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Rotary 100 has partnered with Rebuilding Together Valley of the Sun for 25 years to improve the lives of low-income elderly homeowners. Starting with the first Christmas in April event in Phoenix in April 1991, Rotarians have given their time and funding to repair homes, purchase appliances, and paint the homes of people who can no longer care their own home. This year the Phoenix Rotary 100 helped a 73 year old widow living on an income of less than $1,000 a month. After years of working as an administrative assistant she found herself widowed and with limited retirement funds. She purchased a manufactured home 'as is' in order to live within her limited means. However, the home had more problems than she anticipated and she had limited support in getting the home fixed up. Rotary 100 and Rebuilding Together were able to paint the home (inside and out), put flooring in the living room, provide her with a stove, recoat the roof of the mobile home which had been leaking and caused a hole in her ceiling, and repair her exterior stairs. As we left her house she exclaimed "I have been blessed, truly blessed. I had no idea people would help me like this."
Next year Rotary 100 would like to further extend the assistance to low-income homeowners in the Phoenix area by having a second project. The second project would include 'safe at home' projects such as installing grab bars, tub/shower seats, toilet risers or rails, smoke detectors, weather stripping, programmable thermostat, CFL light bulbs, levered knobs, and other home safety and energy efficiency home repairs, and, if needed, installing an exterior wooden ramp built to assist the homeowner to safely enter and exit their home. The funding will be used to provide the materials needed to make the repairs successful. Rotary 100 will have two projects: a new Fall Rebuilding Day project and in Spring 2016 the 26th annual National Rebuilding Day project.
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