On Friday at a home in South Bend’s River Park area, the nonprofit Rebuilding Together will again start making free home repairs for a low-income elderly or disabled homeowner. This year they’re expanding beyond South Bend city limits for the first time.
At a press event, Mayor James Mueller, Rebuilding Together officials and members of the local trades will discuss repairs they plan for 16 River Park homes this year. Everything from new roofs, water heaters and furnaces to general repairs, painting and yard work.
The skilled trades will work on Saturday April 11th and unskilled volunteers will help with things like cleaning, landscaping and painting on the 25th.
Rebuilding Together has been doing this work in South Bend since 1989. This fall they’re excited to also help people in Mishawaka and unincorporated St. Joseph County, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County.
“I’ve kind of pushed for it in the last couple years, of, why don’t we expand out into more of the county?" says Program Director Kristin Givens. "How come we can’t do Mishawaka? And what better year to do it than the year when we’re in River Park, which fits right on the line of South Bend and Mishawaka, and so we just felt like it was a great opportunity to cross those geographic barriers.”
