community spotlight

By Emily Landes

When Christmas in April decided to change its name to Rebuilding Together back in 2000, everyone had an opinion. Some felt that the change was appropriate, as the nonprofit isn’t a Christian organization and rebuilds homes and community facilities all year, not just in April. Others felt that even if the new name was technically more accurate, it disregarded the history of the group, which began after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.

As the group’s facility program manager, Kat Sawyer sees this same nostalgic attachment on many of her projects. She recently led a team on a renovation at Ida B. Wells High School near Alamo Square; she says the team took a “Pepto-pink room” and turned it into “something really beautiful.” So, Sawyer couldn’t believe it when faculty and students told her that they missed the old color. “Any kind of change is resisted in some way,” she concludes.

Of course, after the initial shock subsides, the sometimes-drastic changes are eventually embraced by homeowners and facilities managers, just as Christmas in April’s new name was eventually accepted by staff, the community and the group’s many volunteers. These volunteers run the gamut from professional tradespeople in the construction, electrical and plumbing industries, to office workers who have never picked up a power tool in their lives. But even though there are great differences in experience and skill level, there’s always something to do for those who set aside the last weekend in April each year to help a community group or low-income homeowner regain a safe and useful property.

In fact, a large part of what the organization looks for in a good Rebuilding Weekend project is the need for a combination of skilled and unskilled labor. Almost every project involves some kind of painting and landscaping, in addition to more substantial work like electrical wiring and plumbing improvements. “It should be like a square peg in a square hole,” says Sawyer. “You want it to fit.” (Projects that aren’t a good fit for Rebuilding Weekend will likely be served through the group’s year-round Home Safety and Independence Program.)

Rebuilding Together also looks for homeowners or community groups that will be comfortable having dozens of volunteers in the building, with residents the volunteers will feel good about helping. Recent beneficiaries have included the Treasure Island Homeless Development Initiative—which Sawyer describes as “a shell of a building” before Rebuilding Together reworked the entry area, put down new flooring and added fencing—and the Hunters Point Community Youth Park, which received renovations that allowed it to expand its offerings to neighborhood children.

Another important qualification is that the work should be able to be completed within the weekend, so everyone involved feels like they accomplished their goals for the property. “One thing that we really try not to do is overpromise or put people in a situation where they say they can do more than they can and everybody kind of goes away feeling like, ‘Oh, I volunteered and we didn’t get it all done,’” says Sawyer. She adds that the best way to accomplish this is a lot of good advance planning and preparation. That way, volunteers can hit the ground running as soon as they arrive. One weekend project involved taking a decrepit room off the back of a house and putting up new siding. That required weeks of prep work by the skilled “captain” of that project before the volunteers arrived for Rebuilding Weekend.

Rebuilding Together is actively looking for more tradespeople to head up its projects for this year’s Rebuilding Weekend, April 26-27. “A lot of the volunteers will have the more basic experience of painting, decluttering and landscaping, but a lot of the impact is made through these skilled partnerships,” explains Executive Director Ruth Ann Binder. There is a huge need for contractors, plumbers, glaziers, electricians and floorers to donate their time and expertise. “People with skills like that can elevate any project, so we’re always trying to seek them out,” Binder adds. You don’t need to be a professional contractor to help out. Apartment owners with maintenance skills are encouraged to get involved as well.

Almost all of Rebuilding Together’s first-time volunteers end up donating their time again and again. Binder estimates that 80% to 90% of first-timers come back again and says that some captains have been involved since the organization’s beginning. Part of the organization’s appeal is that it offers tangible and near-immediate results that directly affect needy community groups and homeowners in San Francisco. “You walk into some of these homes and your heart sinks,” relays Binder. But just one weekend later, the homes are decluttered and freshly painted, often with upgraded utilities, new floors and lush landscaping. Some homes even get new furniture and window treatments, says Binder, thanks to in-kind donations that allow the organization to turn every dollar of its $1,000,000 budget into four dollars worth of work in the community. Sponsors range from community organizations like Bay Area Young Architects, which contribute $2,500 and supply 25 volunteers each, to lead sponsors like MacFarlane Partners and Union Bank of California, which donate up to $50,000 and 100 volunteers each.

Sawyer thinks of the staff, sponsors and volunteers at Rebuilding Together as a “fun family.” She was actually a volunteer herself before coming on board as a staff member and recalls social events like a yearly trip to a Giants game, not to mention the annual post-Rebuilding Weekend party as part of the reason the organization seemed like a really enjoyable form of community service.

Of course, the best part of working with Rebuilding Together is seeing the look on people’s faces when they enter their upgraded homes for the first time, or hearing from those in need about why their remodeled community center is so important. Just a few volunteers, a little paint and some skilled labor can make a huge difference in people’s lives in just one short weekend. “I can’t overstate the impact of what might seem aesthetic but is so much deeper than that in someone’s home,” says Binder.

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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of SFAA or SF Apartment Magazine. Emily Landes is the managing editor of SF Apartment Magazine and Rental Housing. Copyright © 2008 by SF Apartment Magazine. All rights reserved.