Rebuilding Together, Sears to Improve Lives of Military Families at Home
Article type: Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nov. 9, 2007 - Rebuilding Together, the nation’s leading volunteer-driven home rehabilitation non-profit organization and Sears Holdings Corporation, announced today that the VanderWert family of New Prague, Minnesota will be the first of dozens of families who will benefit from Heroes at Home through the holiday season. Through Heroes at Home, the retailer seeks to improve the lives of military families and veterans in need across America by making necessary repairs, improvements or modifications to their homes.
Sgt. VanderWert was called to active duty with the Minnesota National Guard to begin serving a 15-month tour in Iraq in August 2007. As a result, his wife, Blake and their 9 children were forced to live in undesirable conditions in a home in need of major renovations. Many of the rooms in the home are missing drywall and ceilings, leaving exposed electrical wires, and only one bathroom functions.
“The project means everything to me and my family. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation for everyone involved,” stated Blake VanderWert, Sgt. VanderWert’s wife. “The kindness, compassion and support I have seen is unbelievable! It is proof that prayers and dreams can come true!”
Five of the nine children currently live in the home with Blake including a new baby boy, Vince, born in September 2007. The three other children live with relatives and visit their Mom and brothers and sisters, but are unable to spend the night because they do not have a suitable bedroom to stay in.
The VanderWerts moved out of the city to an older home in New Prague, Minnesota in hopes of creating a better living environment for their nine children. Sgt. VanderWert was confident that he would be able to fix the house up himself, but that changed when he was called to active duty with the Minnesota National Guard.
“We are thrilled to assist the VanderWert family by providing them with a space where the whole family can live,” stated Gary A. Officer, President and CEO of Rebuilding Together. “Heroes at Home will be serving several military families and veterans nationwide this fall and more than a hundred throughout the upcoming months. This is possible only thanks to the support from partners like Sears Holdings and the generous customers who shop its stores.”
Sears and Kmart raised $1.3 million in the first fund-raising effort for Heroes at Home, which took place over the summer. An in store fund-raising effort will begin again on November 9 and continue through the holidays, giving customers the chance to make a difference in the lives of veterans and their families.
About Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization working to preserve homeownership and neighborhoods by providing rehabilitation services free of charge to those in need. Through the support of corporate sponsors, local businesses, and the hands-on work of a quarter-million volunteers, Rebuilding Together rehabs and repairs more than 9000 homes each year. The market value of this work is in excess of $100 million annually. In addition to its core home repair work, Rebuilding Together rehabs community centers and conducts home modification and repair programs that focus on elder home safety, energy efficiency, veterans housing, and disaster recovery and reconstruction. Rebuilding Together has grown to 225 affiliates nationwide since its founding in 1988, and is now preserving safe and healthy homes in 1800 communities nationwide. Rebuilding Together celebrated the rehabilitation of its 100,000th home in 2006. For details, see www.rebuildingtogether.org or call 1-800-REHAB-9.
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Initiatives: Veterans Housing, Heroes at Home