Rebuilding Communities, Improving Lives: We’re in This Thing Together

Rebuild. It’s a simple word with a simple meaning. Yet, when a community comes together to change lives, the word becomes testimony of the power of people helping one another.

A Harveyville, Kan., resident said it best: Small communities are more greatly affected by natural disasters than larger communities. Having survived a tornado in February 2012, the woman’s fellow townspeople distributed food and donated items, provided forklift rentals, moved families to temporary housing, cleaned up debris and volunteered with Red Cross disaster services. When Hurricane Sandy hit last year, many faith-based volunteer organizations responded by helping the devastated communities. One organization, Operation Blessing International, prevented 425 homes from becoming totally ruined by cleaning them and stopping the spread of mold.

There was no silver lining for Cindy Bizier of South Florida when she lost her 3-year-old grandson and her home to a fire, until as many as 80 local volunteers came together to clean up and rebuild a home for her—for free, as The Sentinel reported. The local Home Depot also supported the community effort by donating supplies for the project.

Millions Experience Housing Problems

According to Habitat for Humanity, 95 million people in America are experiencing housing problems. They are either homeless, lost their home or living in housing that’s in poor shape. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the international nonprofit organization Cross Cultural Solutions bring together people from different cultures to communities, domestic and foreign, that are in need of building or rebuilding. Community rebuilding can start right in your own community, however. There are many options for community members to help one another.

Inter-Faith Community Services: Helping People Rebuild Their Lives

Inter-Faith Community Services provides basic human services and enrichment programs to low-income people from Centennial, Englewood, Glendale, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Lone Tree, Sheridan and unincorporated Arapahoe County. One of our main goals is to prevent homelessness, which we do by providing rental, utility and mortgage assistance and transitional and off-site housing. We are perhaps best-known for our food and clothing banks. Schools, churches, service clubs, businesses and families from the community donate all the food and clothing.

If you’re looking to help people in your own community, please consider volunteering with us or donating to us. Our largest need at Inter-Faith is food, clothing and financial support. Time and time again, we hear from volunteers how rewarding it is to be able to help others so close to home, and without our volunteers, we could never meet the large need for our services. You can find more information and a volunteer application online.