Currently Rebuilding Together Nashville is working on their first book, hopefully to become one of many! The book will contain testimonials, comments, pictures of rebuilds and messages from the organization and its sponsors that have been involved in any of Rebuilding Together Nashville’s 143 home renovations! The book is expected to be out this fall! Keep up with us so you can get your copy! All proceeds go back into funding rebuilding homes in the community!
T-Shirts can also be bought from Rebuilding Together Nashville, we’re working on getting that available on the site. If you’d like one before we get them online just email/call us if you’d like to purchase one!
As the crew completed repairs on the Peets’ home, the volunteers along with the homeowners were excited about the final results.
Vanrine Peets, the homeowner’s son, said his mom’s house looks much better than it did before.
“I think it’s really good,” Peets said. “I’m really impressed with the deck and also the attic.”
Peets appreciated what the volunteers did for his family.
“I think it means a lot,” he said. “Sometimes it’s hard for her to find help. So I think she’s very thankful and grateful for this.”
While volunteers made significant improvements to the home, house captain, Herb Chafin, said crews always wish they could do more than what one day allows.
“You always want to get more done,” Chafin said. “You come out and run as fast as you can and get as much done as you can, but you never get done everything you want to.”
Chafin, who has worked with Rebuilding Together for a decade, continues to be active with the organization because he believes in its mission to help those who don’t have the resources to help themselves.
For photos, video and other updates on today’s build, check out our Twitter and Facebook pages.
To see the finishing touches on today’s project, watch the video below.
At the halfway mark, Mrs. Peets’ house has already been cleaned and prepped, and volunteers have begun to make progress on the repairs.
Jason Biddle, a member of Rebuilding Together’s Board of Directors, said everyone is pleased with the quick pace and amount of work that has taken place, especially for only a half-day’s work.
Biddle and several other volunteers have been working hard to repair Mrs. Peets’ back porch.
“We’ve been removing an old deck,” Biddle said. “It wasn’t set in correctly, so it didn’t have support underneath it. We’ve been taking out old wood and replacing it with new, treated wood.”
After working for Rebuilding Together for almost six months, Biddle has enjoyed participating in the builds because of the organization and volunteers’ shared sense of community.
“In these type of settings and environments, a lot of times these people are pulling themselves up by their bootstraps,” Biddle said. “As a community, our purpose and goal is to come together—individuals coming together to accomplish a common goal for someone who has no other resource. It’s fun to see a group of people come together for someone they don’t even know.”
The volunteers from Rebuilding Together have teamed up with Sears employees as part of the Heroes at Home program.
Richard Catapano, Sears’ district manager for retail and sales throughout the Nashville area, started working with Rebuilding Together last year in an effort to help out after the May floods.
Catapano said the company enjoys being involved in the community that supports it.
“It’s good to give back to the community,” Catapano said. “As a retailer, we depend on the health of the community for our health. We have to recognize that a good community pays back, and we want to be a part of that.”
Sears and Catapano respect the mission of Rebuilding Together, as well as their partnership, and look forward to continuing to work together.
“It’s a great organization,” Catapano said. “I love the fact that it gets out and helps a large group of families to get their feet back on the ground. What we’re doing today would take months if not years to do. [Rebuilding Together] is kind of the glue that holds everyone together.”
The team has made progress on the back deck, window repairs, cleaning and organizing the attic, as well as several bathroom repairs.
For photos, video and other updates on today’s build, check out our Twitter and Facebook pages.
To see an update on the progress, watch the video below.
