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OUR MISSION
Bringing volunteers and communities together
to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners. |
GREEN TIP OF THE MONTH
My favorite thing about May besides the beautiful
weather is the explosion of color at the farmers' market. Bright red
strawberries and tomatoes, crisp green cucumbers, deep purple eggplants,
and bell peppers in almost every color of the rainbow. What's so
special about this produce? It comes straight from the farm which means
two things. First, since large-scale food operations in our
industrialized food system don't bother selling their items at local
farmers' markets, you are guaranteed that the produce grew up on a
smaller family farm. Most of these farms practice sustainable
agriculture, which actually enriches the soil instead of depleting it
and produces better tasting produce. Do your kids hate tomatoes? Let
them try one from the farmers market. Second, produce available at
farmers' markets usually travels less than 200 miles. This means that
the produce is not only fresher but has used significantly less fossil
fuels to get to your plate than what you find at a grocery store. To
find a farmers' market near you, click here.
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KEEPING UP WITH RTMC
You are already receiving our monthly
newsletter and that's great! But there are other ways to keep track of
what's going on in the Rebuilding Together world. Become a fan of us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter
(@RTMoCo)!
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CONTACT
US
Rebuilding Together MC
3925 Plyers Mill Rd.
Suite 202
Kensington, MD 20895
301.933.2700
www.rebuildingtogethermc.org
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Spring Rebuilding Day31 Homes +
3 NonprofitsSpring
Rebuilding Day 2010 was a huge success! Below is an outline of a few of
the wonderful projects that took place across Montgomery County. Though
Spring Rebuilding Day is only one weekend, these projects are actually
months in the making. Training and work scope development begins in
February and preparation work days are not uncommon. Heavy work items,
such as the replacement of an entire house wall (see below), start weeks
in advance. Dedicated volunteers often devote many weekends and long
nights to the success of their project. A huge thank you to
everyone who participated hardly seems enough but we'll give it a try: THANK YOU!
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IFMA
photo by Ross Kruglak
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Safety was the highest priority at this home in Silver Spring.
For an senior woman living alone, volunteers from the National Chapter
of IFMA (International Facility Management Association) created an
accessible bathroom including a walk-in shower with grab bars. The group
also installed handrails on the front porch, added insulation in the
attic, installed smoke and carbon dioxide detectors, and did yard
maintenance. A professional electrician updated the house's electrical
service. |
Temple Beth Ami & Shaare Torah
Congregation
photo by Mike Cogan
 | At this home in Kensington,
mold growing in the laundry room was a
major health concern for the family. The group called in mold
remediation specialist to remove and treat all the moldy drywall.
Volunteers then rebuilt the laundry room; they also installed a trench
drain around the base of the house, installed new toilets and fixed
plumbing problem, repaired broken steps and installed handrails, and
replaced several windows. Professional roofers also replaced a
leaking roof. |
Sandy Spring Bank & DG Lui
Contractor, Inc.
photo by Randy Hill
 | At this Silver Spring home
of a senior couple, the entire back wall of the house was on the verge
of collapsing. Professional contractor Jerry Lui and his crew were able
to restructure and replace the entire two story back wall. They also
replaced 15 windows and 2 doors, installed storm doors, and completely
renovated 2 bathrooms, replacing all the drywall, fixtures, and
flooring. Volunteers from Sandy Spring Bank lent a hand on Spring
Rebuilding Day by painting most of the interior, installing a new washer
and dryer, installing a new kitchen sink and faucet, and doing
extensive yard clean-up.
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UPCOMING EVENTS + VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES
Landscaping
and Yard Maintenance - Saturdays in May and June
Along with serving low-income homeowners in
Montgomery County we also support other nonprofits in the area. Housing Unlimited, Inc.provides
affordable housing to individuals with psychiatric disabilities. They
have asked RTMC to help them with the general yard maintenance of some
of their properties. We need 5-10 volunteers on a couple of Saturdays in
May and June to clear debris, weed and mulch, plant flowers, stain
decks, etc.
If you are interested in getting your hands dirty
(literally), please call the office or contact Lane Van Buren.
RTMC
Community Warehouse Workers - Ongoing
The RTMC Community
Warehouse is looking for volunteers to use
their muscles (or tone them up) by unloading and organizing bi-weekly
donations from the Home Depot. Must be able to take inventory of new
shipments and lift 20-50 lbs. Please contact Bill Kauffmanif you are interested in being a part
of our newest community resource.
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