Fundraising is necessary!  Ask anyone who is building a business, creating a product, or running a nonprofit.  The entrepreneur may wish for the pot of gold to fund a dream, but the entrepreneur is not shy about asking.  The inventor knows a good idea only goes so far without the cash to sustain it.  And a nonprofit knows that a mission and wanting to do the right thing for people in need is not enough to make it so.

Fundraising is fun!  What?  How many sides of this coin are there?  Hundreds of people are out to prove this weekend that raising a lot of coins can bring out the best in folks; it can even be healthy! Lace up for the Colfax Marathon on May 19 and 20 with start and finish in City Park.  An event like this taps into something else about us humans.  When we know how to make a difference and there are choices that match our interests and passions, we rise to the occasion every time.

For two months, walkers and runners who love a day outside have also been choosing a charity to support while they do something they enjoy (or not in some cases, but more about them in a minute).  With the organizational structure already provided by the Colfax Marathon, even small nonprofits can take advantage of this fundraising opportunity.  All the money raised by individuals and teams go directly to the charity of their choice.

Not everybody who will show up on Saturday or Sunday will be doing what they love.  Some folks would rather get eaten by a python rather than run (or walk) the 5K.  But their hearts are big and they have accepted that fundraising is necessary for a cause they support.

We have over 40 runners, walkers and supporters showing up for Rebuilding Together this weekend. They know there are at least two sides to the fundraising coin.  And, their goal is to finish the race with a fistful of coins to be sure that we can deliver on the promise that everyone deserves a safe and healthy home!

Sign up to run or walk with us or simply support those who have already been training! Fundraising is a pain, we know.  And we cannot survive without it.  Help make it fun on the Fax this weekend!

By Kayleen McCabe, Host of diy Network’s Rescue Renovation

The forecast called for rain, but the weather ended up being sunny and clear.

In hindsight, this is probably a good metaphor for what Rebuilding Together does for homeowners.  But when I woke up last Saturday – National Rebuilding Day – the gorgeous weather just meant I had one less thing to be nervous about.

Yes, I was super nervous.  First-day-of-school-style, butterflies-in-my-stomach nervous.  Would I hit it off with the other volunteers?  Would unforeseen hurdles pop up?  Would the men on my team resist a female team captain?  Would I split my pants (okay, that last fear nags me on any worksite, but I especially didn’t want it happening among strangers!)?

So I did the one scientifically-proven thing you do when you want your day to go smoothly: I made cookies.  Dozens of cookies.  I offered them up to my fellow volunteers as we rolled up that morning at 7:30am to our worksite – a house in the Barnum neighborhood.  Within minutes, front teeth were covered in chocolate chips, people were mingling, sugar levels were spiking, and my butterflies started to subside…(even if the odds of my pants splitting had maybe increased a little bit : )

I’d been to the house a few weeks earlier for a walk-through with Stan and my fellow captain, Soheyla, so I knew what we needed to accomplish.  On the other hand, I had no idea what skills our team of volunteers, who were largely from Travelers Insurance, would or wouldn’t bring to the table.  Imagine how relieved I was when I found out we had our bases covered: There was a master plumber, some guys with construction backgrounds, and many hands willing to pick up paintbrushes – a skill that was really needed, since new windows had been installed recently in the house, but none of their perimeters had been repainted.  Oh, and did I mention that everyone was really enthusiastic and cool?  By now, the butterflies had not only flown out of my stomach, but were on their way out of those newly-installed windows, too!

We got to work stirring paint, switching up light fixtures, replacing the toilet and faucets, installing grab rails, and swapping out a garage door opener.  Around 11:30, I lifted my eyes up from a project and took in the sight of everyone engrossed in their tasks, the gentle hum of power tools, and just the overall sense that everyone really wanted to be there.  It was a really cool moment.

One of my biggest concerns was that I wouldn’t have the time to devote to a handrail that needed to be created and installed on the house’s front porch.  There were specific codes that needed to be met, and it was an intricate undertaking that required expertise and focus.  So I was thrilled when my co-worker –  Rescue Renovation’s master carpenter, Shane – agreed to tackle it for me.  He showed up on one of his rare days off with his son, Shane Jr., and built a masterpiece of a handrail out of redwood.  Thanks so much, Shane!  You get the first cookie the next time I bring some to set!

From the lunch donated by a local restaurant to the organization on behalf of Rebuilding Together, I was just in awe of what can be accomplished for worthy homeowners when people commit a little bit of their time, energy, and know-how.  I have the good fortune of doing this almost every day for work, but it’s different when the stakes are higher and the results won’t be seen by a television audience.  Come on out for National Rebuilding Day next year, everyone!  Need some motivation?  Here’s that cookie recipe…and I promise to make them again in ’13:

Andes Mint cookies

½ cup salted butter – softened

¾ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup white granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

10 oz chipped Andes mints

2 2/3 cups flour

Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed.  Stir in Andes mints, then flour.  Chill for one hour.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Nathan has a 15-year old daughter who visits regularly and plans to stay for the summer.  With Safeway’s sponsorship and dedicated team of employees, Rebuilding Together rehabilitated Nathan’s home on Saturday, May 5.  Safeway had over 50 employees on site to work inside and out to make the home safe, healthy and welcoming for the arrival of Nathan’s daughter.  Cleta, his mother, keeps a watchful eye on her son.  “This is such a gift to him.  There are some difficult days, but this one is a wonderful one for us all,” said Cleta when RTMD and Safeway selected his home.

“Working with Rebuilding Together is a natural extension of the focus we have on supporting disabilities in our community,” noted Kris Staaf, as she and Grambusch did the walk through one more time before Saturday’s rebuild day.

Rebuilding Together Metro Denver and Safeway received some amazing press for this project.  Both Fox31 and Channel 4 both covered the story on Saturday at 5 and 5:30.  On Monday Headline News picked up Fox31′s story and ran it 5 different times nationally!  We are so excited about the coverage and it proves what an amazing project it was and what great partners Safeway are.

Watch the Fox31 coverage below here

Inez, Rudy, Katherine, Donna and Tessie have lived in these historic Denver areas for most of their lives.  In some cases, they are of the second and third generations in these homes, having been raised, schooled and married in those communities.  All of them have raised their children in these homes, and in some cases, have helped raise their grandchildren as well.

Booz Allen Hamilton, Dakota Consulting, Enerplus, Swinerton Builders and Travelers brought sponsorship dollars and employee volunteers to RTMD to ensure that these folks have the opportunity to continue to live safely in their homes.  Rudy told the volunteers gathered around him on Saturday morning how grateful he was for the chance to meet them and share the day.  He wept as he spoke of the illness that has limited his strength and ability to care for his home the way he did through the years.  “Having you here with me and my wife today means all the world to me,” he said, wiping his eyes.  His wife took over for a few moments, adding her gratitude. “We can all have hope that the world is a generous place after all.”

The Travelers team has been rallying in Denver on Rebuilding Day since 2008.  Their efforts have contributed to the lives of five homeowners and their families over the years, making their homes more secure and healthy. Team leader, Lynda Stecher, reminded her team of 20 that they were at Rudy’s house not only to fix gutters, floors, ceilings, walls, light fixtures, and provide ADA compliant toilets, but to have a great time together.  “Use this opportunity to get to know folks you may not have worked with in the past.  Seeing each other on a day like this helps us all to appreciate how interesting and generous we all are.”  At day’s end, team members gathered once more to give hugs and high fives on a day well spent.  Rudy walked around his house in awe.  “I just cannot believe something like this has happened to me,” he beamed.  “I will sure miss you tomorrow, but remember you all my life.”

The generous Swinerton Builders team under the leadership of SVP, David White, has supported RTMD since 2009. This team brings not only the usual enthusiasm of volunteers who sign up to be part of this extraordinary work, but each of the volunteers on Saturday also brought construction skills.  They rebuilt a second story deck for Donna who, “in the day,” would take rest on that deck with her husband after the busy days of running several businesses. “We would take our sleeping bags out there on weekend nights to enjoy the peace of living so close to the trees.  I have not been on that deck since my husband died a number of years ago.  It brings me so many wonderful memories.”  Donna’s kitchen got a makeover, too.  The guys also took care of rebuilding a retaining wall that was collapsing, blocking passage from the garage into the house.  “That was just an accident waiting to happen,” noted Brendan Summers, the appointed house captain of the team.

While not every business can bring the technical expertise of Swinerton Builders or the longevity of Travelers, there are always unique contributions and interesting opportunities throughout a Rebuilding Day experience.  For example, Kayleen McCabe, host of the DIY Network show, Rescue Renovation, volunteered to be a skilled captain for one of the homes to supplement construction needs.  Her team members mugged for shots to share with friends throughout the day.  See more of the day’s highlights on Facebook.

This year, Rebuilding Together affiliates across the country reached out to their elected officials to join in recognizing the important work of the organization.  Locally, Carlie Armstrong, Consumer Advocate for housing from the office of Senator Bennet, toured the homes in Denver, met homeowners, listened to concerns of volunteers and voters, and even tried her hand at a few repairs during the day.  “I have learned so much about the work of Rebuilding Together.  It is so great to have another important resource to share with our constituents who are in need of housing options and services.”

Visit RTMD to learn more about how your company can get involved on a Rebuilding Day project or provide other support for homeowners like Rudy and Donna who are in need.  Becoming a partner brings big rewards!  Check out our new Partners section and see how many metro businesses step up to help.  RTMD offers sponsor/volunteer and other rebuilding opportunities throughout the year.  We are signing up teams for work now.

My name is Alexsas Boyd and I am an AmeriCorps NCCC member. My team “WATER 3″ is a part of an amazing project working with Rebuilding Together Metro Denver. Our weatherization project responsibilities include talking to homeowners about their needs, updating client profiles and managing information. In the field responsibilities include visiting the homes of the applicants to provide energy efficient upgrades that not only help the applicants save money, but offers them piece of mind about general maintenance that can be a bit overwhelming in a time where the cost of living has changed drastically.

AmeriCorps NCCC has had the pleasure of working with RTMD. The staff at RTMD has been super wonderful and always provides inside information on how to properly do weatherization and provides training classes for us. Preparing young adults for the “real world” isn’t as easy as baking a cake. It takes strong individuals to rise up to the challenge and push themselves to the limit to strive for Workmanship, Teamwork, Leadership, and Perseverance. To the Rebuilding Metro Denver staff, Water 3 humbly offers our great appreciation to Anaya Robinson, George Davis, Stan Hartzheim, John Carpenter, Jolynn Snyder, Adre Early, Sarah Franklin, and Katherine Arbour for all the amazing help and assistance you have provided us to succeed in giving back to the community along with learning new skills along the way in our weatherization project.

The time is near when we will finish up and have to say our goodbyes, but for now we “Water 3″ are enjoying the Weatherization project and helping as many homeowners as possible. AmeriCorps NCCC’s Water 3 can’t stop stressing the amazing experience while working with Rebuilding Together Metro Denver and meeting all the wonderful homeowners that welcomed us into their homes to do the Energy Efficient upgrades.

Safeway has been sponsoring an annual rebuild with RTMD for the past several years.  Last year over 50 employees came out to the American Legion Post 193 to do an array of repairs including installing 10 new toilets, putting in new flooring and completing lots of painting.  Check out some photos of last years rebuild here.

Last year, RTMD renovated and rehabbed over 30 homes in Denver’s historic Barnum community in partnership with HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes, Lowe’s and dozens of national and local sponsors.  The investment was valued at $1.5M.

Cory Civilla, Sr. Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and one of this year’s sponsors, stated, “Knowing we are continuing to contribute to the work started a year ago gives us the added satisfaction of actually seeing our contributions in a broader context.”  Kerry Swain, Project Executive at Swinerton Builders noted that, as long-time local sponsors, Swinerton loves tackling these rebuilds every year. “With our construction skills, our team takes on some significant repair work that makes a big difference in the lives of those residents.  We always have such a great time together supporting Rebuilding Together Metro Denver every year.”

(Click here for more information on National Rebuilding Day 2012.)

In preparation for a successful National Rebuilding Day, RTMD hosted a Captain and Lead Training session on Saturday, March 31^st. The training was attended by some of RTMD’s long time volunteers and also some new folks who want to be engaged with the mission of helping the vulnerable populations that RTMD serves. Many of the project enhancements implemented by RTMD in recent months were rolled out, and roles and responsibilities were discussed. RTMD has instituted changes that produce a much more turnkey experience for the sponsor teams, and make the volunteer roles more rewarding and straightforward.

Check out photos from the training below.

Rebecca was an awesome homeowner to work with this past week. She greeted the AmeriCorps NCCC team partnering with Rebuilding Together with open arms. Tearing up as the team left, she encouraged each member with a blessing of thankfulness. Energy efficiency work was done on Rebecca’s home, but something happened that went beyond the work itself. Rebecca’s kindness and enthusiasm for life will not soon be forgotten! It’s homeowners like her that you know immediately, upon the door opening, it is going to be an enjoyable visit. The team walked away inspired and ready to go out again another day to serve the mission of Rebuilding Together.

“We are so grateful for the generous donation of plumbing expertise and labor from the folks at Done® Plumbing. Their support of the RTMD mission throughout 2012 will help dozens of homeowners in need with critical plumbing repairs,” says Kathryn M. Arbour, President and CEO of RTMD.

Jeff Metz, President of Done® Plumbing, states “As a successful member of the greater Denver business community, we have a responsibility to help those who are less fortunate and give back to those who have helped support our business over the years.”

Done® Plumbing is a full service plumbing and HVAC contractor, serving residential and commercial customers in the greater Denver area. They specialize in plumbing repairs and sewer and drain cleaning. Their highly trained plumbing technicians are experts in the field and are committed to quality workmanship. For more information visit www.itsdone.com.

The numbers of corporations and businesses engaged in supporting causes in their communities has grown significantly over the past two decades.  In 2012, estimates posit additional growth of 3.1% to hit $1.73 billion (link).  In the 1990s, by comparison, cause sponsorships topped out at $120 million (link).

Growth like this means only one thing: cause marketing works.  A recent report outlined several reasons that draw businesses to support causes in their communities.  As consumers’ voices find more and more social media venues to be heard, they are connecting directly to brands in ways not possible 20 years ago.  More than 80% of the world’s internet users, for example, think it is important for companies to help address social and environmental problems.  Additionally, consumers care more about companies that support the causes they do.  The study says that three out of four consumers will support a brand they have not previously tried if they support a preferred cause. The article also highlights that cause-branding provides businesses with differentiation from the many copycat companies that spring up. Choosing and connecting to a branded cause offers another story to tell, often an emotional one.

Please contact us if you and your business would like to explore more about becoming a community partner with Rebuilding Together Metro Denver.  We will be happy to connect you with some of our loyal business partners who can explain what attracts them to our mission and what convinces them to support us each year even in spite of this challenging economy.

Here is a great example of why companies support community involvement from RTMD sponsor Travelers Insurance.

What does “Community” mean to you? See what it means to Travelers. Check out the “In Their Own Words” video gallery.   https://www.travelers.com/community