Rebuilding Together Oakland East Bay - Oakland, CA

Location: Oakland, CA.

Our Vision

A safe, healthy home for every person.

Our Mission

We build community partnerships to rejuvenate neighborhoods through the rehabilitation of homes owned by low-income homeowners and non-profit facilities that serve low-income communities. The work of our volunteers ensures the safety, comfort and independence of low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly and disabled, and that our communities in need have safe and pleasant facilities where they can learn, play and come together.

Our clients struggle to maintain their homes, along with their dignity, when many of the safety net programs they rely on for food and other assistance have been eliminated by state and municipal budget cuts.

Elderly, disabled and other vulnerable homeowners unable to perform or afford home maintenance defer maintenance until the safety and soundness of the home is compromised.

When a homeowner with resources has a problem with plumbing, a broken window, an inoperable furnace or water heater, they place a call with the home warranty company; hire a handyman; or have a capable family member fix the problem. For the homeowners we serve the homeowner resorts to a bucket under the sink to catch the leaking water; duct tape and newspaper to cover the missing window pane; use a space heater or oven to warm a room; or forego a bath because the water is too cold.

We work collaboratively with community organizations and volunteers to preserve the homes of our most vulnerable neighbors. Our volunteers perform the work so a home is not tagged as blighted; before the homeowner sequesters herself to the one room with intact windows and a space heater or before he falls in the bathroom.

A typical Rebuilding Together Oakland homeowner may be a:

• Senior citizen

• Grandparent raising grandchildren

• Disabled person

• Veteran

• Adult child caring for ailing parents

We also repair and renovate non-profit facilities so they can use their resources for delivery of programs and services to Oakland's low-income communities. RTO is an affiliate of Rebuilding Together, Inc, the nation's leading nonprofit working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize communities, and is part of a network of more than 200 affiliates providing critical home repairs to low-income homeowners at no cost to them. Rebuilding Together was formerly known as Christmas in April.

The repairs are performed by thousands of dedicated volunteers funded by the generous sponsorship of local corporations, foundations, churches, synagogues, schools and civic organizations.

Rebuilding Together Oakland East Bay is a local affiliate of Rebuilding Together, a national organization that includes 166 affiliates serving 500 communities nationwide. Rebuilding Together’s national headquarters was launched in 1988 with a commitment to spread the program to every state.