Repairs, cleanup make home more comfortable for Auburn man

Rebuilding Together South Sound volunteers do their part on National Rebuilding Day

By Reporter Staff • April 28, 2019 8:30 am
Rebuilding Together volunteers made repairs to an Auburn home on Saturday. From the left are volunteers Dana Leavitt, Roger Norway, homeowner Richard Dishneau, and volunteer Elliot Licata. MARK KLAAS, Auburn Reporter

Richard Dishneau can better maneuver around his home and yard today, thanks to friends.

The 76-year-old Auburn man’s weather-worn, double-wide manufactured home on Lea Hill became a priority for about 15 skilled volunteers Saturday.

Rebuilding Together South Sound welcomed more than 500 volunteers to complete 27 major home repair and safety modification projects throughout the South Sound area on National Rebuilding Day. Rebuilding Together, a leading national nonprofit in safe and healthy housing, provides low-income homeowners with critical home repairs.

Dishneau, who has trouble getting around these days, was grateful for the group’s work. Volunteers removed trash and overgrowth from his yard, built and reinforced deck railings and pressure-washed a wooden deck. Inside, volunteers installed a new toilet, fixtures and grip railings.

“It’s a great improvement,” Dishneau said with a smile.

Rebuilding Together South Sound collaborates with sponsors on projects.

Throughout April, Rebuilding Together affiliates nationwide and volunteers will serve veterans, older adults, low-income families with children and victims of disaster by providing them with a variety of home fixes, including flooring repairs and replacement, weatherization repairs, roof and handrail replacements, accessibility modifications, painting and landscaping.

According to Rebuilding Together South Sound, the repairs are provided free of charge to the homeowners who, often faced with diminishing resources, must choose food and medicine over critical home repairs – choices that, over time, can lead to crumbling foundations, dangerously sagging roofs and windows and doors that can’t be securely shut.

Rebuilding Together South Sound established itself in 2001 as an affiliate of Rebuilding Together Inc., one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the U.S. dedicated to home repair and rehabilitation. To date, it has worked in 893 homes and nonprofit facilities, provided more than $7.5 million in repairs aided by nearly 10,000 volunteers giving more than 100,000 hours of their time.