Rebuilding Together Seattle

Thursday, April 5, 2012

RTS Energizer: Greg Clark, Foster Pepper PLLC

Greg A.V. Clark

Chair of Foster Pepper's Construction Group

Greg was chosen by project leaders, Joanna and Kyle, as their RTS Energizer for his dedication to the project and hard work throughout planning and the day of. Let's hear from the project leaders on why they chose Greg!

"Greg spent hours with Kyle and I preparing and planning for the big day," Joanna, project Volunteer Coordinator, said. "He came to all of the meetings, went to the Neal’s for a home-visit, and provided helpful suggestions and practical advice during the planning/logistics phase. His positive outlook and excitement for this event was contagious and on the 24^th he had a smile on his face the entire day. Not only was he extremely helpful, positive, and energetic, but he was also the only volunteer who stayed the entire day with Kyle and I. For all of these reasons I can think of no better volunteer to nominate for this award than Greg."

Greg, hard at work on the project:

Thank you, Greg, for your dedication to making this rebuilding day a success!

Thank You, In-Kind Donors! (Foster Pepper Rebuilding Day)

Rebuilding Together Seattle, Foster Pepper PLLC, and Vulcan Inc. want to send a big THANK YOU to all the companies that provided in-kind donations to their project on March 24th. RTS' programs are made possible by the generosity of company's like these!

G & W Commercial Flooring, Inc.

The Mad Hatter Chimney Sweep

Ocean Park Mechanical

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Thank you, St. Anne School Community!

RTS sends a big thanks to St. Anne School for completing the school's annual RTS Supply Drive! On Monday, Teacher Paola Womac and six friendly students showed up at the RTS warehouse to drop off bags of cleaning products, paper towels, project supplies, and more!

Thank you, St. Anne parents, students, teachers, and school community, for your continued generosity toward our organization!

Volunteer of the Month: Kyle Weeks

Kyle pictured at the Foster Pepper Rebuilding Day with homeowners, Evelyn and Buford Neal, and co-Project Manger, Joanna.

Kyle was an easy pick for Volunteer of the Month after his phenomenal job leading the Foster Pepper Rebuilding Day on March 24th. Check out the Komo 4 news story!

Here is what Executive Director, Margie, has to say about Kyle's involvement:

“Kyle has been one of the best volunteers I have had the opportunity to work with during my time at RTS. Kyle first got involved with our organization at Vulcan’s first official Rebuilding Day during the Summer of 2010. Kyle got plugged in with the RTS Young Professionals Society and then was asked to join the RTS Development Committee. Kyle has been instrumental in building new sponsor, volunteer, and vendor relationships for our programs. In addition, Kyle managed his first rebuilding day project with Foster Pepper last month and did an outstanding job. Kyle always goes above and beyond with his volunteer responsibilities, and is a very dependable, kind, and fun person to work with. RTS is very lucky to have Kyle on board.”

Now let's hear from Kyle!

1. How did you get involved with RTS?

I became involved with RTS when Vulcan did a rebuild day at the Cascade Center with RTS in June 2010. Since then I've been involved in a number of rebuild day projects with Vulcan and through the YPS. In October 2011, I joined the RTS Development Committee.

2. What do you enjoy most about working with our organization?

The people are what do it for me. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some really great homeowners and volunteers (not to mention the RTS staff!), and that is really what I enjoy most.

3. What do other volunteers say about RTS?

I’ve never met anyone that didn’t have a good experience working on a RTS project, and most ask how they can get involved again in the future.

Why do they want to volunteer their time?

4. I think people volunteer their time because they enjoy giving back and providing for those that are unable to do so for themselves. They see how easy it is, and how little effort it really takes, to make a huge difference in someone else’s life that may be having a tough time. I think people like the fact that their efforts are tangible, have an immediate impact, and affect the community that they themselves are a part of.

5. What about RTS' mission are you most drawn to?

I like the fact that it addresses basic human needs that everyone deserves to have. I appreciate the hands on aspect of RTS and that it is a program that can make an immediate difference within our community.

Thank you for your dedication to RTS, Kyle!

SRD 2012 Top Sponsor Highlight: Perkins Coie LLP

Rebuilding Together Seattle is proud to partner with Perkins Coie for another year of Spring Rebuilding Day participation! Perkins Coie has served as a top sponsor for RTS for three years in a row, and this April will be their 10th year of participation (collectively) with our organization!

In 2010 and 2011, Perkins Coie teamed up with Intellectual Ventures for a joint rebuilding day. Last year, volunteers completed an incredible project, helping Alice, a disabled veteran living in South Seattle who spoke about her experiences at the RTS annual fundraiser with Project Leader, Lisa Miner (pictured below with Alice).

RTS is excited to see what Perkins Coie has in store this year! Let's hear from Perkins Coie!

How did Perkins Coie first get involved with Rebuilding Together Seattle? How many years have you participated?

We first became aware of RTS from one of our long-term employees who suggested we participate in the program. Our involvement started in 1996, and this year will be our 10^th year of participation!

Why does Perkins Coie support Rebuilding Together Seattle?

Perkins Coie supports Rebuilding Together Seattle in order to give back to the community and support RTS's values; not the least of which is providing individuals a safe place to live.

Share a little bit about the rebuilding day experience for your team – what’s it like for your employees/volunteers? What is your favorite part of the day?

It is fun to get dirty and do real work with your friends and colleagues. Manual labor is so different from what we do on a daily basis. For many of us time is more precious than money and feels good to give time. At the end of the day, it's powerful to see the remarkable transformation that has been made in just one day.

Do you have any favorite memories with Rebuilding Together Seattle? (Ex: your favorite project, special homeowner story?)

Last year we worked with Alice. Alice is an amazing woman who was going to lose her home if we didn't come out to help her. At the end of the day, Alice expressed how touched she was by the generosity of the workers. She even remembered us when I ran into her on the street corner in Downtown Seattle. Alice always has a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face. We do it for people like Alice.

Thank you, Perkins Coie, for your continued support! Thank you for making a difference to Rebuilding Together Seattle for so many years.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Thank you, YPS volunteers!

RTS sends a big thanks to our volunteers at the RTS Young Professionals Society (YPS) Service Project last Saturday. Thank you to Joe Newland (Project Manager), Ray Loyola (Volunteer Coordinator), Amy Peltonen (Homeowner Companion), and the rest of our volunteers for your hard work. Thank you for making Trudi's home a safer and better place to be!