In 1973, a group of neighbors in Midland, Texas, saw that homes in their community had fallen into disrepair and their neighbors could not afford to fix them on their own. The group banded together, volunteered their time and skills, and rehabilitated their neighbors’ homes. From there a movement was born.
In the words of founder Patty Johnson, "It seems impossible that you could install a new furnace, put on a new roof, paint a house inside and out and maybe redo a front porch all in a day, but we have people who put that formula in place so on that day people can blitz that house."
Now in 2021 there are over 125 affiliates of Rebuilding Together and nearly 9,000 homes and community centers are [Re]habilitated every year. Because of the work we do across the nation, families are able to stay together, older neighbors can stay in their homes, and, according to a study done by our national office, 81% of homes repaired by affiliates had one or more older adults (62 years or older ) living in the home.
Here in Kern County, we have been helping our neighbors since 2008. Much of our energy is on
[Re]build Day, a day in April, where we gather volunteers of all types and sizes and do as much work on a house to make it safe for the residents as is humanly possible between 8am and 4pm. At 4pm, the day is done and everyone goes home. You might not have seen anything like it before, but come join us and catch the vision. It's pretty amazing what you can do when a group of people are ready and willing to help.
We don't just [Re]hab houses, we put new hope and energy into the lives of people.