Rebuilding Together In The News

Credit: The Kansas City Star
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Community Notes

Rebuilding Together

A national organization that evaluates the effectiveness of philanthropic/charitable groups has awarded a four-star rating to Rebuilding Together, a nonprofit agency that includes Rebuilding Together Liberty at 2050 Plumber’s Way (Suite 150) in Liberty.
Charity Navigator of Washington, D.C., recently ranked Rebuilding Together among the top 4 percent of charitable groups nationally for fiscal responsibility and effectiveness. It is the fifth consecutive year that Rebuilding Together has received the four-star rating, the highest ranking given by Charity Navigator.
Rebuilding Together provides free home repair and renovation services to needy families and individuals. The nonprofit group seeks to preserve affordable home-ownership for the needy and revitalize neighborhoods in communities such as Liberty. Call 816-781-8985.

Credit: The Kansas City Star
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
REBUILDING TOGETHER LIBERTY / 14 homes get needed repairs
By Jill Sederstrom

Volunteers help out neighbors

Ingrid Brooks will easily be able to put up Christmas lights this year. The Liberty mother of two has a brand new outdoor power outlet on her porch, which should make hanging the colorful strands a safe and simple task. But that wasn't the only improvement made to her Liberty home on Saturday. A crew of about 13 volunteers spent the day re-roofing her house, replacing damaged wood from the leaky roof on her porch, replacing ceiling tiles in a back room of the house and installing a new porch light.

It was work Brooks wouldn’t have been able to do on her own, but thanks to the help of the Rebuilding Together Liberty project, it was work that still got done. “It’s a lifesaver actually,” Brooks said. “It’s a big help.”

Brooks wasn’t the only Liberty resident who received a helping hand on Saturday. About 300 volunteers spent the day at 14 Liberty homes doing yard work, painting and making repairs as part of Rebuilding Together Liberty. The annual event is part of a national effort to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners.

“We are preserving affordable home ownership,” said Clay McQuerry, executive director of Rebuilding Together Liberty. “I think it’s a really very important mission that we have, and it’s something we are glad to be a part of.” McQuerry said most of Saturday’s volunteers are affiliated with community groups such as churches, businesses or schools in the community. “It’s really a neat thing to be a part of,” he said.

Volunteer David Whiteman was part of a crew from Pleasant Valley Baptist Church that spent the day working on the Brooks home. He said the church has been part of Rebuilding Together Liberty for about six or seven years. “We just try to do a little bit of this and that to make the home in a little better condition than they had before,” he said.

Across town, Kevin Fisher and a team from the Liberty United Methodist Church also were taking on an ambitious repair project. They were busy tearing off two sections of a roof of a home, replacing the roof’s decking, felt and shingles, tearing off the walls of a small back room to add insulation, replacing the room’s flooring and installing a hot water heater. “It’s a lot of work for one day,” Fisher said, who served as the team leader. “It’s going real good. We’ll get it done.”

Homeowner, Willa Doyle was thankful for all the team’s hard work and said she wouldn’t have been able to do the repairs on her own. “This is just really nice,” she said. The home improvements will allow her to use a back room of the home she had never been able to use before because it wasn’t properly insulated. She already has plans to use the space as a spare room and sewing room. The room hasn’t been used since her mother-in-law owned the home and used the space to iron. Doyle, who is now retired, said her mother-in-law purchased the house in 1941 and lived there until she died. Doyle moved in to help care for her mother-in-law and has lived there since.

Over the years, Doyle tried to make improvements by adding new windows and refurbishing the bathroom, but she said it’s hard work to do on her own, and she usually has to depend on family to help. “It’s a lot to keep up an old house,” she said. That’s why she was so grateful to have some extra help Saturday to complete some of the larger projects. It was work Fisher and the other volunteers were happy to take on. “We just feel it’s important,” he said.

Credit: Liberty Tribune
Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008
By Angie Anaya Borgedalen

Rebuilding Together acts neighborly

About a dozen people showed up early Saturday morning, Oct. 4, at the home of Nancy Middleton for Rebuilding Together Liberty’s annual one-day home repair program and immediately got to work.
The work crew from Northstar United Methodist Church scraped peeling paint, painted trim, built a new front stoop and cleared out overgrown shrubs and weeds.
At 82, Middleton said she was simply unable to keep her modest ranch-style home on Middlebrook Drive in good repair. She purchased the house new 52 years ago with her late mother.
“Financially and physically it was just too much for me,” Middleton said. “I’m so appreciative and feel so fortunate to have been chosen for this.”
Middleton said she felt slightly reluctant to accept the help, but wanted to keep her house up to help the neighborhood.
“I just had to swallow my pride,” Middleton said. “But they have been so nice, and I wanted to be a good neighbor.”
Although the houses on her street are all over 50 years old, Middleton said neighbors still kept their homes attractive and in good repair.
“I didn’t want to hurt their property values by not keeping my house nice”, she said.
Clay McQuerry, executive director of Rebuilding Together, said more than 330 volunteers worked on 14 homes that day.
“It was the best day we’ve had. We made a big impact on people’s lives,” McQuerry said. “None of us like to ask for help, but that’s what we’re here for.”
Among the bigger projects this year involved repairing or installing new roofs on three homes, including a shelter for homeless families operated by Hillcrest Transitional Housing.
Scott Cooper, executive director of Hillcrest, said Rebuilding Together had made repairs to Hillcrest properties for several years, making a significant impact.
“Every year they have helped Hillcrest by performing some desperately needed renovations on our properties. Thanks to their efforts, this home will continue to serve families that are transitioning from homelessness to self-sufficiency,” Cooper said in a press release.
McQuerry said the American Petroleum Institute provided a $10,000 grant as part of its Energy Efficient Homes Initiative, which incorporates energy efficiency into the home renovations to help low-income families save money on utility costs.
“This is a wonderful partnership,” McQuerry said. “Together we are making a positive difference in the lives of those most in needs. Providing low-income homeowners the tools to dramatically improve energy efficiency enables them to save money they can use for other immediate needs such as food and health care.”
In addition to making homes more efficient, the initiative also provides homeowners with information and tips on how to conserve energy.

Liberty Editor Angie Anaya Borgedalen
Can be reached at 781-4941 or
aborgedalen@npgco.com

Credit: The Kansas City Star
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
REBUILDING TOGETHER LIBERTY / 14 homes get needed repairs
By Jill Sederstrom

Volunteers help out neighbors

Volunteers help fix homes

About 250 volunteers carrying hammers, saws, brushes and paint are expected to fan out all around town Saturday, Oct. 4, for the annual Rebuilding Together Liberty.
According to executive director Clay McQuerry, the volunteers will gather at 7:30 a.m. in the parking lot of Mabee Center at Williams Jewell College for a pep talk, donuts and juice. In case of rain, they will meet inside the Mabee Center and figure out alternatives.
McQuerry said they have plans to repair 14 homes, including putting roofs on a shelter for homeless families and on two of the houses. He said they also had 10 more homes on a waiting list because of a lack of funds.
The volunteers will be provided with lunch, McQuerry said. To volunteer, call McQuerry at 781-8985 or send tax-deductible donations to: Rebuilding Together Liberty, 2050 Plumber’s Way, No. 150, Liberty, MO 64068.
__ Angie Anaya Borgedalen

Credit: The Kansas City Star
Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Rebuilding Together Liberty

A Liberty-based nonprofit home rehabilitation agency will sponsor its annual Rebuilding Day starting at 7 a.m. Saturday at the Mabee Center at William Jewell College in Liberty.
The agency, called Rebuilding Together Liberty, will provide volunteers to help refurbish about 25 local homes for low-income homeowners. Volunteers will also install energy-saving features.
Among the organizations slated to receive assistance from Together Liberty are Hillcrest Transitional Housing, a nonprofit Liberty organization that serves the homeless.
Call 816-781-8985.

Faithworks builds ramp for local

The Excelsior Springs Standard * Friday, September 26, 2008
By Kristin Rulon
Community Reporter

Excelsior Springs resident, Cheryl Ashley, was able to have her home made wheelchair accessible earlier this week.
The ramp was made by volunteers of Faithworks, an outreach mission program out of the Liberty United Methodist Church.
Mission Coordinator, Kevin Fisher, said Faithworks built the ramp for free and has built several of these ramps in the past eight months.
Supplies for the ramp were funded by Clay County Senior Service Minor Home Repair Program, which works with Rebuilding Together Liberty, a not-for-profit-organization affiliated with Rebuilding Together, the nation’s largest volunteer organization, according to their web sited www.rebuildingtogetherlibert.org.
Faithworks is supported by Liberty united Methodist Church and has traveled to the Gulf Coast several times to help clean up the damages from Hurricane Katrina. The group plans to travel to the Gulf Coast again to help with Hurricane Ike relieve, Fisher said.

Group accepting applications

Liberty Tribune
Thursday, July 17, 2008

Rebuilding Together Liberty (RTL), a nonprofit organization that provides free home repairs for low-income, elderly, and disabled residents, is now receiving applications from homeowner to request repairs. Although applications for repairs are accepted year-round, homeowners need to apply soon to be included in Rebuilding Day, 2008. Applications can be picked up at the RTL Office located in the Freedom House at 2050 Plumber’s Way, Liberty. Applications are also accessible on the RTL Web sited at 222.rebuildingtogetherliberty.org. For questions, please call the RTL office at 781-8985.

RTL utilizes volunteer laborers to make repairs one day per year on the first Saturday in October. Rebuilding Day 2008 will be held on Saturday, Oct. 4. RTL has made repairs and medications on more than 70 homes with the help of more than 1,000 volunteers since its inception in 2001.

A therapy room for Michael

Rebuilding Together Liberty, Lowe’s partner to fulfill local family’s dream
By Natalie Shelton
Liberty Tribune
Thursday, May 15, 2008 1:23 AM CDT

Michael Siefkas, 12, now has a haven in his home. Michael, who has cerebral palsy, just got a new therapy room in his Liberty basement, one that will become a hub for those who complement his mother’s and his aide’s care: a vision therapist, speech therapist, behavior modification therapist, physical therapist and occupational therapist.

And it’s a room that his mother, Sandra McGowen, said will help her family more than its contributors — Rebuilding Together Liberty, Lowe’s and Concorde & Longhorn Construction — may be able to imagine.

“When I think about it, I just say, ‘Thank God,’” McGowen said. “It’s a tremendous load off to have a place for Michael’s therapy rather than having it right in the middle of the living room with our lives having to go on right around him. In the therapy room, he can be more focused and not have so many distractions.”

The room is a reality for Michael because of the efforts of Rebuilding Together Liberty, a local affiliate of a national volunteer-based organization that brings a community together to help homeowners in need.

The national Rebuilding Together recently received a $1 million grant from Lowe’s, and Rebuilding Together Liberty applied to its parent organization for part of that grant money and received $10,000, said Clay McQuerry, Rebuilding Together Liberty’s executive director.

McGowen had submitted an application to Rebuilding Together Liberty for help after she envisioned having a therapy room for Michael and was placed on a waiting list until the local organization learned it had received the Lowe’s grant. Her dream room will be able to house a mat, stander, a standing chair, games, books and toys.

“We couldn’t have done it without the funding,” McQuerry said. “Normally the projects we do cost between $1,000 and $3,000.”

McQuerry said he’s also grateful to Concorde & Longhorn; Tommy Hammond of Concorde & Longhorn serves on Rebuilding Together Liberty’s board of directors.

A few years ago, Rebuilding Together Liberty constructed a sidewalk for the family; it leads from the front door around to the back basement door.

Michael has a younger brother, Cody, 4, who already knows how to look out for his older brother and can even tell a therapist when a seemingly innocent scenario might be dangerous for Michael. Cody’s often seen either sitting in his big brother’s lap or underneath the tray of Michael’s wheelchair, sitting cozy on his footrest.

McGowen said she’s sometimes approached by people who say it must be hard to take care of a special needs child.

“It’s not hard,” she said. “Unless he’s hurting, Michael’s always smiling, giggling. It’s hard to be in a bad mood around him.”

McGowen said she’s thankful to Michael for “saving” her.

“I used to be pretty wild; I wasn’t going down a good path at all,” she said. “If I’d had what people would call a ‘normal child,’ I would have gone down that same road. … This is the way it’s supposed to be.

“We have sad moments in our house, scared moments. But as soon as he smiles, that’s gone. Not a day goes by that I don’t laugh, smile or be happy because of him.”

Link to this article: http://kccommunitynews.com/articles/2008/05/15/liberty_tribune/news/doc482b0f71155ab703326367.txt

Donation makes therapy easier;

A grant from Lowe's for $10,000 let group take on the big project.
By David Knopf

Credit: The Kansas City Star
Wednesday,May 7, 2008
Edition: METROPOLITAN, Section: LIBERTY, Page 1

Sandra McGowen and her two children have enough room to function until it's time for 12-year-old son to begin therapy.
When Michael Siefkas' equipment is hauled out, the single mother said recently, it's almost impossible to get from one end of the house to the other.
"When all the equipment's out it can be a challenge getting from here to there," McGowen said.
Michael has cerebral palsy -- what his mother calls a fancy label for brain damage inflicted by an infection before birth. Michael is visited at home by a spectrum of therapists -- everything from physical and occupational therapy, to music and speech, not to mention a teacher from the state school.
Michael uses a wheelchair and unable to speak, and his therapy equipment includes a lift, a stander and a walker.
"All of this equipment isn't going to fit in his room," his mother said. "The bigger he gets, the more I need."
Michael weighs 90 pounds, McGowen said, and is more than five feet tall.
Things are about to get easier for McGowen's family, thanks to Rebuilding Together Liberty, a non-profit volunteer organization, and a $10,000 grant from Lowe's.
The local grant is one of 61 awarded by Lowe's nationally to fund Rebuilding Together projects, said Maureen Rich, a Lowe's spokeswoman.
In Liberty, the money will be used to build Michael a basement therapy room. The contractor, Concorde Construction Co. of Kansas City, is hiring paid crews to do the work.
Renovations started late last week.
The work will mean McGowen and Linda Smithers, an aide who cares for Michael when his mother is out, will no longer have to lug equipment from Michael's room to an open area near the front of the house.
"We haul things from one end of the house to the other," Smithers said.
The therapy room will measure 10 by 16 feet and be equipped with vinyl flooring and a separate heating system. Crews also will break through a basement wall and build a window for natural light.
"It's a quiet area where they can focus on their work," Michael's mother said of the therapy area.
Clay McQuerry, executive director of Rebuilding Together Liberty, said the grant lets his organization to do more than it usually can.
"I guess the good part of this story for me was that most of our jobs are between $1,000 and $3,000, and this job was going to cost $10,000 and it was beyond our means," he said.
Formed in 2001, Rebuilding Together Liberty performs minor repairs and home maintenance that homeowners either can't do for themselves. The first Saturday of October is the organization's annual Rebuilding Day, a community-wide effort that typically draws around 300 volunteers.
One of the projects involved building a sidewalk so McGowen could wheel Michael outside and around the house to the only basement entrance.
"That was her application two years ago because she couldn't get Michael down here in severe weather," McQuerry said.
Tom Hammond, a Rebuilding Together Liberty board member and owner of Concorde Construction, said the company volunteered to organize sub-contractors and oversee construction.
If the project costs more than the Lowe's grant, Hammond said, his company will absorb the expense.
"I'm glad to be part of it," Hammond said. "With all the work we do up here, it's good to be able to give back."
To reach David Knopf, call 816-234-5904 or send e-mail to dknopf@kcstar.com.

Freedom House enjoys new home; Open house and dedication will be Sunday.

By David Knopf

Credit: The Kansas City Star
Saturday,April 5, 2008
Edition: METROPOLITAN, Section: PLATTE COUNTY, Page 1

The four charitable groups in the new $1.45 million Freedom House are used to putting roofs over people's heads, food on their tables and warm clothes on their back.
But the roof that will be celebrated Sunday is Freedom House's own.
In As Much Ministries, Love Inc., Hillcrest Ministries and Rebuilding Together Liberty will host an open house and dedication Sunday and show off their new 10,000-square-foot building.
"Freedom House is the result of faith, prayer and community members whose hearts were touched by the need of others," said Kelly McClelland, president of the board of directors of Freedom House.
The building, located several hundred yards from the new Clay County Health Department building, is the product of grassroots fundraising. Volunteers raised enough money for all but $250,000 of Freedom House's construction, McClelland and other board members say, and will continue until the debt is paid off and a $500,000 endowment is funded.
"The beauty of Freedom House is that it was the entire community," said Chris Sizemore, a former president of William Jewell College. "Big gifts, small gifts, everything. It brought the entire community together."
It also brought four active charitable agencies under one roof. In As Much Ministries, a food pantry that serves 300 Clay County families a month, and Love Inc., a clearinghouse that provides a referral service for people in need, were co-tenants of the Spirit of Liberty building for more than 10 years, but the building was demolished in 2005 to make way for the Liberty Triangle development. The agencies used temporary quarters until Freedom House could be built.
It has enabled the former neighbors to join Hillcrest Ministries, which operates transitional housing and budget education for homeless families, and Rebuilding Together Liberty, a volunteer construction agency, at one site.
"That's the beauty of the whole thing, the synergy between the agencies," said builder Jeffrey Billings, volunteer leader of Rebuilding Liberty Together.
The agency does home repairs for the poor, the elderly and the handicapped.
As co-tenants, the four agencies say it's simpler now to refer clients to each other, and to share resources.
"One of the beauties is when we have volunteers here, they can walk from agency to agency and see what each does," said Freedom House board member Bob Bagby.
The need for more space to serve needy clients is a sign of the times, Love Inc. Executive Director Linda Knouse said.
Love Inc., part of a national network of agencies, tracks incoming calls for service. Knouse said she's seen a significant spike the last few years.
According to a year-end statistical report, Love Inc. received 5,611 calls for assistance in 2007, a 69 percent increase over 2006. That gain follows increases of 52 percent in 2006 and 60 percent in 2005.
Joyce Greer, a volunteer at the In As Much Ministries food pantry, said area residents may not be aware of poverty in the Northland.
"It's taken us a long time," she said of a growing awareness. "There are people who still don't know there are poor people in Liberty."
In As Much Ministries serves Clay County, but Love Inc. and Hillcrest Ministries cross county lines to deliver services.
Referrals come from churches, schools, local governments and word of mouth, Knouse and the others say.
"The whole community refers people to us," she said.
Freedom House is also home to a Love Inc. thrift store that helps fund a number of projects that benefit the poor.
Hillcrest Ministries operates transitional housing and boot-camp-style programs for homeless families, Knouse said, and Love Inc. fills the gap for the newly homeless who have yet to receive help.
Not all Freedom House outreach involves the poor. Senior citizens and the disabled also benefit from services.
Two years ago, Rebuilding Together Liberty and Sertoma Club volunteers converted a first-floor bathroom so it would be accessible to a resident with Lou Gehrig's disease.
"The gal hadn't been in her bathroom without her husband carrying her for two years," Billings said.
That project is one of 70 the volunteer agency has completed in six years, he said.
On Sunday, Liberty Mayor Bob Steinkamp will read a proclamation that recognizes the work of all four agencies.
"As the saying goes, you take care of your own and that is what this does," Steinkamp said.
Reach David Knopf at 816-234-5904 or send e-mail to dknopf@kcstar.com.

Rebuilding Together Liberty expands program
Home modification program seeks veterans, military families in need
By Natalie Shelton
Thursday, March 13, 2008 1:14 AM CDT

Rebuilding Together Liberty, a nonprofit that provides home modifications for elderly, disabled and low-income residents to preserve affordable home ownership, finally has a home of its own.

Rebuilding Together Liberty recently moved into Freedom House along with Love INC, In As Much Ministry and Hillcrest Transitional Housing. With the move, said executive director Clay McQuerry, have come new partnerships and grants that will allow Rebuilding to expand its services.

“It’s such a great blessing to be there and be a part of that building,” McQuerry said.

Rebuilding Together Liberty receives referrals throughout the year from Northland Neighborhoods, Clay County Senior Services, Love INC and In As Much Ministry, as well as applications from individuals in need of assistance.

It is part of the national Rebuilding Together, which as of late “has really gotten proactive,” McQuerry said. “We’re benefiting because of the national partnerships they’ve created.”

Because of new or expanded partnerships, Rebuilding Together Liberty has been able to expand its one-day fall building blitz into a program called Rebuilding Now. The new program provides some year-round urgent repairs for low-income individuals and families, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Clay County Senior Services recently partnered with Rebuilding Together Liberty by providing $25,000 toward a minor home repair program to improve safety in the home for residents 60 and older.

Rebuilding Together Liberty received two $10,000 grants, one from Lowe’s and one from API Energy.

Rebuilding Together Liberty also seeks veterans and families of military personnel who are in need of home repairs or modifications. The local organization can request grants through two national programs, Heroes at Home and Serving Those Who Serve, to help them.

“There are no guarantees,” McQuerry said of the assistance for veterans and military personnel, “but if we can get applications from people who qualify, there are funds we can pursue, which is very exciting.”

Last fall, Rebuilding Together Liberty helped homeowner Dale Sullivan with quite a few home repairs on Rebuilding Day, when 300 volunteers spread to 15 area homes in need of modifications.

At Sullivan’s house, volunteers tore out steps leading to her house and built new ones. The volunteers poured a new concrete walkway from the steps of her deck to the sidewalk.

They tore out an old, dilapidated retaining wall and constructed a new one. They reconfigured her sump pump so it would empty on the other side of the retaining wall. They built new fencing around her deck and built rails leading up to it. She received a new storm door and sensor lights. They filled in holes in the concrete leading to her basement.

When they finished, the volunteers planted grass seed where their trucks had been parked. And equally unbelievable, she said, they did all the work in just one day.

“They were so clean and organized and quiet,” she said. “It certainly was a blessing for me. Before, I had such a hard time getting down my steps. Now, with the rail down to my sidewalk, I don’t have to worry about falling again.

“Clay McQuerry and that whole group are just wonderful Christian people. They went the extra mile for me,” she said.

The organization is in need of office volunteers. For more information on home improvements or volunteering, call 781-8985 or visit www.rebuildingtogetherliberty.org.

Link to this article: http://kccommunitynews.com/articles/2008/03/13/liberty_tribune/news/doc47d82807c81d4873780153.txt

Volunteers help 'rebuild'; About 300 workers spread out to jobs in Liberty on Saturday.
By Andy Hyland

Credit: The Kansas City Star
Wednesday,October 10, 2007
Edition: METROPOLITAN, Section: LIBERTY, Page 1

Saturday morning, while many of their classmates were likely sleeping in, some Liberty High School students joined about 300 volunteers to help out neighbors in need.
The volunteers targeted 18 sites to make home repairs and clean up as part of Rebuilding Together Liberty's sixth annual Rebuilding Day.
Liberty High senior Anna Heiskell and juniors Callie Moore and Kirsten Diven were working on house on Gallatin Road. They a sat in a row applying layers of red paint to a deck.
They are all members of a service club at their school, Serteens, which aims to help others in any way possible.
"I'd like to know that if I couldn't paint my deck, someone would do it for me," Diven said, before pausing for a moment. "Because I would want a painted deck."
The Rebuilding Day is a day when community members go around the city helping out the city's elderly, disabled and low-income residents, said Clay McQuerry, Rebuilding Together Liberty executive director.
The Liberty program is one of about 240 affiliates of a national "Rebuilding Together" program, McQuerry said. The program's aim is simple, he said.
"Our motto is 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors,'" McQuerry said.
The group congregated at 7:30 Saturday morning outside the Mabee Center at William Jewell College before fanning out to the various sites, where they performed tasks like brush removal, painting, staining and debris pick-up.
The volunteers mainly represented churches, service groups and local businesses, but some families came out to participate as well, McQuerry said.
McQuerry said this year, members of the organization decided to pursue becoming active year-round. Eventually, if the group can secure additional funding sources, he said they would like to try to provide urgent home-repair services for the city's neediest residents.
He said someone who uses a wheelchair, for instance, would appreciate having a flooded basement being taken care of as quickly as possible.
"They don't want to wait until October (for the annual Rebuilding Day)," he said
David Anderson, a member and community service chairman of the Liberty Rotary Club, said his organization appreciated the work done by the Rebuilding Together Liberty group, especially because it was driven by citizens who shared a common goal.
"I like the ability to work and help people in need," he said.
Heiskell, the Liberty High School senior, said the decision to get up early on Saturday was easier when she recalled her younger days, when her family was not as well off as it is today.
She said some of the teens volunteering over the weekend took time off from work so they could be there.
"People like me might need help," she said.
To reach Andy Hyland, call 816-234-5907, or send e-mail to ahyland@kcstar.com.

Rebuilding Day to be celebrated this Saturday
Rebuilding Together Liberty volunteers to put in sweat equity for 15 families
By: Natalie Shelton
Thursday, October 4, 2007 11:17 AM CDT

Thanks to Rebuilding Together Liberty, Kathleen Shrader said she was getting her life back. Shrader lives in a small mobile home in Liberty. Her floor is weak, and the steps of her deck render it virtually impossible for her to venture out in her new electric wheelchair.

But after about 300 volunteers spread through Liberty during the volunteer organization’s sixth annual Rebuilding Day on Saturday, Oct. 6, Shrader’s days will be a little brighter. Volunteers from the FaithWorks group at Liberty United Methodist Church will build her a wheelchair ramp.

“It’ll really be nice to be able to get out of the house; I might even be able to take my dogs for a walk now,” said Shrader, who became dependent on her wheelchair five years ago after medication to treat double pneumonia caused avascular necrosis, which causes a loss of blood supply to her bones.

“This has given me a reason to want to go back out,” she said.

Volunteers from churches, civic organizations, William Jewell College and local businesses comprise those who are donating sweat equity to help 15 families in Liberty with much-needed home repairs, said Clay McQuerry, Rebuilding Together Liberty’s executive director.

“Their work will range from a handicap ramp, weather-proofing, door and window repair, bath and plumbing projects and a new roof, which is something we’ve never done before,” he said.

Normally the organization’s hands-on efforts are limited to one blitz day a year, which it models after the national Rebuilding Together. The Liberty affiliate, though, plans to expand to a year-round program in 2008 if the funding can be secured.

“We’re going to call it Rebuilding Now,” McQuerry said. “There are people out there who sometimes need urgent repairs and modifications, and we want to be able to provide that.”

New office space in Freedom House will help make that a reality, he said. Rebuilding Together Liberty is one of four organizations that will move into the new facility, which may be open by the end of the year. The others are Hillcrest Transitional Housing, Love INC and In As Much Ministry.

“We’re so excited about that,” McQuerry said. “We’ve never had a physical address, and we’re just tickled to death to have office space, to be able to network even better with the organizations housed there. It will help us in our service to the community.”

Link to this article: http://kccommunitynews.com/articles/2007/10/04/liberty_tribune/news/e.lt.news.rebuilding.day.txt

Calling all volunteers: It's time to plan rebuilding; Rebuilding Together Liberty is preparing for this year's round of home repairs.
By Jason Noble

Credit: The Kansas City Star
Wednesday,August 1, 2007
Edition: METROPOLITAN, Section: LIBERTY, Page 3

Rebuilding Together Liberty is looking for volunteers.
The charity organization, which coordinates home repairs and conversions for low-income, elderly and disabled residents, will hold its annual house selection meeting next Tuesday.
At the meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Liberty Christian Church Fellowship Hall, 427 E. Kansas St., volunteer groups will be able to pick a project that suits their expertise and manpower and begin planning for Rebuilding Day, on Oct. 6.
"Last year was the biggest year we've had to date," said Clay McQuerry, executive director of Rebuilding Together Liberty. "We'd like to increase that this year. We have some major projects, and we're hoping to help as many people as possible.
"We're always looking for good crews."
On Monday, Rebuilding Together was still in the process of surveying the homes of applicants and making estimates on the amount of work that needed to be done. McQuerry said he hoped to see 20 crews contribute to the effort this year.
Crews could be made up of church groups, civic organizations, families, individuals or anyone else, he said.
"We're the epitome of a community-wide organization," he said.
Last year, 230 volunteers on 16 crews made improvements totaling $55,000 to 16 homes in Liberty, and did so with an $11,000 budget, McQuerry said.
All volunteers interested in participating in the project are encouraged to attend the meeting Tuesday.
For residents who believe they need assistance, Rebuilding Together Liberty has begun accepting applications year-round.
For more information, call McQuerry at 816-781-8985 or send e-mail to rtliberty@sbcglobal.net.
To reach Jason Noble, call 816-234-5916 or send e-mail to jnoble@kcstar.com.

Neighbors get a helping hand; Groups volunteer to fix homes for those who can't do it themselves.
By Lindsay Hanson Metcalf

Credit: The Kansas City Star
Wednesday,October 11, 2006
Edition: METROPOLITAN, Section: LIBERTY, Page 1

VOLUNTEERS | Rebuilding Together Liberty gets to work
One group's efforts around Liberty changed home facades, plumbing and windows.
It also changed lives.
Over the weekend, about 200 volunteers swooped into homes to repair or replace deteriorating elements for families in need. The day's effort was the latest incarnation of Rebuilding Together Liberty, a 5-year-old local name for a nationwide effort that coordinates volunteers to perform free home repairs for elderly, disabled and low-income homeowners.
The effort meant an easier bathroom experience for Zizi Waithaka, a Liberty woman with Parkinson's disease. She has fought her traditional bathtub, sink and toilet since 1999 when she and husband, Daveed, bought their home.
Squeezing her wheelchair through the bathroom door used to mean stressing out the drivers -- usually her kids Ariel, 8 and Daveed, 9 -- and smashing Zizi's toes into the wall.
"You had to be a contortionist to use the toilet," she said.
That's all changed.
At least 25 volunteers from Liberty Sertoma gutted her bathroom and replaced it with fixtures that work for her: a wider door, a wheelchair-accessible shower, a taller toilet and a wall-mounted sink. Workers also repaired part of the roof, painted some window trim, patched holes in the wall and tiled the floor in the upstairs bathroom.
In all, the workers performed $2,300 in repairs, not including the value of free labor -- without which the cost could quadruple.
"These people are godsends," Waithaka said.
The Waithakas and their two children also stayed free in a hotel while the work was done.
A record 16 families like the Waithakas received more than $12,000 in repairs from as many community groups Saturday.
"It's about responsibility to the community," said volunteer Quintin Conway. "It's about being a part of where you live."
At Rachel Potter's house, another gaggle of volunteers replaced nine drafty windows with new double-paned, tilting ones in vinyl casing.
The crew also planted a small flower garden, replaced a rotted basement door and jack-hammered a set of crumbling concrete steps to leave a smooth new set in their wake.
All this after 18 months of unemployment and a foreclosure scare in February. Potter, laid off as an administrative assistant, learned she had been selected as a homeowner the same August week she landed a new job as a contractor.
Watching a dozen or more volunteers install $2,500 in improvements instilled hope in Potter.
"Just the swing of the pendulum going the other way," Potter said, "it was almost surreal at times."
To offer or seek help
Rebuilding Together Liberty
Mail: P.O. Box 1159 Liberty, MO 64069
Phone: (816) 781-8985
E-mail: rtliberty@sbcglobal.net
"It's about responsibility to the community. It's about being a part of where you live."
-- volunteer Quintin Conway
To reach Lindsay Hanson Metcalf, call (816) 234-5904 or send e-mail to lmetcalf@kcstar.com.

Homes chosen for repairs; Nonprofit to renovate 16 Liberty houses in October.
By Jason Noble

Credit: The Kansas City Star
Saturday,August 19, 2006
Edition: METROPOLITAN, Section: LIBERTY, Page 5

Rebuilding Together Liberty aims to eliminate sub-standard housing -- 16 houses at a time.
The 5-year-old nonprofit, the local branch of a national organization, provides free home repairs to elderly, disabled and low-income homeowners in Liberty. Last week the organization's executive director, Clay McQuerry, gathered about a dozen representatives from local churches, businesses and civic organizations to plan for this year's Rebuilding Day -- the first Saturday in October when the groups will fan out across Liberty to paint houses, repair plumbing and fix gutters.
"Something I really like about this is that it truly is a community organization," he said.
The selection meeting was a new addition to the run-up to Rebuilding Day, McQuerry said, and an indication of the charity's growing reach and recognition. Indeed, with 16 houses slated to be renovated this October and projected expenses of nearly $12,000, Rebuilding Together Liberty has never served more families in need.
The needs of the project houses vary widely: this year, one calls for a handicapped-accessible shower, while another needs only a power wash and some tree-trimming.
The difference in projects is well-suited to the different community groups who volunteer to carry them out, McQuerry said. Larger projects are done by groups like Liberty Sertoma, which has worked with Rebuilding Together since it began in Liberty in 2002, and has the numbers and skilled craftsmen necessary for a large home-repair job. The smaller projects are done by newer or less construction-oriented groups, like the Ark Animal Hospital, which is joining Rebuilding Together this year.
The work is done at no cost to the homeowner -- the labor is done for free and the supplies are either donated or purchased with donated funds, McQuerry said.
The nature of the work makes it a good deal for donors as well as recipients, McQuerry noted. Because of the value of construction labor, a dollar given to Rebuilding Together Liberty quadruples in value by the time the work is done.
For Rebuilding Day participants, the value goes far beyond dollars and cents.
"The big thing is you get to see the faces of these people when you're done doing a project," said Gil Bolander, the house captain for the Liberty Sertoma team.
Last year, Sertoma worked on a house owned by a 92-year-old man. Their efforts "probably made his day for the last 10 years," Bolander said.
So far, 14 of the 16 houses have been matched with volunteers, McQuerry said. Rebuilding Together Liberty is seeking two more groups of volunteers to ensure all the families in need are served this year.
Rebuilding Together Liberty
P.O. Box 1159 Liberty, MO 64069
Phone: (816) 781-8985
E-mail: rtliberty@sbcglobal.net
To reach Jason Noble, call (816) 234-5916 or send e-mail to jnoble@kcstar.com.

Homeowners to get help with repairs; Nonprofit sets Rebuilding Day for Oct. 1
By Su Bacon
Source: Neighborhood
Credit: Special to The Star
Wednesday,August 10, 2005
Edition: METROPOLITAN, Section: LIBERTY, Page 7

Sometimes Doris Smith finds herself standing on the back patio and admiring her house in Liberty.
She's not being vain as she looks at the pale yellow paint, white trim and new roof. She's being grateful.
She is thankful for Rebuilding Together Liberty, a nonprofit organization that provides free home repairs for low-income, elderly and disabled residents.
Rebuilding Liberty Together will help more Liberty residents on Rebuilding Day, Oct. 1.
The organization has collected nearly $8,000 so far and will decide Friday which homes volunteers will work on.
"We hope to help as many as possible," said Clay McQuerry, president of the board of directors.
Right now, the funds would provide enough assistance for eight to 10 homes. The organization is accepting donations of money, building materials and time.
About 130 volunteers pitched in last year.
"What they did for me was just wonderful," Smith said. "It boosted my morale 100 percent."
Last year, the organization's volunteers painted her house and washed the windows on the outside. They also gave her shingles for a new roof, which her grandson installed, and paint for a bedroom and bathroom, which her children applied.
Since the Liberty organization incorporated as a nonprofit in 2002, volunteers have revitalized 26 homes and a historic church, and painted a bridge.
"Our goal is to build safety, decency and dignity into these homes and into the lives of the families," McQuerry said.
Although volunteers do most of the work, the organization hires professionals for jobs such as plumbing or electrical wiring.
Volunteers spruce up more than just the house itself.
"We do all we can to help the homeowners in one day - yard work, clearing of trash and debris, cleaning, and some groups have even planted flowers," McQuerry said.
The Liberty chapter is one of more than 250 affiliates nationwide of Rebuilding Together, which was founded in 1988 to preserve and revitalize homes and communities. Homeowners who apply for assistance are chosen based on income, with special attention paid to the elderly, people with disabilities and families with children.
For information

130 volunteers spruce up nine Liberty homes
By Su Bacon
Source: Neighborhood
Credit: Special to The Star
Wednesday,October 6, 2004
Edition: METROPOLITAN, Section: NORTHLAND, Page 5

Bessie Smith longs to be home for Christmas.
She wants to hang lights, put up decorations and most of all, she wants to celebrate the season with home-baked cookies from her own kitchen.
The last memory Smith has of that kitchen was in May 2003 when she was struggling to get her husband, who uses a wheelchair, to the basement and out of the path of a tornado.
"I heard a `bam,' and the whole ceiling fell," said Smith, 74. "Then the wind came in like a whirlpool and blew dirt and glass around."
Since that day, she and her husband, 83-year-old Lawrence Smith, have been living with one of their daughters in Liberty. While grateful for the hospitality, Smith is a retired cook and what she misses most about her own house is the cooking she did there.
On Saturday, prospects of holiday home-cooking began to look a lot more promising for Smith.
A work crew from Rebuilding Together Liberty spent the day installing new windows and doors and making other repairs to the exterior of the Smiths' house on North Prairie Street. Smith said she expects their homeowner insurance to finish the job.
The Smiths' house was one of nine Liberty homes repaired by some 130 volunteers on the third annual Rebuilding Day.
"Through volunteer laborers and local donations, we are able to improve the lives of our neighbors," said Clay McQuerry, president of the board of directors for Rebuilding Together Liberty, a nonprofit that provides free home repairs for low-income, elderly and disabled residents.
The Liberty chapter is one of 257 affiliates of Rebuilding Together, a national organization founded in 1988 to preserve and revitalize houses and communities. Homeowners apply for assistance and are chosen based on income guidelines with specific attention paid to the elderly, those with disabilities and families with children.
"This is a way to put my skills to use helping out people who don't have the means to fix up their homes," said Kelly Starner, a construction manager for the Konrath Group in Kansas City, a commercial construction company.
Starner, who lives in Liberty, served as house captain for the work crew at the home of Verna Shinneman, a resident of the historic district.
Before the work began Saturday, volunteers removed a large mulberry tree that was growing too close to Shinneman's house. The tree had been a source of water damage to the columns, gutters and porch and had provided access to the attic for squirrels.
"The water eroded the work we did 15 years ago," said Shinneman, who has lived in the two-story house for 27 years. "The porch was getting dangerous and I was afraid someone would get hurt."
Shinneman said she made a lot of improvements to the house when she and her three children first moved in. Now, rheumatoid arthritis has limited what she is physically and financially able to do.
"My income keeps going down and my expenses keep going up," she said.
Learning that her application for assistance with the repair work had been approved was "like winning the lottery," Shinneman said.
Homeowners aren't the only ones helped by the nonprofit. Homeless families benefit as well through Rebuilding Together Liberty's work on a house owned by Hillcrest Ministries of Clay County at 216 S. Jewell St.
The house consists of four apartments: three for Hillcrest families and one for a resident manager. Hillcrest is a charity that provides 90 days of transitional housing and training to help homeless families achieve self-sufficiency.
Work crews replaced linoleum and carpeting inside the house, repaired screens, siding and soffit damage and painted both the house and Hillcrest's office next door.
"Fixing up the house makes it feel more like a home for our families," said Angie Endicott, associate director. "It's a place they can be proud of."
Repairs for the houses are made possible by donations of money, building materials and time. Although volunteers do most of the work, when professional services are required, such as plumbing and electrical wiring, Rebuilding Together Liberty hires a professional.

Angel volunteers brighten lives with day of service
By Su Bacon

Credit: Special to The Star
Wednesday,October 15, 2003
Edition: METROPOLITAN, Section: NORTHLAND, Page 14

In just one day, crews of volunteers repaired houses and improved living conditions for 10 families in Liberty.
On Saturday, members of Rebuilding Together Liberty Inc. fixed leaks, installed storm windows, replaced a water heater, caulked, weatherproofed, painted and made other improvements at no cost to property owners with limited resources.
"Our goal is to build safety, decency and dignity into these homes and into the lives of these families," said Clay McQuerry, president of the board of directors.
This was the second annual Rebuilding Day for the group that incorporated as a nonprofit in March 2002. In October 2002, 118 volunteers made major repairs to eight homes at a total cost of $7,000.
This year, a budget of $10,000 covered work on 10 homes, a church and a bridge. (Related photos, this page.)
Anna Jackson, whose house was repaired in 2002, called the work crews "the best thing that happened to me in a long time."
Their work has made it possible for Jackson and her sister, 66-year-old Betty Slaughter, to live comfortably in the house they grew up in.
The only source of income for the two women is Social Security. Jackson takes care of Slaughter, who is mentally disabled. Jackson returned to her childhood home in 1973 where she raised her children and cared for her mother and sister.
For many years, she worked as a housekeeper and enjoyed keeping the family home looking nice. But in recent years, her health has limited what she can do and the house had begun to show its age. Jackson estimated the family home, where her father grew up, to be more than 150 years old.
To the four-bedroom two-story house, volunteers replaced all the bathroom fixtures, installed a new vinyl floor in the bathroom and entryway, weatherproofed storm windows, added handrails, put up two support posts in the basement for the main floor and fixed up the exterior and grounds.
"This has made life so much better for us," Jackson said.
The appreciation of homeowners such as Jackson makes the experience gratifying for volunteers as well.
"When you leave that day, you see such a difference in the demeanor of the homeowners," said George Steincross, a member of the board of directors. "Their smiles are broad, their shoulders are up and they feel so very good about what has happened to their dwelling."
Rebuilding Together Liberty is one of 252 affiliates of Rebuilding Together, a national organization founded in 1972 to preserve and revitalize low-income houses and communities.
The Liberty affiliate accepts applications for home repairs in the spring. Homeowners are chosen based on income guidelines with specific attention paid to the elderly, those with disabilities and families with children. This year, tornado victims were included as well, McQuerry said, and work crews repaired a historic church damaged by the May tornado.
The affiliate is an all-volunteer effort. The repairs are made possible by donations of money, building materials and time. Although volunteers do most of the work, when professional services are required, such as plumbing or electrical wiring, the organization hires a contractor.
In both years, Rebuilding Together Liberty provided matching funds to repair homes owned by Hillcrest Ministries, a Liberty-based nonprofit that teaches homeless families how to be self-sufficient in 90 days. Both nonprofits contributed $2,000 each. Hillcrest has three older homes that provide transitional housing to nine homeless families.
"We are always on a tight budget," said Hillcrest associate director Bonnie Sue Russell. "If our houses fall apart, we can't help families that need us."

Home-repair agency opens Liberty unit

Wednesday,April 10, 2002
Edition: METROPOLITAN, Section: NORTHSTAR, Page 11

A national nonprofit organization that helps low-income families with home repairs has opened an affiliate chapter in Liberty.
Rebuilding Together Inc., based in Washington, D.C., recently announced the establishment of its new affiliate, the agency's third in Missouri. The organization also has chapters in Kansas City and St. Louis.
The national organization, also known as Christmas in October, has more than 240 affiliates in 50 states. It mobilizes volunteers to provide free labor and repairs for houses occupied by low-income families.
Rebuilding Together Liberty Inc. will join with other affiliates nationwide to sponsor Rebuilding Day. The annual event, scheduled Oct. 5, will organize volunteers throughout Liberty to make home repairs for needy residents.
Volunteers are needed for the organization's local labor force. Financial contributions, which are tax-deductible, are also needed

Rebuilding Together acts neighborly
Liberty Tribune
Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008
By Angie Anaya Borgedalen

Liberty Editor Angie Anaya Borgedalen
Can be reached at 781-4941 or
aborgedalen@npgco.com

Volunteers help fix homes
Liberty Tribune
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