Rebuilding Together Knoxville Starts First Major Project

North Knoxville Woman Will Be Able To Stay In Her Home Thanks To Lifelong Friends Who Contacted Rebuilding Together
 
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - May 1, 2013 - PRLog -- Knoxville, TN - To Marilyn Sobota, "It's a hundred Christmases all rolled into one."

To Rebuilding Together Knoxville, it's just the kind of help this new organization wants to provide to local homeowners in need.

It's also a story of friendship and fortuitous timing. And how the two came together – with the help of a national media company and a community of volunteers – to enable Marilyn Sobota to get  her home repaired and allow her to continue living there.

The home renovation began this week, culminating this weekend with siding work, window replacements, painting, landscaping and interior repairs. But the backstory began over a year ago, when an accident left Sobota with impaired vision and ultimately rendered her unable to work. Soon after, her house fell into disrepair, her insurance was about to be cancelled and she was going to lose her home.

Sobota admits pride kept her from telling anyone about her situation for a long time. When she finally did confide in two lifelong friends, Donna Spitzer in Denver and Stephanie Novack in Chicago, they were desperate to find a way to help. But with both friends  living such a distance from Knoxville, neither knew where to turn. Then one night Spitzer saw a promotion for Rebuilding Together (http://rebuildingtogether.org/) on HGTV.

"When I came home from visiting Marilyn the last time, all I could do was cry," said Spitzer. "It's not how she used to live. I watch a lot of HGTV and saw the Rebuilding Together ad and decided to give it a try.

“I realize there are a lot of people in the same boat as Marilyn,” Spitzer added. “But you never know until you try."

Novack knew they needed help. "We did what we could," she says, "but we didn't have the resources or the expertise to fix a lot of what the house needs."

As it turns out, Rebuilding Together was in the midst of establishing a new affiliate in Knoxville, and this project sounded like a great building block. The national Rebuilding Together office contacted HGTV (http://www.hgtv.com/), which not only happens to be headquartered in Knoxville, but along with DIY Network (http://www.diynetwork.com/) also is the national media partner of Rebuilding Together.

"When you produce a promo for an organization like Rebuilding Together, you hope it will touch people. You hope it will have an impact," says Chris Bieger, a producer for HGTV who also serves on the board of the  Rebuilding Together Knoxville. “It never occurred to me that the spot would result in a project I could work on here in Knoxville."

For Sobota, the first big project by Rebuilding Together Knoxville is literally a home saver. Her roof is repaired , new siding is being installed, and new high energy efficiency windows will help her save on heating and cooling bills for years to come. New landscaping and interior repairs will help it all look even better.

Sobota insists it's all about her friends and the people who are helping her.

"I'm not interested in fifteen minutes of fame," she says. "It's about Rebuilding Together Knoxville and the wonderful people I've met who are making such a difference in my life. They deserve the attention."

But the people Rebuilding Together helps are why HGTV supports the organization – here in Knoxville and on a national basis.

"We truly can change the world, one home at a time," says Annette Brun, who manages corporate social responsibility for HGTV’s parent company, Scripps Networks Interactive. "Rebuilding Together does important work, especially with assistance to low-income homeowners, seniors, the disabled and veterans. We're proud to be a partner."

The Rebuilding Together Knoxville project has been a collaborative effort, with assistance from a number of local businesses, including Renewal by Andersen Knoxville (http://www.knoxwindows.com/), Messer Construction Co., (http://www.messer.com/) Blair Companies (http://www.blaircompanies.com/), Goddard Guttering (http://goddardguttering.com/), Gary Underwood Farmers Insurance Group (http://www.farmersagent.com/gunderwood), Massey Electric Company (http://www.masseyelectric.com/), Cherokee Millwright & Mechanical (http://www.cherokeemillwright.com/), Read Window Products (http://www.readwindow.com/) and Sherwin-Williams (http://www.sherwin-williams.com/).

Between 25-30 volunteers are expected both Friday and Saturday. Although no government funds are involved, both Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett plan to stop by and show their appreciation and support.

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About Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is a Safe and Healthy Housing organization that believes Community Starts at Home. Our focus provides critical repairs, accessibility modifications and energy efficient upgrades to low-income homes and community centers at no cost to service recipients. Our impact extends beyond the individuals served to revitalize and stabilize vulnerable neighborhoods and communities across the country. Our nearly 200 local affiliates complete approximately 10,000 rebuild projects a year thanks to the efforts of 200,000 volunteers from corporate partners, skilled trade professionals and everyday good citizens. Join us — visit www.RebuildingTogether.org.

For more information, visit www.rebuildingtogetherknoxville.org (http://www.rebuildingtogehterknoxville.com/).

For more information contact:

Mike Cohen, Cohen Communications Group

(865) 659-4750


Mike@CohenCommunicationsGroup.com
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Tags:Rebuilding Together, Hgtv, Diy, Scripps Networks, Rebuilding Together Knoxville
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Location:Knoxville - Tennessee - United States
Subject:Projects
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Page Updated Last on: May 01, 2013
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