As our fiscal year closes at the end of June, we humbly take stock of the impact over this past year with assisting more than 200 low-income individuals and families in Alexandria. The goal of our work is to ensure that families in need live in safe and healthy homes. Solid scientific evidence shows that multiple hazards posing significant risks to occupants’ health and safety disproportionately affect low-income persons living in older housing.
Karen, a new recipient of Rebuilding Together Alexandria’s services, explains that our program “… lifted a financial burden of the cost of repairs. This is a great community service for people of limited financial means who want to stay safely in their home.”
Evidence-based housing improvements and interventions effectively reduce the home risks and can prevent unnecessary illness, disease, and perhaps even death. One out of three older adults falls each year, but less than half talk to their healthcare providers about it. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries. Many falls are preventable by recognizing the dangers and taking steps to correct known home hazards. Karen was visited by one of our volunteers who spent a few days installing two grab bars in each of her bathrooms to help prevent falls. She also received four ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), a new stable toilet seat, a CO2/smoke detector, a fire extinguisher, and other various repairs and modifications.
For many of our clients like Karen, even the smallest of improvements can help. Recently, staff and volunteers distributed an ABC-certified fire extinguisher and/or CO2/smoke alarms to more than 15 homeowners who applied to our Safe & Healthy Homes program. Two-thirds of reported residential fire deaths occurred in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Children and adults age 65 and older are twice as likely to die in a fire as the average adult.
Although so much good has already been done by our volunteers and partners this fiscal year, it is evident that there is still great need for health and safety repairs and other improvements for low-income residents throughout the city of Alexandria. If you know someone like Karen who could benefit from our services, we encourage you to introduce them to us. For more information, call 703-836-1021 or visit www.RebuildingTogetherAlex.org.