2022 Update
Whew! It's been quite a year here at Rebuilding Together Baltimore.
Dear Friends,
As we continued to emerge from the isolation imposed by COVID-19, we experienced significant growth in 2022. We are extremely fortunate to have been awarded significant new Government and Foundation grants. Much of this funding is multi-year, which will help sustain our efforts into Fiscal Year 2024 and beyond.
As we have grown, our board of directors and stellar staff members have spent a lot of time discussing how to best position ourselves to have a deeper and broader impact in the community. We ratified a new strategic plan in March 2022 with the goals to address more critical repairs in each home, prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion, and build a robust fundraising program to ensure our sustainability in the future.
Our efforts related to the strategic plan have begun to bear fruit. As mentioned above, we have secured significant funding to help us address more critical issues in each home. We are being very intentional about utilizing local, black-owned, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses as vendors whenever possible. And we are developing new and creative opportunities for the community to invest in our mission with donations and volunteerism.
Throughout the year, we sought feedback from communities, donors, business leaders, and politicians about their experience with us, and how we can increase our impact. One thing we heard consistently was an unwavering support and appreciation for the work that Rebuilding Together Baltimore does. We intend to continue listening to community partners, leaders, and residents as we strive to increase our impact.
In 2023, we see a lot of growth for our organization ahead. We plan to increase our staff and bring on new board members, raise more funding, and continue to keep more homeowners in safe and healthy homes.
Read on for some highlights from 2022.
Thank you for your support!
Bonnie Bessor
Executive Director
Statistics
Below are some statistics from October 1st, 2021 to September 30th, 2022
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Average Age of Homeowners: 74
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Average length of homeownership: 33 years
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Homeowners earning less than $25,000/year: 60%
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Homeowners served: 83% are Black/African American
Homes Completed
79
October 1st 2021 - September 30th, 2022
Greater Govans
Ms. M - Pen Lucy
Scope of Work
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Repair roof
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Install railing on stairs
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Boiler and Radiator serviced
Ms. M's quote on repairs to her stair railing
"One thing that has been wonderful has been going upstairs and the small railing for the last two stairs, that is monumental. It's been hard going up and down the stairs for me. The last two are always the hardest. I have tripped up those stairs several times. It's nice to get to the landing and grab another railing."
Southwest Baltimore
Ms. H - Poppleton
Scope of Work
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Repaired interior elevator
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Replaced smoke detectors
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Installed new laminate flooring
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Repaired rear wheelchair ramp
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Repaired deck railing and support awning
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Replaced smoke detector
Before and After
Wheelchair Ramp
Before
After
RTB in the News
On September 24, our local news outlet WJZ captured our volunteer event with our partners from Lowes home improvement stores. We helped Ms. H make critical repairs to help navigate her home and repaired her kitchen.
Programs
We deliver our critical home repair service through 4 programs that assists homeowners throughout Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
City-wide Program
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HUBS (Housing Upgrades to Benefit Seniors)
County-wide Program
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BCAUSE (Baltimore County Age-Friendly Upgrades for Seniors)
Target Neighborhood Programs
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Greater Govans (Mid Govans, Woodbourne McCabe, Wilson Park, Pen Lucy, Winston Govans, Richnor Springs)
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Southwest Baltimore (Poppleton, Mount Clare, Franklin Square, Pigtown, Hollins Roundhouse, Barre Circle, Union Square)
If someone you know is in need of our services please have them call us at 410-889-2710
Volunteer Events
We have hosted 3 events in 2022 with the help of volunteers. They helped us complete repairs at 3 homes and to host a community resource fair in Southwest Baltimore. Check out photo albums below.
September 23rd
September 24th
October 6th
[Re]build Guild
In 2023, we plan to launch a new volunteer program called the [Re]build Guild that will be geared toward skilled volunteers who can perform minor repairs in homes. Please fill out the interest form below to be kept up to date with future opportunities.
Our Board of Directors
Our board of directors has been integral in helping us achieve our goals in 2022. They helped to plan a virtual auction in April and supported other events throughout the year. After 1 year of planning and collaboration, the board ratified a new strategic plan at the beginning of the year. We welcomed 2 new board members and elected a new board president, K.C. Kelleher.
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Click below to learn more about our Board of Directors
Joell Sperry
Former board member Joell Sperry stepped down from the board this year after serving 4 years. Please join us in congratulating Joell on being elected to the national board of directors of Alpha Sigma Tau sorority. She reflects on her time with Rebuilding Together Baltimore in the following interview:
What inspired you to join the board?
Because a lot of our beneficiaries are senior citizens, it made it simple for me to explain. I have grandparents who all aged in place and I understand the anxiety that comes along with maintaining a property when you have limited funds and time. I felt as though by joining the board, I could help support programs to ease that anxiety.
What was your most memorable volunteer experience?
I had the pleasure of spending time in the RTB office one day in May to help catch up on some online auction things. I was so impressed by the staff of RTB and how they maintained focus on the organization's mission. I witnessed one of our program managers make several phone calls to other community partners just to ensure needed repairs could be done on a home. She knew our funding didn't allow for everything, but she knew that by partnering, our impact could be greater. I also learned about site visits from earlier that day and how our program managers connect with homeowners from start to finish. It made me so proud to be a board member because without a great staff, an organization isn't successful. I really believe we have the best team!
How has your board membership impacted your perspective of housing issues in Baltimore?
I feel that when people think of "Baltimore housing issues", they automatically think of the blight and abandoned properties in the city. Through my membership on the board of RTB, my perspective has moved beyond that to thinking of the residents within those neighborhoods who are at risk of their properties having the same status. RTB doesn't just fix people's homes; the organization provides a layer of comfort so people can continue to be proud of where they live.
Donate
There are several ways to support safe and healthy housing in Baltimore:
Community Investment Tax Credits
Save on your Maryland state taxes by donating at least $500 toward supporting our critical home repair programs.
Become a Monthly Donor
Become a monthly donor and support safe and healthy housing all year.
Amazon Wish List
Donate tools and materials we use everyday to make homes healthier and safer.
Maryland Charity Campaign
If you are a Maryland State employee, you can donate to Rebuilding Together Baltimore through your payroll.
Thank You!
From the bottom of our heart, we thank you for following our organization and being a supporter of safe and healthy housing in Baltimore. Earlier this year, we prepared a short video for our Virtual Community Gathering to share our work told directly from homeowners we've helped.