On Saturday, April 29^th more than a dozen Primera volunteers gathered just south of Chicago in Blue Island, IL to help complete home repair projects to the home of the deserving Ramirez family as part of National Rebuilding Day. The home was one of 77 in the area to receive support and minor renovations on Saturday.

The Ramirez household is full of love and joy, despite the many challenges facing their family. With father and live-in grandson wheelchair bound and in need of constant care, both mother and daughter have their hands full caring for their loved ones. The repairs Primera was able to make to their home were critical in relieving them of some of their stress, enabling them to create a safer and more comfortable environment for the entire family.

Through Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago (RTMC), an affiliate of Rebuilding Together, the nation’s largest volunteer organization dedicated to preserving and revitalizing low-income houses and communities, Primera sponsored the home by providing the materials and labor for much needed repairs. Each year, in celebration of National Rebuilding Day, more than 3,500 volunteers throughout the city apply a day’s worth of elbow grease to make major repairs in various low-income homes in the Chicago area. Primera has partnered with Rebuilding Together for more than 10 years.

House captains Bill Taylor and Jill Deichmann, spent weeks prior to build day helping to pre-plan the day’s project assignments. Primera’s volunteers were able to:

• Repair, power wash, and paint their fence
• Remove a deteriorated portion of unused fencing
• Repair a leaking sink and replace faucet (with the help of plumber’s union volunteers)
• Replace their gas stove
• Replace their front screen/storm door
• Install a raised toilet seat and shower seat
• Install a working door bell
• Install carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors, and a fire extinguisher
• Install new light fixtures on the 2nd floor (with the help of volunteer electricians)
• Clean up the yard and minor landscaping

Bill, a project manager in our Utilities division, celebrates 25 years supporting National Rebuilding Day this year and Architectural Lead Jill celebrates almost 30 years with the organization. Jill also serves on the Board of Directors for RTMC and says that “the efforts of our volunteers to assist needy homeowners brings hope to both the families that we help and to the community as a whole. It’s always a pleasure to meet and connect with our families, hear their stories, and have the ability to make things easier for them.”

Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago provides free home repairs to the less fortunate, disabled, elderly and veterans. Since 1991, RTMC have repaired 1900 homes and 285 community facilities, with the assistance of tens of thousands of volunteers. RTMC have found that our efforts, particularly when concentrated within a small geographic area, are sustainable and often act as a catalyst for additional neighborhood improvements.

For additional information about Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago please visit: www.rebuildingtogether-chi.com.