Several dozen volunteers and board members from Rebuilding Together L/A Maine met at Bates College before going out in the area and surrounding communities on May 4 during their annual Rebuilding Day. For more information on how to apply for help or volunteer visit their website at rebuildingtogetherla.org.

On May 4, volunteers from the Lewiston/Auburn area and Bates College students came together for the annual Rebuilding Day for local nonprofit Rebuilding Together Lewiston/Auburn. The day is dedicated to helping repair homes for people who are financially or physically unable to do so themselves.

The L/A chapter of the organization was started in 2002 by John Scott Johnson, who graduated from Bates College as a member of the 2004 class. Since then, Rebuilding Together L/A has continued growing and has, at this point, repaired over 100 homes.

Everyone who works as part of Rebuilding Together does so because of their passion for the work, as all members are volunteers. This year, nine homes received attention, ranging from yard work to roofing.

From the outside, one home seemed as though it needed no work at all. However, the volunteers attacked the raking and bush-trimming with the same vigor they used on the other homes. The homeowner had recently lost her husband, who usually took care of the yard for her, and Rebuilding Together was able to alleviate some of the stress that accompanied the loss of her husband.

On the other side of Lewiston, another group worked to ensure that the homeowners could safely exit their trailer by installing a ramp and stabilizing some stairs to reduce the risk of falling. Ramp installation and repairs comprise a large part of the work done by Rebuilding Together, as their goal is to minimize health and safety hazards and many of the applicants are elderly.

The biggest project of the day was to finish shingling a roof in Lewiston. A large group of Bates football players accompanied Alan Hahnel, who taught them the basics of roof installation.

While Rebuilding Day is Rebuilding Together’s largest day of service in the local community, members work year-round identifying and visiting homes that are in need of repairs. Some members even make repairs on their own time if there is not enough time during Rebuilding Day to accomplish all of the work that needs to be done.

Anyone who knows of someone in need of home repairs or to donate, visit rebuildingtogetherla.org or call 207-344-3232.