Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together in St. Joseph County is a part of a national organization called “Rebuilding Together.” Its mission is to preserve and revitalize houses and communities, assuring that low-income homeowners, particularly those who are elderly or disabled, as well as families with children, live in warmth, safety, and independence. Its goal is to make a sustainable impact in partnership with the community.
Locally, this year’s Rebuilding Together will focus on the River Park neighborhood in South Bend. Men and women from the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College will join together with citizens from the South Bend community to work on 20 houses.
Important Dates
Check back soon for the 2010 Rebuilding Together Date.
How can I get involved?
Registration for 2009 is now closed. Hope to see you next year!
Group Requests
Generally, groups consist of eight people. If you have a large group that you would like to have work together on a house, we can usually accommodate up to 24 people at one site. Please indicate a group request on the signup form by entering an agreed-upon name for your group.
Because each house/site can only hold so many volunteers, we have to close the sign-ups when 500 names have been submitted through the online registration form.
Consider gathering people from your section, your hall, your Emmaus group, your NDE small group, a club or activity with which you’re involved, or people from a class you’re taking—invite your professor! Staff and faculty, spouses and friends are all welcome and encouraged to participate in Rebuilding Together. Participants must be at least 18 years old.
Service Hour Requirements
If you are in need of service hours to fulfill a Residence Life assignment, your participation in Rebuilding Together will count.
The ONLY PERSON WHO CAN VERIFY YOUR SERVICE HOURS IS YOUR HOUSE CAPTAIN. For that reason, you should bring a form letter with you to your site on the day of Rebuilding Together. The letter should contain your name, the date you worked, and a blank space for your house captain to fill in the number of hours you worked. Your house captain must sign this letter her- or himself. For specific information about what your letter should look like, please see the sample letter here:
Sample Res Life Service Hours Letter
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take?
Rebuilding Together begins at 7:00 a.m. Volunteers stay until work is completed, but most houses are finished by 3:00 p.m. “Last call” for buses back to campus is at 4:00 p.m., so you will definitely be back to campus by 4:15 p.m. at the very latest.
Can I drive myself?
No. There is not enough room on the streets to park. Buses will begin running back to campus around 1:00 p.m. and will transport the majority of students. If you need to get back before 1:00 p.m., two vans will be running all day to shuttle people back to campus. You can find these vans at the “Command Center,” the drop-off/pick-up site.
Do I have to bring my own tools?
No. All supplies are provided at the work site.
What should I wear?
Dress according to the weather. You may work indoors or outdoors, depending on the homeowner’s needs. Layers are good—it may be 40 degrees outside, but 80 degrees in the house. Wear OLD clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.
Should I bring lunch?
Notre Dame Food Services donates box lunches for all volunteers, which are delivered directly to your work site. If you require a special diet meal (vegetarian, diabetic, etc.) you should probably bring along your own snack. Drinks are provided. ND also provides food for the volunteers as they return to the “Command Center” to catch a bus back to campus.
What if it rains?
As our 1,400 waterlogged volunteers can tell you, Rebuilding Together goes on RAIN OR SHINE. Even if it’s pouring, we proceed as planned. People count on us to show up, and there is no make-up day.
For more information, please contact Darrell Paulsen at 631.5827 or dpaulse1@nd.edu
