RTS is able to repair three homes with the help of a Lowe's grant!

RTS recently received a $8,000 Energy Efficiency Grant from Lowe's to allow us to repair more Seattle-area homes. The money from this generous grant is to be divided among three home repair projects that emphasize energy efficiency to provide warm and safe places for homeowners to live!

First, BelRed Energy Solutions generously replaced the motor of local homeowner DeeDee's furnace. DeeDee is 81 years old and lives on her own in her Kenmore area home. Physical limitations due to age kept her from performing the repairs on her own, but with the finances from the Lowe's grant and the donation of labor from BelRed, DeeDee will be able to live in warmth and comfort with a working, energy efficient furnace.

Also, with the work of volunteers from the Washington chapter of NAIOP and the financial sponsorship of Lowe's, RTS will perform multiple safety-based repairs on Rainier Beach area resident Lynda's home. Lynda is an elderly woman who lives in her Rainier View area home on her own.  She suffered a stroke in 2010, which left her with only limited use of her left leg and arm and mild dementia. Due to Lynda's physical and financial limitations, she is unable to perform the repairs she needs on her own. On Friday, November 30th, the volunteers will be installing handrails at the entryway stairs, installing new linoleum flooring in the kitchen, replacing a toilet, providing weather stripping and a lock set at the west entryway, fixing a plumbing leak, replacing single pane windows with dual pane ones, and installing a new, energy efficient refrigerator.

This is the first time RTS will be collaborating with NAIOP, and we could not be more grateful for their partnership!

The final project the grant will be used for is the RTS Young Professionals Society (YPS) Service Day on Saturday, December 8th! For this project, YPS volunteers will be doing weatherization and energy efficiency-based repairs on the home of a family in Mountlake Terrace. Val and Ryan live with their 9 year old son, Kayden, and Ryan's parents, Debbie and Rick. Financial limitations have left them with little resources to do the necessary repairs on their own, but with the help of YPS and the Lowe's grant, their home will be a safe and comfortable place for this family to live. Volunteers will be replacing single pane windows, installing a new sliding door, performing interior and exterior weatherization and caulking, installing energy efficient light bulbs, and installing a new oven and stove.

To learn more about or get involved with the Young Professionals Society, visit http://rtseattle.org/yps.php.

Thank you, Lowe's, BelRed, NAIOP and YPS for helping to provide home repairs to these deserving homeowners! These homeowners will now live in more warmth, safety, and independence than they would otherwise be able to.