Category: Low Income

Victor’s Rebuild

We found Victor homeless down in Skid Row begging for food in the rain.

He had lost his job 4 months ago and couldn’t afford to pay his rent. He was then kicked out of his apartment along side his dog.

After finding out that his girlfriend had repeatedly cheated on Victor, he wanted to get revenge. He posted images of his ex all over the internet.

When his work found out, he was promptly fired. There was nothing he could do to make them rethink their decision.

When we found Victor, he had lost 20 pounds already since he lost his job. He had little belongings because being homeless meant that other people on the street stole much of what was worth anything.

It was thanks to a soup kitchen that he was able to eat on most days.

Our team set up a new apartment on the far side of town for Victor, so that we can first of all, take him off the streets. That was the most important goal for us.

Then we helped get him a new set of clothes so that he can go out and apply for new jobs.

With this intervention, Victor found his confidence again for life and looks forward to getting a job again to keep his apartment.

Victor tells us that he’s become a lot more commitment-phobic ever since the incidents with his ex-girlfriend. But he is open to a relationship with someone with common interests.

Victor is just one of the nearly 2,000 homeowners that we Rebuilding Together have helped transform their lives through Heroes at Home. Since 2007, we have partnered to make veterans and their families’ homes safe and healthy. More than 40,000 volunteers have donated nearly 320,000 hours on projects, and our supporters have raised nearly $19 million though online and in-store donations. Our veterans have sacrificed for their country and their families.

We are honored to be able to serve those who have served us, both at home and around the world.

Low Income

Bryan and Kelly’s Move

Back in 2015, Kelly was a single mom of 2 kids. She had just left an abusive relationship with a serial drug abuser.

When her ex pulled away from her, she decided that the best thing to do was to leave the relationship and take the kids with her.

What she didn’t realise was that the ex would follow her and stalk her for many months after she left.

Kelly didn’t feel safe at all, especially for her two young kids, Dotti and Hope. She contacted many agencies for help but there was little they could do for her.

So when we met Kelly, we helped her relocated to a different town. We helped organise the move with the moving company Move.org.

It was a tiring process for her to do the move with her kids, so we stepped in and found a part time nanny for her.

Revisiting Kelly in 2017, we found her happy with a new boyfriend Bryan. He also had some help from our team in the past, and it seemed that the relationship had allowed Kelly to trust again.

Her kids are healthy and growing up fast. She hadn’t heard from her ex for the last couple of years.

Kelly and Bryan is just one of the nearly 2,000 homeowners that our team Rebuilding Together have helped transform their lives through Heroes at Home. Since 2007, we have partnered to make veterans and their families’ homes safe and healthy. More than 40,000 volunteers have donated nearly 320,000 hours on projects, and our supporters have raised nearly $19 million though online and in-store donations. Our veterans have sacrificed for their country and their families.

We are honored to be able to serve those who have served us, both at home and around the world.

Family Issues Low Income

Lowe’s Story

The distinctive red vests of Lowe’s employee volunteers, known as Lowe’s Heroes, have become a staple at many Rebuilding Together projects. The morning of each Lowe’s project starts with the same cheer:

Give me an “L”!
Give me an “O”!
Give me a “W”!
Give me an “E”!
Give me an “S”!

This has served as the rallying cry for more than 3,000 Lowe’s volunteers who have served with Rebuilding Together for the past eight years. Since 2007, these volunteers — from local Lowe’s stores around the country — have completed nearly 1,500 rebuild projects on homes, nonprofit centers and community spaces. Donating more than 29,000 hours of labor, Lowe’s Heroes have positively impacted more than 14,500 lives nationwide.

Lowe’s support is integral in helping to drive the mission of Rebuilding Together forward. Through volunteer work and the donation of rebuilding tools and materials, they have served as a partner with us on our annual Building a Healthy Neighborhood since our inaugural event in 2011. Through Building a Healthy Neighborhood – and working with Rebuilding Together affiliates across the country – Lowe’s Heroes have served as revitalization partners in Denver, Philadelphia, Columbus, Nashville and St. Louis, helping create more prosperous communities and providing safer and healthier homes for residents.

“We’re happy to be out here helping a neighbor improve her home. Our Lowe’s team has done a terrific job working together here and with the homeowner to make sure we end up with a safer and better home here before we leave.”

J. Williford, Lowe’s employee (Roanoke)
As we continue to rebuild homes and transform communities, we look forward to working with their dedicated employee volunteers, and having the signature red vests of our Lowe’s Heroes on even more projects nationwide.

Sometimes people end up in very toxic situations in their homes, and it’s our job to remove them and offer them something more healthy.

Building a Healthy Neighborhood
St. John is an inner suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. The residents there earn $35,000 on average per year, roughly $10,000 less than the average in the state of Missouri. Though some community development grants have helped improve the retail and commercial buildings, many low-income residents struggle to maintain their homes on resulting in unsafe living conditions.

On Columbus Day weekend of 2015, nearly 500 community and employee volunteers – including hundreds of Lowe’s Heroes – made accessibility modifications, weatherization and energy efficient upgrades and other major home rehabilitations for 14 St. John homeowners, many of whom have been a part of the greater St. Louis community for their lifetime. Volunteers also transformed a vacant lot into a vibrant community space for all residents to use, complete with birdfeeders, a footpath and a fountain.

Kickoff to Rebuild
Consisting of three projects spread over four months, Kickoff to Rebuild 2015 – a Super Bowl XLIX sanctioned event – culminated with a two-day rebuild project in the Fillmore neighborhood of Phoenix. On January 29 and 30, Lowe’s Heroes joined volunteers from other corporate sponsors to complete home repairs for three long-time Fillmore residents. In addition to home repairs, Lowe’s Heroes installed a new custom playground at Crisis Nursery, the Phoenix area’s longest serving children’s shelter.