REPORT ON HIGHLIGHTS OF 2013 PROJECTS "I felt as if I had family and good friends everywhere to help. Everyone was so kind…I cannot adequately express my gratitude for the miracles and blessings of what I have received. It was as if I was given an enormous treasure chest, and out came all of you." -Homeowner commenting on Rebuilding Day 2013

Rebuilding Together North Suburban Chicago in partnership with social service providers, community leaders, donors and volunteers, helps low income homeowners and those with disabilities to live in dignity and to remain in their homes, safe, warm and dry. We consider it a privilege to serve. We are pleased to share our 2013 Report about the impact we are making together. This past year we:

Received more than 100 applications for free home repairs

Worked on 60 projects in 19 communities

Served low-income homeowners, many of whom are seniors or Veterans, have disabilities, or care for a child with disabilities at home, as well as needy not for profits

Worked with more than 700 volunteers, 36 volunteer groups and many donors

Here are a few of our stories from 2013: Evanston Great Grandmother Gets an Extreme Home Makeover A senior raising her three great grandchildren longed for a safer home and a better quality of life, but her resources fell short. To her immense delight, we enhanced the safety of her home with significant electrical repairs. We also renovated the kitchen, installing new flooring, cabinets, counters, range and sink, painting and improving the plumbing. The family now lives in safety and greater dignity.

Helping a Hero A social worker from North Shore Senior Center wrote to us asking for help with a tough situation. A Morton Grove senior had a roof in extreme disrepair, landing him in Building Court and facing mounting penalties. The homeowner was a Marine Combat Veteran who served in the Viet Nam War with distinction and suffered a service related disability. He had also worked hard all his life as the driver of a semi dump truck until his layoff

four years ago at age 61. With a grant from Sears Heroes at Home and a donation of some of the labor from a trusted roofer, we provided a new roof to this hero. “I didn’t think I was going to survive this,” the Veteran said. “I don’t have any family and I wasn’t about to ask my friends for money. I’m so grateful for this gift.” Morton Grove Champion, 10/28/13 (by Rick Kambic)

Supporting Those Facing Challenge A homeowner’s sister had a devastating stroke leaving her paralyzed from the chest down. The homeowner lovingly cared for her sister in her own home. This challenging situation had become impossible; the sister required a prohibitively expensive lift and transport vehicle to exit and re-enter the home for medical appointments. A conforming ramp was not feasible due to the height of the entryway. In response to this compelling need, Rebuilding Together rebuilt the porch and installed an exterior electrical lift, enhancing the safety and health of the sister coping with daunting challenge.

Before of porch After of porch Homeowner enjoys a trial run of her sister’s new lift

Serving One Who Serves Others A seventy-one year old homeowner has spent her life in service to others. For many years she worked hard as a nurse, raising her family. In her retirement she continues to serve as a leader in her church’s annual mission trips to impoverished countries helping to set up clinics serving those less fortunate than herself. In recent years, this giving senior faced financial challenges and family members’ serious health issues. Essential home

repairs and many longed-for improvements were out of reach financially. Rebuilding Together stepped in and retained professionals to tuck-point and perform a roof repair. On Rebuilding Day, a team of volunteers completed the transformation of her home. They filled cracks in the foundation, painted the back of the house and shed, washed walls and ceilings, reorganized cabinets, fixed a sink, filled a dumpster with unwanted belongings and did a major landscaping project.

The homeowner said, “God is a provider and He provided this group for me...I pray for them every day...I will never find words to express my gratitude”.

We Witness Much Need A North Chicago homeowner had a badly leaking roof. While an insurance payment helped cover the roof replacement, it did not stretch far enough for the interior repairs. With nowhere else to turn, she turned to us. Caring volunteers threw their hearts into this project to help this dear senior. In her bedroom they installed paneling, painted, installed a new ceiling fan and shades and reorganized. They cleaned and organized the living room and installed new carpeting. Turning their attention to the kitchen, they painted the door, installed a new sink, faucet, spice rack and paper towel rack. They cleaned and organized the attic room and basement,

A Favorite "Before and After"

A 91 year old homeowner is thrilled to be able

to remain in her home, thanks to her

wonderful daughter and care-giver. This

daughter humbly did their wash the old

fashioned way with a wash board and metal

tub. When their refrigerator broke down, they

reached out to us. The daughter said that a

new washing machine was not essential.

Smiling, she said that hand-scrubbing was her

"work out". We provided a new refrigerator

and washing machine, and the daughter has

admitted that she does like having a washing

machine. We also assisted with furnace

repairs.

and also greatly improved the yard. These kind volunteers transformed the home, elevated the senior’s quality of life and lifted her spirits. Please view the before and after photos of this project on the next page.

Before photo of preceding project “We Witness Much Need” After photo of preceding project

The Gift of Hope A senior had been rehabbing her 167 year old house for 13 years, but as she put it, “life happens” and divorce, health and financial problems interfered greatly with her progress. As she stated in her application, “it would be great to have friends to help.” Volunteers painted and landscaped. The House Captain provided professional repair and painting of 4 rusty and unstable exterior wrought iron railings to address safety and cosmetic issues. The homeowner said, "My home is so beautiful now. It is a blessing to have the SIX rooms painted…..Now I am one more big step further with my home…you all have given me hope. “ Another homeowner had not had hot water for over a year. We provided a hot water heater, installed new carpeting, renovated her bathroom and did electrical repairs, vastly improving her quality of life.

We assisted a Korean War Veteran and his wife using a Sears Heroes at Home grant. Contractors repaired, painted and reversed the front door, repaired and installed new plumbing in the bathroom and retiled the shower area, installed a new light fixture in kitchen, painted and repaired tile in the kitchen, installed new flooring in the kitchen, painted the living room and repaired a faulty railing. With a grant from Sears Heroes at Home we assisted a WWII Veteran by gutting and rebuilding his bathroom, improving basement plumbing and installing a new water heater. This Homeowner served in Viet Nam, returning with a service related disability. Home Depot provided skilled volunteers and funding to provide a beautiful new kitchen to his family including four children.

Helping More Veterans In addition to providing a Veteran with a desperately needed new roof we worked on at least four more high impact projects for our honored Veterans as follows: Homeowner is the widow of a Korean War Veteran and is

also a Veteran of that War. Enthusiastic volunteers rebuilt

her enclosed back porch, repaired and painted her front

porch, replaced a toilet, installed dead bolt locks and

performed extensive yard work.

Helping Those With Disabilities

Rimland (Evanston) serves those with autism: Painted 12 rooms in one of their residential homes to provide a more serene environment. Rimland was very pleased with the beautiful result. Orchard Village serves those with developmental disabilities: Tore down damaged deck and built and stained a large new deck at their main campus. Built new benches and repaired picnic tables. Cleared a huge forested area to prepare for large garden, and painted. Over 54 volunteers worked on this project including 15 skilled carpenters, 3 skilled painters, and 4 skilled arborists. Orchard Village said, “It was genuinely gratifying to see folks give up a Saturday to do serious work. Saturdays are precious, and there was no wimping around… All of the volunteers had a wonderful spirit and worked very hard.”

Glenkirk serves those with developmental disabilities: At a residence for 18 adults, volunteers in this outdoor project built a brick wall border, planted bushes and laid down mulch, buffed the basement floor like new, painted badly scuffed doors and more. Glenkirk said that the team did a fantastic job.

A young mom living in a single family home in Northbrook…. Relies on a mobility scooter. Carpenters built her a small handicap ramp. Volunteers removed a hazardous metal shed and did a major yard clean up.

Helping More Seniors

We helped a very gracious senior with challenges posed by flooding by removing 1.5 tons of unwanted belongings, reorganizing, removing kitchen cabinets and installing new cabinets and counters, painting her living room and kitchen and landscaping. We helped MANY more seniors with the tasks sited above, as well as others including: repairing and replacing roofs, installing a new door bell and security light, replacing multiple window screens, replacing main water inlet valve, repairing porch hand railings, repairing a sump pump, replacing toilets, repairing electrical, improving bathrooms, repairing doors, providing appliances, repairing plumbing, replacing shower doors, re-caulking tub and shower, replacing faucets, tuck- pointing chimney, demo and removal of metal shed, repairing broken fence, installing stair railing, installing new blinds, yard work and more. We were even able to build a patio for an Evanston homeowner who longed for this improvement.

A senior was using towels in her attic to absorb water after it rained. We repaired the flashing around the chimney and were able to stop the leak. In another major project we removed a concrete ramp to the front door which was pitched incorrectly and causing the home to rot, rebuilt the front porch and replaced rotted wood, repaired exterior lights and adjusted the front door. We provided a new back door, repaired plumbing in both bathrooms, painted the interior, installed a new garbage disposal, performed yard work and more.

Assisting Families Volunteers worked over weeks to assist a widow with two young children. The Dad had passed away after this family filed their application for help. Volunteers rebuilt the porch roof and properly flashed it to the house, replaced one rusted out window well that was allowing leakage into the basement, completely gutted the basement down to the studs and rebuilt it. They also repaired furnace and air conditioning, provided new siding, fascia and soffits, gutters and door posts on back of home and more. Volunteers and skilled contractors assisted a large family struggling in their home which needed major repairs. They painted every room, repairing and providing new drywall as needed. They repaired lights in the foyer and outside which did not work and provided a functioning bathroom upstairs, including a new shower, new toilet and new faucets. This work was challenging and included a difficult plumbing situation. The results are fantastic. This homeowner is very thankful.

Impact of our work Our 2013 projects summarized:

Renovated 6 kitchens

Improved many bathrooms

Performed 14 plumbing repairs

Provided 14 new appliances (including appliances in 6 kitchen renovations)

Worked on 6 electrical projects

6 major landscaping projects

Painted interior and/or exterior parts of over 20 homes

6 major clutter/organizational projects

4 new roofs

4 roof repairs

Rebuilt 2 porches and decks

Gutted and rehabbed basement which had extensive water damage and provided new gutters and siding on back of home

Installed electrical exterior lift and small wheelchair ramp, grab bars and more

The Rebuilding Together North Suburban Chicago network comprised of donors, house captains and skilled and unskilled volunteers makes its greatest impact in making each homeowner we serve to feel cared for, respected and empowered. We are grateful to all who support our mission. Contact: Sharon Riley, Executive Director sharonrileyrt@gmail.com - (847) 778-7469

Rebuilding Together North Suburban Chicago P.O. Box 626, Glenview, IL 60025 www.rebuildingtogethernsc.com