Neighbors helping neighbors

By Jenny Yu.  

Rebuilding Together Philadelphia provides free home repairs to make homes safe for seniors and healthy for kids while securing assets for the next generation. 

“Think about what home means to you,” Stefanie Seldin, president and CEO of Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, says in a 6abc feature. “It provides you with safety, it gives you a place to bring your family together. All of these are why Rebuilding Together Philadelphia does what we do.” 

Since 1988, Stefanie and the Rebuilding Together Philadelphia team have made it their mission to repair homes, revitalize communities and rebuild lives by providing free home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. Each year, the nonprofit provides repairs to 150 homeowners, about 2,300 homes in total, securing the health, safety and future generations for these families.  

Rebuilding Together Philadelphia works strategically to ensure they maximize impact in the most efficient ways possible. They team up with trusted community partners to decide which homes to target. “We like to go in clusters, block by block, to make the greatest impact,” Stefanie explained.  

Deliberate thought is also put into the types of services the organization offers. They base their home repairs on 26 safe and healthy home priorities, covering everything from plumbing, roofing, electrical — everything to make a home structurally sound. 

April Wimbush, a recent recipient of Rebuilding Together Philadelphia’s care, shared just how much the organization’s work meant for her and her family. “The rewiring of everything makes me feel safer,” April shared. “Everything is working perfectly.” 

Repairs for April’s home ranged from larger projects like a full roof replacement and a new kitchen floor, to smaller details like a new extension cord for a ceiling fan so April wouldn’t need a step stool to turn it on.  

These repairs didn’t just make April’s home more comfortable; they saved her and her family significant resources and offered a more secure future. “It was a great help, because my children and I were talking about possibly moving. This saves me a lot of time and money, and I’ll be able to stay at my home,” April said, expressing her gratitude to Stefanie. “You make a difference.”  

Learn more about Rebuilding Together Philadelphia and their work in making homes and communities happier, healthier and safer.