Thank you for your interest in Rebuilding Together/Montgomery County.  I began volunteering in 1992.  The experience was so powerful that I knew I had found a real opportunity to give back to others in a way that would matter and produce immediate results.  In the past fifteen years, I have watched RTMC grow from a small organization working on a few houses on one weekend a year to a year round program administered by a dedicated professional staff. It has been exciting to see that over 1500 volunteers worked on a 100 projects in our community in the past year alone!

Rebuilding Together/Montgomery County continues to serve a need that is growing and more urgent every year.  Not only do our clients need help to make their homes safer, drier and more energy efficient, but many also need referrals to other sources of help through our LINK program. We continue to strive to help as many people as we can to remain in their homes for as long as possible.

Many people are surprised to learn that there is so much need for our services in an area with a reputation for high incomes.  While the Census bureau’s 2004 American Community Survey listed Montgomery County as having the fourth highest median income in the United States ($82,971), RTMC’s average homeowner’s income in 2007 was a little over $18,000 for two people!  I have tried to imagine how the many homeowners I have met manage with this reality.

We have a marvelous group of dedicated and talented volunteers who make this program work. They get so much from seeing the end results of the projects they work on that many return year after year.  Some, like me get more involved in the management of the organization and serve on committees or our Board of Directors.

We are always developing relationships with trades people who provide professional services to our clients at no charge in areas such as plumbing, roofing, electrical and heating and air conditioning. Their participation is now a vital component of our program and has allowed us to accept more challenging projects. We are very proud that RTMC was chosen to coordinate the first Heroes At Home project in the US. Seeing the enthusiasm of our volunteers and the major impact that their work has had for a disabled Iraq War Veteran and his family is at the heart of what we strive to do.

Thankfully, our sponsors come from all sectors of the Montgomery County Community.  From large corporations, schools, religious and civic organizations and smaller businesses, they all contribute needed resources in the way of funds, materials and volunteer labor that make our programs work.  We are presently able to expand every dollar donated to Rebuilding Together/Montgomery County into seven dollars of services and materials for our clients.  This speaks well of the work that we are able to provide through the support of our community as we strive to become a major player in helping to maintain affordable housing in the County. There are many sponsorship opportunities available and our Staff and Board members are always glad to discuss these at any time.

I have been very excited to participate in the evolution of RTMC into an innovative and involving organization in Montgomery County.  Please come and volunteer and join our efforts!

Roger C. Rothman,

President RTMC Board of Directors