Emergency Management

Rebuilding Together Joins United We Serve Initiative to Honor 9/11

Sept. 11, 2009

Rebuilding Together, a nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership, has embraced the federal United We Serve Day of Service and Remembrance on Sept. 11 by taking part in major home rehabilitation projects around the country and distributing energy-savings education kits to 50,000 people.

Laura Walter

“We are proud to participate in this summer of service initiative,” said Gary A. Officer, president and CEO of Rebuilding Together. “Our corporate partners leaped at the chance to do something in remembrance of Sept. 11 and show our collective determination to rebuild and renew this great nation.”

Rebuilding Together’s rehabilitation projects are highlighted by two metro Washington, D.C., mega projects that bring together nearly 200 volunteers. These projects will feature installation of new appliances and other home improvements aimed at lowering energy bills at each of the homes.

Energy Savings Education

Rebuilding Together affiliates and AmeriCorps Members of Rebuilding Together's CapacityCorps also will organize mass distribution of consumer energy-efficiency education kits to as many as 50,000 low-income Americans in 19 states where Rebuilding Together has CapacityCorps members.

Campaign sponsors include Choice Hotels and ConocoPhillips, with supporting sponsors including AARP, the Alliance to Save Energy, Cricket Communications, the Safeway Foundation and Sears Holdings. In addition to providing financial and educational support, sponsors will send out teams of employee volunteers in full force.

Choice Hotels is making a special commitment to national service with the launch of their national partnership with Rebuilding Together, "Room to Rebuild" on Sept. 11. Rebuilding Together's longtime partner, Sears Holdings, will donate multiple energy-efficient appliances to both homes in the DC metro area as an additional way to support the day's efforts.

Follow the action from Rebuilding Together's United We Serve project sites by visiting http://rebuildingtogether.org.

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.