination of trip and fall hazards
Rebuilding Together of Richmond key points
• Rebuilding Together believes that "Community Starts at Home."
• Rebuilding Together works to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing critical home repair, accessibility modifications and energy efficient upgrades to those in need at no cost to homeowners.
• Part of a national effort, Rebuilding Together affiliates across the country will mobilize thousands of volunteers to rehabilitate and improve nearly 3,000 homes during this month. Recipients of services include the elderly, persons with disabilities, military veterans and families in need.
• Rebuilding Together turns every $1 donated into $4 in equivalent market value by leveraging donations of goods and services from corporate partners and skilled trade associations.
• Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies found that the homeowners served by Rebuilding Together would not be able to do the critical home repairs they need without the help of local Rebuilding Together affiliates.
• Studies show that homeowners often must choose to put aside basic home maintenance for basic necessities such as food and healthcare and that Rebuilding Together is often a last resort.
• Rebuilding Together works to stabilize neighborhoods by focusing efforts on communities where foreclosures are highest. More than 44 million homes in the US will experience property devaluation as a result of foreclosures in their neighborhoods (Center for Responsible Lending)
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Steven R. Skinner, APR
Council Public Information Manager
RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL CHIEF OF STAFF
Richmond City Hall
900 E. Broad Street, Suite 305
Richmond, Virginia 23219
804.646.6052 (office)
804.335.4054 (mobile)
804.937.1386 (home/mobile)
804.646.5468 (fax)
steven.skinner@richmondgov.com (email)
www.council.richmondva.gov(website)
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MISSION The mission of Richmond City Council
is to represent citizens in creating and amending
local laws, providing government policy and
oversight, and approving the city budget.
VISION Richmond City Council is committed to
creating a vibrant community that is a great place
