AKRON, Ohio — Saturday, a group of all-women volunteers with Rebuilding Together Northeast Ohio worked to repair and renovate the headquarters of two non-profits in Akron.
Rebuilding Together is a leading national nonprofit in safe and healthy housing that provides low-income homeowners with critical home repairs and revitalizes the communities in which we live.
The project is part of the group’s She Builds program. The program provides critical repairs for women-headed households and women-focused community spaces to empower women to maintain safe and healthy homes, make a difference in their communities and build a supportive community network.
“We have women out here today, working for women, side by side together,” said Pam Schuellerman, the president and CEO of Rebuilding Together Northeast Ohio.
Volunteers worked on the ACCESS Shelter and CHC Addiction Services buildings in Akron.
“We are working on their playground. We've built some equipment. We've done some painting, chalkboard painting and landscaping. But the most exciting part might be the logo behind me. We are trying to dress up the entrance and these are their colors and their logo,” Schuellerman said.
During the She Builds program, women are taught how to do repairs and other work around the home through lessons taught by women working in various trades.
“Statistics show that single women, female heads of households, are buying houses more than they have in the past. And also, single women and female heads of household households have more repairs, more expensive repairs to do,” Schuellerman said. “You're choosing between working and your family and feeding your kids. And a lot of times maintenance ends up being delayed or ignored. So if you can fix something yourself, you can save a lot of money often.”
Then, they come together and put those skills to work on women-focused organizations in Northeast Ohio, like the ACCESS shelter which helps homeless women and children in Akron.
Over this weekend and the next, about 75 volunteers will head to more organizations to continue that work.
“Our goal as an organization is to raise awareness about the need for safe and healthy housing, safe and healthy community spaces,” Schuellerman said.
More information about Rebuilding Together Northeast Ohio can be found here.
Jade Jarvis is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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