Consider yourself a handy person? Join the Safe at Home Repair Team!

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Rebuilding Together Seattle (rtseattle.org) is a nonprofit organization that transforms the lives of low income homeowners by improving the health and safety of their homes and revitalizing our communities. In order to help people remain in their homes as long as possible, we provide free home repairs to qualifying homeowners who are senior citizens (65+), people with disabilities, veterans, or families with children (under the age of 18) living between Everett and Tukwila.

What is the Safe at Home Program?

Safe at Home (SAH) is a year-round program at RTS that provides homeowners with smaller-scale, yet high-impact repairs and improvements at their homes. This opportunity is available for individual volunteers as well as small groups. Common examples of repair projects include:

• Grab bar and handrail installation
• Minor plumbing and electrical work
• Replacing kitchen appliances
• Repairing and replacing doors, locks, and windows
• Gutter and soffit repair
• Ramps, decks, and carpentry projects
• Yardwork, painting, and deep cleaning

What are qualities of a SAH volunteer?

1. SAH volunteers should possess general "handyman" skills or knowledge of home repairs. SAH volunteers may enlist the support of other skilled volunteers to assist with their assigned tasks.

2. A SAH volunteer must be patient, flexible, and comfortable working in a diverse environment.

3. SAH volunteers must be responsible and show good follow through with their assigned projects. Volunteers should communicate any concerns to the RTS Office to prevent any issues or delays of the repair process.

4. A SAH volunteer must have excellent communication skills. It is important that the RTS office knows where you are at in the process of the repairs, and that the homeowner is fully aware of what is going on.

What does the commitment look like?

Each SAH member completes the number of projects that is feasible for their schedule. The RTS Staff understands that volunteers have full-time jobs, families, and other personal and professional commitments; we appreciate anything you are able to give! With that said, RTS does expect that if a volunteer signs on to the SAH repair team, they will take initiative and sign up for projects as often as is feasible.

Additional logistics

• All volunteers must complete a state background check and sign a volunteer waiver
• RTS has a small warehouse containing tools available for volunteer use
• Contact Program Manager, Mike Lahoda, at mlahoda@rtseattle.org or (206) 682-1231 to schedule a volunteer orientation meeting