On April 25, 2015, 15 staffers from SOM’s Chicago office donated their time and skill to National Rebuilding Day. The SOM team joined a total of 3,500 Chicagoans, who rolled up their sleeves to make major improvements to 82 homes, four nonprofit facilities, and one outdoor space across the city.
SOM volunteers upgraded a home located in the city’s Austin neighborhood owned by a retired couple. Renovation tasks included laying new carpet, painting rooms, installing ADA-compliant plumbing fixtures and grab bars, erecting shelving, and building a backyard patio. The day’s hard work culminated five months of planning, during which the SOM team also secured donated materials from several vendors that include Tandus Flooring and Milliken Carpet.
National Rebuilding Day is the signature service event of Rebuilding Together. Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago is an affiliate of the national nonprofit, and since its inception in 1991 the local organization has repaired more than 1,400 homes and 200 community facilities in Chicagoland. This year, Rebuilding Together affiliates will paint, repair, weatherize, and revitalize more than 10,000 sites nationwide.