RTS Energizer: Carol Butler, Seattle City Light

 

Carol (center) pictured with the group

"Carol Butler, Corporate Performance director at Seattle City Light, is the Rebuilding Together Seattle Energizer for her tireless efforts and infectious enthusiasm demonstrating at the Oct. 13 Rebuilding Day project in Judkins Park.

Carol took on the challenge of cleaning an aging bathroom at the home of an elderly Seattleite in the Judkins Park neighborhood. Working in tight quarters and around other workers who handled lighting and other repairs, Carol brightened the bathroom and prepared it for a fresh coat of paint.

She kept focused and upbeat during the day-long Rebuilding project, which helped the 35 volunteers stay motivated and complete their assigned tasks. In addition to cleaning and painting, employee teams from Seattle City Light and McKinstry fixed plumbing, handled electrical work, and tackled an overgrown backyard at the vintage home.

Carol arrived at the site early and helped make sure all was cleaned up before the homeowner, Carolyn, returned for an unveiling celebration."  

(written by Volunteer Coordinator, John Gustafson)

Carol hard at work cleaning the home!

Impressive work, Carol!

Thank You to our CBRE Rebuilding Day In-Kind Donors!

On Thursday, October 4th, RTS partnered with CBRE Cares and 50 volunteers to rebuild Kelli's Judkins Park home! The completed repairs included painting the exterior and interior of her home, performing yard work, helping organize and remove clutter from the basement, repairing gutters and downspouts, and cleaning. Kelli, a single mother of two, also received a new dishwasher, a handrail to her basement, security lights, and a refinished bathtub.

Thank you to our in-kind donors!

If you or your company is interested in donating to or sponsoring an RTS rebuilding day, please contact Claire Oatey at coatey@rtseattle.org or 206-682-1231.

Seattle City Light Rebuilding Day featured on Kiro 7 News!

Volunteers from Seattle City Light and McKinstry helped Carolyn on October 13th.

Thank you to Kiro 7 News for coming out and getting some video of the day!

Amazing help from Wing Luke Elementary's Custodian, Peter!

In August of this year, RTS partnered with Lowe's and Carter's Kids to help 5 homeowners in South Beacon Hill and build a new playground.  There were over 100 volunteers that helped make such an amazing event possible!

The playground was built outside of the Tiny Tots at Wing Luke Elementary School.  The custodian from Wing Luke, Peter Pham, went above and beyond for RTS Staff every single day (from event preparation to execution).  Peter definitely deserves to be recognized as a RTS Energizer.  Besides being very friendly and welcoming, he was always willing to help us with whatever we needed and he was so excited that the kids would be able to play on a nice, new playground!  Peter arrived early and stayed late to make sure everything was going smoothly.  Whenever there was a delivery that needed to be made, Peter was there to unlock the doors of the school and help unload the truck.

We cannot say enough about Peter and how much he helped out with this project!

Peter showing off his new RTS t-shirt!

Thank you, Peter! We couldn't have done it without you!

One of many great volunteers from Carter's Kids Project in August!

In August of this year, RTS partnered with Lowe's and Carter's Kids to help 5 homeowners in South Beacon Hill and build a new playground.  There were over 100 volunteers that helped make such an amazing event possible!

One volunteer that really stood out to Project Manager, Debbie Yates, was Aly Mayer, a volunteer from Lowe's.

Aly hard at work

Debbie said, "Aly is the poster child for the Energizer Award, she always has a smile and shares it with everyone. Her work ethic is amazing and she's quick to lend a hand when needed. Aly is a constant reminder that WE can accomplish anything when we support each other!"

Great job, Aly! Thanks for all your hard work!

Congratulations to our 2012 Volunteer of the Year, Kyle Weeks!

At our 3rd annual Beer and Wine Tasting fundraiser on September 28th, Rebuilding Together Seattle presented our 2012 Volunteer of the Year Award to Kyle Weeks!

Kyle first got involved with RTS in 2010 at the Vulcan Rebuilding Day and has been an asset to our organization ever since. He joined the RTS Young Professionals Society, volunteering at multiple projects throughout the year, and soon after was asked to join our Development Committee. In just two years time, he introduced RTS to more program partners than any other volunteer in recent history. He also served as a Project Manager for one of our most memorable projects of the year. Under his leadership, volunteers helped Buford, a disabled veteran living in SeaTac, by providing critical accessibility improvements so he could move around his home with ease.

Kyle's unwavering dedication is what sets him apart from other volunteers at RTS. Executive Director Margie Thirlby explains,

 

"Kyle is one of the most reliable, honest, and dependable volunteers I know. He is passionate about the Rebuilding Together Seattle mission, and his passion is evident in the way he honors his commitments.”

Again, congratulations to Kyle, our 2012 Volunteer of the Year!

VIDEO: Mary reacts to improvements made at her home in June!

Check out the video put together by Patrick Welch at Kendall Homes about the New Home Council Rebuilding Day this past June.  At 3:10 see homeowner, Mary, return to her home at the end of the day to see all of the improvements!

Mary's thank you to the volunteers:

"I want you to know you made my dreams come true...When I walked through that door at the end of the day, I felt free again."

Partner Spotlight: OutToday Plumbing!

 

Rebuilding Together Seattle would like to give a shout out to OutToday Plumbing!

This Bellevue-based plumbing company has partnered with RTS to complete three large rebuilding projects this fiscal year in South Beacon Hill, Capitol Hill, and White Center. Their contributions included fixing a faucet and tub, installing a drain, and fixing leaking pipes.  One project involved OutToday's donation of $1,200 worth of waste and overflow work!

OutToday's continued support of Rebuilding Together Seattle has allowed more homeowners to live in warmth, safety, and independence, and we could not appreciate their partnership more.

Thank you, OutToday!  To learn more about how your company can get involved with Rebuilding Together Seattle's programs, please email sihrie@rtseattle.org or call 206.682.1231.

Featuring the newly improved RTS Youth Program!

The RTS Youth Program has taken on a new face and a new structure!  The RTS Youth Program, formerly RTS Youth Board, is back up and running starting with an interest meeting last night!

Awesome members of the RTS Youth Program at last night's meeting

The new structure gives students, 14-18 years old, 5 different opportunities to get involved with Rebuilding Together Seattle.  

Students can:

• Lead and plan a service project
• Plan a fundraiser
• Help with outreach
• Help in the warehouse, or 
• Volunteer on a rebuilding day!

This way, students can choose the level of commitment they want to have.  A number of students are already signed up!  If you or someone you know is interested in getting involved in this great opportunity, contact jgoeke@rtseattle.org.

They're ready to get to work!

SCL reveals home improvements to homeowner, Carolyn!

88 year old Carolyn spent the day at her neighbors' house while busy volunteers from Seattle City Light and McKinstry worked to improve her home. At the end of the day they set up a small ribbon cutting ceremony and ate cake to celebrate all that was achieved! Carolyn was overwhelmed with emotion as she walked through her home, often having to take a break to shed tears of happiness. She said over and over again to the volunteers, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You all have made it possible for me to stay in my home!"

Well done, volunteers!

Project Manager, Bernie (left) and Volunteer Coordinator, John (right)

John picks up Carolyn from the neighbors' house

Carolyn cuts the ribbon!

Volunteers gather to welcome Carolyn to her new and improved home

Carolyn in shock after seeing her yard through the kitchen window

Cutting the cake to serve to volunteers

Carolyn's niece and daughter help serve cake to the volunteers as a "thank you"

Seattle City Light RD: Before & After!

Check out some great Before & After shots below from Seattle City Light's project on Saturday!

Before: clogged sink

After: fully functioning sink with new faucet!

Before: old fridge

After: brand new and energy efficient!

Before: front porch

After: refurbished porch and steps to prevent tripping

Before: overgrown backyard (photo taken in the summer)

After: yes, that is the SAME yard!

Before: unstable steps & jammed door

After: a safe fire exit!

Before: cluttered living room

After: Carolyn and her daughter in her clean and organized living space!

Rain doesn't stop our volunteers from making an impact!

Over 30 volunteers from Seattle City Light and McKinstry braved the rain and wind today to help transform the home of 88 year old, Carolyn!

Carolyn and her family with Bernie (Project Manager) and John (Volunteer Coordinator)

Tackling the jungle in the backyard!

Seattle City Light with McKinstry

So much green!

Cleaning, organizing, and decluttering

Unclogging the sink

KIRO 7 comes to check out the action!

New energy efficient fridge! Thanks, McKinstry.

Painting the kitchen

More cleaning!

Much deserved lunch break

Escaping the weather for lunch

Carolyn's niece sings for the volunteers at lunch!

Caulking the tub

Repairing the front porch

Carpentry crew

GREAT WORK SEATTLE CITY LIGHT!

Stay tuned for the before/after photos and the ribbon cutting with homeowner, Carolyn!

RTS partners with Seattle City Light this Saturday to transform home for elderly woman in Judkins Park!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Claire Oatey – (206) 786-6236

coatey@rtseattle.org - www.rtseattle.org

Volunteers to transform home for elderly woman in Judkins Park

Seattle, WA – On Saturday, October 13, from approximately 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Rebuilding Together Seattle (www.rtseattle.org) will partner with roughly 30 volunteers from Seattle City Light and McKinstry to clean, rebuild, and repair the home of an elderly woman living in Judkins Park.  In an effort to help others live independently in warmth and safety, Rebuilding Together Seattle focuses on providing low-income homeowners and non-profit facilities with critical repairs, modifications and energy-efficient upgrades at no cost to the individuals served.

Volunteers from Seattle City Light and McKinstry will be helping Carolyn, an elderly woman in need of home repairs.  Carolyn is 88 years old, lives alone, and suffers from severe scoliosis and arthritis. On October 13, volunteers will repair the kitchen sink, fix the back door so that it can be used as a fire exit, perform extensive yard work, complete interior cleaning, and paint several rooms, among other improvements. These repairs will allow Carolyn to live in the safe and comfortable environment she deserves.

For more information on the Seattle City Light Rebuilding Day through Rebuilding Together Seattle, please email coatey@rtseattle.org or call (206) 682-1231 or (206) 786-6236 on day of event. Project address: 809 24^th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144. This event will offer exceptional visuals and ample opportunity for interviews; all interested media are encouraged to contact RTS for more details.

About our Sponsor: Seattle City Light

Seattle City Light is the 10th largest public electric utility in the United States.  It has some of the lowest cost customer rates of any urban utility, providing reliable, renewable and environmentally responsible power to nearly 1 million Seattle area residents.  City Light has been greenhouse gas neutral since 2005, the first electric utility in the nation to achieve that distinction. Seattle City Light employees volunteer on their own time in community projects that focus on environmental stewardship, assistance to low-income customers, education, and local events. The goal is to help create healthier communities by working on critical community needs.

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. Rebuilding Together Seattle is a volunteer, charitable organization that repairs homes and non-profit facilities at no cost to the individuals served.  RTS serves the elderly, disabled, families with children, and veterans in need.  For more information, please visit www.rtseattle.org.

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