By Help make homes safer to those in need.
Indoor/Outdoor In-Person with COVID precautions
Rebuilding Together- Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church (RT-AFF) is a non-profit organization that uses the talents of handy volunteers to make health and safety repairs at no charge for low-income individuals.
RT-AFF seeks volunteers with some remodeling and handyman skills and comfort with tools, but experienced team leaders mentor and coach new volunteers who are interested in building their skills. Rebuilding Together values and is seeking volunteers who are able to volunteer regularly, which builds their skills in repairs commonly completed to help seniors age in place. Most Rebuilding Together projects are scheduled on weekdays, but plans for Saturday projects are upcoming for the summer months. Some projects, such as building wheelchair ramps, require a bigger team of volunteers with mixed skills.
RT-AFF won Volunteer Fairfax’s Volunteer Service Awards in the Social Advocacy Group Award!
In 2019, 1,300 volunteers with RT-AFF:
- Gave 9,600 hours of service to:
- 88 homes
- 8 non-profit residential facilities
- 3 community projects
- Delivered $650,000 in market value through:
- Labor
- Materials
- Contract services
- From the low-income individuals Rebuilding Together-AFF helped:
- 63% are living with disabilities
- 89% extremely low-income to very low-income
- 81% 62 years of age and older
Some of the ways volunteers make these homes and facilities safer are by:
- Fire safety
- Installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Making sure there are fire extinguishers on the property
- Cleaning out dryer vents
- Fall prevention
- Installing grab bars, ramps, stair rails, half steps.
- Moisture control
- Correcting roof leaks
- Cleaning and fixing gutters and downspouts
- Diverting water away from the house
- Repairing plumbing leaks and exhaust fans to improve ventilation in kitchens and bathrooms
To learn how to become part of such an amazing volunteer team, contact RSVP Volunteer Specialist, Shannon White, at swhite@volunteerfairfax.org.
