1,800 volunteers repaired on 30 homes in the Sacramento Area in 2008.  Repairs included carpentry, plumbing, yard clean up, painting, fencing and electrical.  Three not-for-profit facilities were also improved, allowing the agencies to direct their limited resources towards providing services rather than repairs.  

Three homes were a part of our Heroes at Home program that provides free home repairs and modifications to local low income veterans and their families. The program is sponsored by Sears and KMart.

LIVES ARE CHANGED....

Mr. W joined the Army in 1950 and was enlisted for three years. He was assigned to South Korea after going through training in Arkansas. He was later reassigned to Germany and permanently at Fort Bliss, TX for the remainder of his service.

He and his wife lived in the house for 45 years, which they bought for $12,500.

Mr. W said he has “never won anything in his life.” When asked what the day meant to him, he said that today feels “like Christmas.” He says he was lucky that he picked up the newspaper and saw the ad. Mr. W says that he and his wife live by themselves and could never  afford the type of work that done on his house.

The work included painting, a new patio, landscaping in the backyard, a new bathroom, kitchen and fencing. When asked what he was expecting from the organization, he recalls representatives from Rebuilding Together telling him not to expect much, perhaps not to get his hopes up high. But his initial reaction was that he “was elated! He still (is)! It’s just happiness to me! All these people…they’re all working. We didn’t expect this much! This is something else. This is really something! This is beautiful.”

The repairs allow them to live longer in their own home with pride and dignity.