By Mary-Justine Lanyon
“Our goal is to change the life of the person whose house we are working on.”
That’s what Wayne Palmer and Sue Parks of Rebuilding Together Mountain Communities told members of the Women’s Club of Lake Arrowhead at their Feb. 21 meeting.
Rebuilding Together, formerly known as Christmas in April, was started by the Association of Building Contractors. “We were looking for a way to give back to the community,” Palmer said.
“It gives us pleasure to see how much time the contractors donate,” he said. “That’s unusual – this is an island of generosity. My goal is to protect that generosity.”
In addition to Rebuilding Day – the last Saturday in April – the nonprofit helps people – up to 40 a year – with emergency repairs throughout the year.
“If someone has no hot water,” Palmer said, “that has to be corrected. We don’t want someone to perish because they think there’s no one to help.”
A lot of people, he added, “have no hope left. We bring them to a standard of hopefulness.”
When asked how people find out about volunteering on Rebuilding Day, Parks said they send out two mailings a year. Folks can also sign up on their website: www.rebuildingmountaincommunities.org.
During the meeting, Laura Donohoo updated the club’s members on the money they had earned at the Mountain Thrift Shoppe through their volunteer hours. For the period July through December 2023, they earned $13,243. That, Donohoo said, is the highest six-month earnings they have ever received.
She then recognized the volunteers, some of whom had put in more than 100 hours. And, Donohoo added, “don’t forget we rely on donations.”
Dr. Patrick Rains presented Polly Sauer with a check for $550 from the pledges for Sauer’s jump into Lake Arrowhead as part of the PolaRotary Bear Plunge.
Dr. Patrick Rains attended the meeting to present President Polly Sauer with a check for $550 from the pledges made to the Women’s Club for her jump into the lake as part of the PolaRotary Bear Plunge. He also gave Sauer a certificate of achievement from Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh.
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