50 volunteers to transform home of disabled family in Mountlake Terrace

Saturday, April 9, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Sarah Ihrie – (206) 963-6904
sihrie@rtseattle.org - www.rtseattle.org

50 volunteers to transform home of disabled family in Mountlake Terrace

Seattle, WA – On Saturday, April 9, from 8 am to 4 pm, Rebuilding Together Seattle (www.rtseattle.org) will partner with 50 volunteers from Safeway to clean, rebuild and repair the home of a family with two disabled children in Mountlake Terrace. In an effort to help others live independently in warmth and safety, Rebuilding Together Seattle focuses on providing low-income homes and non-profit facilities with critical repairs, modifications and energy-efficient upgrades at no cost to the individuals served.

Safeway, the $25,000 project sponsor, will be helping parents Gabe and Shannon, as well as their two young children, one who faces both physical and developmental disabilities. In November, Shannon and Gabe applied to Rebuilding Together Seattle in hopes of providing a warm and safe home for their children. In a letter to RTS explaining their family’s circumstances, Shannon wrote: “My son has many issues requiring medications and tube feeding to keep him healthy. Currently he has no heat in his room, no finished walls, and sleeps on a fold out mat on the floor of his room. The projects [at home] have piled up on us. We struggle with finding the time and resources to do the repairs.”

Shannon and Gabe’s dreams will come true on Saturday. Safeway will provide new flooring, windows, insulation, kitchen appliances, electrical work, clutter removal, and build a new fence. Returning Project Manager, Rick Jones, looks forward to leading the Safeway project for his second year. “For people who have struggled so much and have so little, they couldn’t be happier,” said Rick. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met.”

For more information on the Safeway Rebuilding Day through Rebuilding Together Seattle, please call (206) 682-1231 or email sihrie@rtseattle.org. Project address (4-9-11): 23405 53rd Ave W, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043. This event will offer exceptional visuals and ample opportunity for interviews; all interested media are encouraged to contact RTS for more details.

About Safeway & The Safeway Foundation
Safeway, in partnership with Rebuilding Together National (www.rebuildingtogether.org), has launched a spring campaign across the nation: Safeway’s Support for People with Disabilities. Safeway and its philanthropic arm, The Safeway Foundation, chose Rebuilding Together as a signature cause partner a year ago. The partnership has had a significant impact the lives of people living with disabilities. During April, Safeway and its local divisions, including: Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s and Tom Thumb, will complete 10 disability-focused projects in 10 cities, including: Denver, CO; Chicago, IL; Silver Spring, MD; Sacramento, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; Dallas, TX; San Diego, CA; and Berkeley, CA..

About Rebuilding Together Seattle
Rebuilding Together Seattle was established in 1989 and is part of the national Rebuilding Together organization with over 200 affiliates in 50 states. We are a volunteer, charitable group that repairs homes and non-profit facilities at no cost to the individuals served. RTS serves low-income homeowners, particularly those who are elderly, disabled, families with children, and veterans in need. For more information, please visit www.rtseattle.org.

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