Associate Rebuilding Together Leads Alliance Volunteers in DC Community Service Project

On the morning of September 11, 2009, 12 Alliance staff members joined dozens of volunteers outside the Brashear residence in Southeast Washington DC, for a day of remembrance and service. Their mission? To rebuild the home of 74-year-old widow Mrs. Brashear in a community service effort led by Alliance Associate Rebuilding Together, a nonprofit that helps rebuild and revitalize low-income homes and communities nationwide.

For Mrs. Brashear, the helping hand couldn’t have come at a better time. During her 50 years in the house, she had raised two generations, watched her husband and several of her children and grandchildren march off to war and buried two sons who died while serving in Vietnam. Since her husband's passing in 2000, maintaining her two-story home while caring for her disabled son and grandson had become increasingly difficult. In addition to these personal challenges, Mrs. Brashear grapples with a problem faced by millions of low-income families across America: a house rife with inefficiencies that often incur above-average utility costs.

“Low-income families often pay two to three times higher utility costs, and can’t afford the maintenance that could reduce them,” said Vanessa Georgeson, Program Manager of Rebuilding Together’s Veterans Housing. “Proper caulking, insulation, energy-efficient lighting, fitted doors and windows – these little tasks can save families up to half of their current utility bills,” she explains.

The tasks were many. Inside, a team prepped and painted walls and moldings, replaced incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, caulked drafty windows and repaired broken light fixtures. Outside, another team de-cluttered the back and front yards, peeling back old layers of Astroturf and leveling the earth.

It was a sobering reminder of the time, effort and physical labor that basic house maintenance requires.

But many hands made light work, and it wasn’t long before the transformation was apparent. “It amazes me how it all comes together,” said Rebuilding Together’s Kristine Dunn as she surveyed the freshly-mulched front yard. “What would normally take one family weeks of work takes us an afternoon – and makes a world of difference to the homeowner.” While her children and grandchildren pitched in, Mrs. Brashear watched in awe as Sears workmen hauled out her old appliances and loaded in the replacements.

“That’s my new fridge,” she whispered as a brand new, efficient top-door-freezer model went by. But while new appliances, Astroturf and fresh paint are all pleasant to behold, it will be the energy efficiency improvements that benefit the family in the long run.

Alliance staff scoped the house for energy-saving opportunities that would help the Brashears save on their utility bills. Executive Vice-President Brian Castelli and Senior Program Manager for Industry Vestal Tutterow discovered a warped porch door frame - no doubt the cause of a mean winter draft. After some discussion, they left for Home Depot to purchase stronger weather-stripping as well as air conditioner covers that would slow air infiltration when the units were not in use. “Energy efficiency is the stuff behind the walls – the stuff you don’t see,” said Castelli.

That’s why an integral part of Rebuilding Together’s mission relies on boosting energy efficiency for the low-income households it services. On this particular day of service, AmeriCorp volunteers at Rebuilding Together sites in 19 states distributed more than 15,000 energy efficiency kits, reaching an estimated 50,000 Americans with tools to implement energy efficiency in their households. The kits included Power$ave booklets from the Alliance's Communications team.

Recognizing the enormous energy savings potential of existing and new building stock, the federal government strongly supports rebuilding efforts, as  Ron Sims, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) confirmed in his remarks to the Rebuilding Together volunteer team. 

When asked how energy efficiency factors into rebuilding America’s homes and communities, Sims replied, “Significantly. Low-income families pay a lot, and if we can lower their energy costs, they can pay for other things that they need. That’s why HUD is moving aggressively on this front. The return on investment is huge; the future of the country is riding on the back of energy efficiency and alternative energy.”

For Alliance staff, the day of service was a chance to see energy efficiency’s strength in action. “We work on making buildings energy efficient and better every day – but from the office,” said Aleisha Khan, director of the Building Codes Assistance Project.
“That’s why it’s great to come out to help people directly and really see the effects.”

Alliance President Kateri Callahan couldn’t agree more. “These are the real ‘front lines’ of energy efficiency. This is where all the work we do at the Alliance really makes an impact – in homes and communities across the country. It’s an incredibly personal experience to be volunteering here today. Energy efficiency is not only good for the environment, the economy and our energy security. It is the foundation of a happy and healthy home for everyone – especially those who need it most.”

For more information on Rebuilding Together: www.rebuildingtogether.org