Rebuilding Together names board members, partnership

By Jennifer Stuart, Rebuilding Together South Sound, Volunteer Manager

Rebuilding Together South Sound would like to welcome two new members to our Board of Directors:

· Nilmah Mills, Finance Department, Gray Lumber Co

· Kim Taylor, Membership Marketing Director at the Master Builders Association of Pierce County

They will all make wonderful additions and bring new insight to the Board of Directors. Rebuilding Together South Sound is sure to benefit greatly from their diverse talents and experiences in the coming year and after. They join current Board members:

· Tom Berquist, Vice President of Marketing at BECU

· Rich Clark, Construction Manager at Paul Davis Restoration

· Mark Egner, General Manager of Frank & Sons Construction

· Carol Ellis, Community Volunteer

· Dan Garber, Owner of United Wholesale Supply

· Donovan Gladstone, Territory Manager at GAF-ELK Corporation

· Michael Graubard, Vice President of Public Relations at 206 Inc.

· Neil Grigsby, Conservation Resources Management at Tacoma Power

· Haley Iselin, Estimator at Metal Roof Specialties

· Bett Lucas, Sales Manager at Sound Refining

· Chris Lucero, Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

· Karla Lopez Ramirez, Community Volunteer

· Susie Sutton, Community Volunteer

· Bill Sweatman, President of Sweatman Young Inc.

Rebuilding Together South Sound is also excited to announce a new partnership agreement with Need A Break, a program of the Tacoma Rescue Mission. Rebuilding Together South Sound is now accepting applications for emergency home repairs, with the help of Need A Break, which is referring applicants and volunteers. In turn, Rebuilding Together South Sound will be referring clients to Need A Break for furniture needs and auto repair. Rebuilding Together South Sound will now be able to address urgent repair needs such as leaking roofs, leaking plumbing, and loss of heat more promptly, though major home repairs will still be done on National Rebuilding Day in April.

About Rebuilding Together South Sound:

Rebuilding Together South Sound is a volunteer organization that works to preserve affordable homeownership by providing free home repairs and modifications to low-income homeowners. The homeowners served are either elderly, disabled or a family with children. Repairs are completed on or around an annual event, National Rebuilding Day, where sponsoring companies send volunteer teams to provide needed home repairs. Home modifications, which increase the accessibility of a home, and emergency repairs are completed by volunteers throughout the year.

Rebuilding Together South Sound is an affiliate of a national organization, Rebuilding Together Inc., but is solely responsible for its own fundraising, publicity, volunteer recruitment and management. Funds come from local corporations, foundations and individuals who are interested in assisting at the local level. For each dollar raised, at least four dollars worth of work is completed.

In 2010, Rebuilding Together South Sound rehabilitated 64 homes and one non-profit facility, with the help of more than 700 volunteers working more than 5,700 hours. To date, Rebuilding Together South Sound has provided home repairs with a market value of more than $.53 million.

For additional information about Rebuilding Together South Sound, Contact: Drew Carrigan, Outreach Coordinator, at 253-238-0977. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RTSouthSound.