Rebuilding Together Alexandria provides a variety of free repairs to help residents live in their homes.
Mr. R came upon Rebuilding Together Alexandria in 2013 from a newsletter he had picked up. He was in a situation where he was in dire need of assistance. His hot water heater was “spurting” everywhere. Mr. R has six children and raising them as a single parent on a fixed income can make it difficult to pay for house repairs. His roots to Alexandria run deep, owning a home in a historic part of Alexandria, playing sports at T.C. Williams in his younger years, and being a mentor and coach to children at a local recreation center. With enthusiasm he states, “I am a proud native of Alexandria. I believe our city is the most beautiful place one could have the privilege to live. Alexandria’s rich history and current community diversity is a beacon for other communities to appreciate and follow the principals that govern our belief.” He has remained positive, even inspirational, through it all.
Rebuilding Together Alexandria, over the past few years has been able to assist Mr. R with critical health and safety repairs, so he can concentrate on more important priorities in his everyday life like getting his children dressed, fed, and off to school every day. We have replaced his water heater, installed handrails and grab bars in the interior and exterior of his home, repaired drywall, installed a bathroom vanity, and most recently repaired the roof that was severely leaking. Mr. R reiterated his appreciation in a follow-up survey staff conducted, “I have a high standard of safety entering and leaving my home because of Rebuilding Together’s efforts and concerns about my welfare and safety. I now have easy access entering and exiting my porch front door and rear of house. The comfort and safety that the bath and shower rails provide, words can’t express. The repair to the roof has restored the structural integrity to my home.”
When following up with Mr. R, staff noticed he was using electrical heaters in his home because he could not get his furnace pilot light lit. Rebuilding Together staff began to get this issue resolved immediately. Rebuilding Together Alexandria’s Executive Director Katharine Dixon wants to reinforce to residents in the City of Alexandria that, “Without our funding, Mr. R and his six children would have weathered the winter with no heat. With the proposed FY18 federal budget, many organizations that serve residents like Mr. R will face the impact that spending cuts will have on people and communities throughout the nation.”
For more information call 703-836-1021, email kd@RebuildingTogetherAlex.org, or visit www.RebuildingTogetherAlex.org.