Before and after work by Rebuilding Together Alexandria.
Last May, Rebuilding Together Alexandria was awarded a $500,000 Project Reinvest grant to implement various projects in revitalizing the Hume Springs and Lynhaven neighborhoods. We were one of only two grant recipients in the state of Virginia.
Over the first 10 months of this 18-month grant, Rebuilding Together Alexandria has made critical health and safety improvements to the homes of 17 low-income families and individuals in those neighborhoods. Among the improvements made were the replacements of two broken stoves, one refrigerator, and one washing machine, and the installation of a comfort height toilet. We also provided six major furnace, nine electrical, and six plumbing repairs, replaced two roofs, and installed a chairlift. Multiple handyman repairs, including handrail installations, were completed by our skilled volunteers and contractors.
Feedback from the homeowners has been humbling. One recipient commented, “I was impressed with everything Rebuilding Together Alexandria has done for me to include front and back tree work, gutter replacement and repair, replacement of a broken stove, furnace repair, new floor tile in kitchen and work on my front porch. So many things I would not have been able to do on my own. So grateful. Thanks again!”
Today, nearly 50 percent of households in these communities have incomes of less than $60,000 (less than 60 percent of the Area Median Income). We have been serving this community for more than 20 years, and are proud to build on that progress, increasing access to safe and healthy housing, encouraging active and healthy living, and fostering community connectedness.
Our work doesn’t end in the home! We have partnered with Alexandria City Public Schools and the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities to accomplish much-welcomed revitalization projects throughout the second half of this year. Rebuilding Together Alexandria will convert open space to a multi-generational park and build a large scale community growing garden, all serving the areas of Hume Springs and Lynhaven. We have also made physical improvements at Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology including exterior painting upgrades, removing unsafe tree limbs, and installing a new bike rack for students.
“Our overall vision for this Project Reinvest initiative is to revitalize the Hume Springs and Lynhaven neighborhoods through efforts that are resident-driven, sustainable, and proven effective in order to improve the health and well-being of community residents,” states Katharine Dixon, president and CEO of Rebuilding Together Alexandria.
Rebuilding Together Alexandria is an award-winning, mission-driven organization that creates healthy neighborhoods for Alexandria residents by maintaining affordable housing for low-income homeowners, revitalizing community spaces, and creating homeownership opportunities. Since 1986, more than 27,000 volunteers have worked on 2,137 projects, leveraging $7.5 million worth of in-kind value to Alexandria. Rebuilding Together’s work contributes to helping the City remain economically, socially and culturally diverse.