Volunteer of the Month: Erick Cruz!

Rebuilding Together Seattle congratulates Erick Cruz (above, left) on being Volunteer of the Month! Erick has been a long time supporter of RTS and has just completed leading one of two recent projects with Turner Construction. On January 29th, over 50 members of the Turner staff set aside time from their annual Officer's meeting to rehabilitate two Central District homes with Rebuilding Together Seattle. Erick, along with a dedicated team of Turner Seattle employees, spent a great deal of January planning the project and completing prep work to make for a successful day. Here is what Erick has to say about his experiences with Rebuilding Together Seattle:

How did you first get involved with Rebuilding Together Seattle?

I got involved as a volunteer 3 years ago, when Dan Gemme (Turner Seattle GM), who is on the RTS board, relocated from our Portland office. He is a strong supporter of RTS and kick started our involvement with the organization and community. 

What do you enjoy most about volunteering with RTS?

My favorite part of volunteering with RTS, is the interaction with the homeowners. Most notably, my favorite part is their reaction the day of the event. They truly appreciate all the hard work and are very touched at the care and thought put into the repairs of their homes.

What about the RTS mission are you most drawn to?

What draws me most to the RTS mission, is being able to give back to the community iwth the skills that I have been fortunate to acquire over the years. Many of these folkds are down on their luck and I realize the importance of lending a helping hand. I consider myself lucky in that as many of us and our families are a stone's throw away from needing this sort of help too.

What are you doing when you aren't volunteering with Rebuilding Together Seattle?

The question here is, what am I not doing? Not sleeping actually. My wife and I recently were blessed with our first son, who is now almost 4 months old. Coincidentally, I also started the evening MBA program at UW, which keeps me super busy. Oh and I also work full time as an engineer at Turner Construction :)

Thank you Erick and the Turner Team!