The Nudge Report (January 2022)
A New Year!
“Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives”
That’s our mission statement and over the past several years, Rebuilding Together Kent County has invested over $250,000 in making our neighbors’ homes safer and healthier. The above two articles demonstrate just how much Rebuilding Together Kent County is needed more than ever before.
In 2021, we began the year with a robust volunteer-led National Rebuilding Day in April with critical home repairs for four neighbors in Butlertown.
Over the summer months, we did repairs primarily using contractors. Roofs, bathrooms, ramps, decks, doors, insulation and flooring were some of the critical home repairs we did for our neighbors.
As our funding has increased, we have invested more - on average - in every home we touch. Being able to do more extensive repairs means we are addressing multiple safety and health issues for each neighbor we assist.
In September we were notified we were awarded a Housing Preservation Grant from USDA Rural Development and in December we were awarded a grant from the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust. This is the third straight year we have obtained this funding!
This past fall we were awarded a Community Excellence Award from the Kent county Chamber of Commerce and were given a Special Recognition Award by the MidShore Community Foundation.
Our annual fall campaign was a success as we surpassed the goal before the end of the year.
Way back in 2018, we were awarded a four-year Rural Capacity Building Grant from HUD. This grant was to be utilized in creating the foundation for a sustainable organization. The funding could not be used to repair homes. We invested in updated hardware and software. We purchased a more robust data management system and invested in several half-time employees to nurture and grow our affiliate.
We have made great strides to being a more sustainable organization. And yet, there is more to be done. As we look forward to 2022, I want to thank all of our supporters that have made this possible.
I anticipate a great new year being of service to more neighbors than ever before and moving closer to our vision of ending substandard housing in our community.
- Wayne
p.s. Please remember National Rebuilding Day (April 30, 2022) - This is the day that nearly every Rebuilding Together affiliate devotes time and resources to doing critical home repairs on a massive scale throughout the county!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (Winter 2021)
Giving Thanks!
Although Thanksgiving is behind us, I never want to miss an opportunity to thank our supporters, donors, volunteers and all those who have supported our mission of eradicating sub-standard housing in Kent County!
I’d like to remind us about WHY we do this.
"Health begins long before you enter the hospital's front doors - A person's ZIP code may be more important than their genetic code. Housing and health are interlinked, and poor housing conditions can have multiple negative health outcomes." - Gretchen West, Executive Director, Healthy Homes, Nationwide Children's Hospital
The following is an excerpt from TN Health + Housing Summit presentation by Jennifer Molinsky, Ph.D. Senior Research Association at The Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University
A Growing National Issue - As the older population grows, the number of older households facing serious affordability challenges is expected to grow. Low-income older homeowners, in particular, will need significantly greater resources to assist with maintenance, home modifications, and reducing housing costs.
• Low-income homeowners have most of their wealth in their homes, with very little non-housing wealth. As of 2019, more than 10 million older households are cost-burdened—an all-time high, with about half being severely cost-burdened (meaning they paid more than half of their income on housing).
• Older homeowners who have paid off their mortgages can still be cost-burdened by the combination of utility bills, property taxes and insurance. Yet, the share of older adults carrying mortgages into older age has grown over the past several decades, including those in their 80s and older.
• Those who are cost-burdened spend less on necessities like food and out-of-pocket healthcare costs like prescriptions.
• Accessibility within the home is a major challenge, as the incidence of disability increases with age.
• Data show disabilities occur earlier in life for those with low incomes, Black older adults, and renters.
• Only 3.5% of the nation's housing stock has three main accessibility features important to people with mobility challenges—a no-step entry into the home, single-floor living, and extra-wide doors and hallways.
Today, most older adults who remain in their homes rely on unpaid assistance for help with self-care and household tasks. In the future, we anticipate they will rely more on paid care, whether in their own home or in a residential care setting, and both types of care are expensive. The cost of in-home support exceeds the median income of older renters and eats up much of owners' incomes. The costs of assisted living and nursing home care at the national median costs exceed the median income of both older renters and homeowners.
Rebuilding Together Kent County is making a difference!
We have been working for over fifteen years to eradicate substandard housing in Kent County. Since 2019 we have invested over $280,000 in making our neighbors’ homes safer and healthier. We made critical home repairs for people with disabilities, seniors and low-income neighbors.
The growing national issue, as outlined above, is precisely where we come in. We are uniquely positioned to address these issues. While we still have some operational challenges, we are working diligently to respond to every application submitted!
Thank you!
I thank you for your continued support. I thank you for having a vision of what we can be in the future.
~Wayne
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (October 8, 2021)
IHV's & Beyond!
This past week I visited with neighbors, two with Bill Ghio, four with Larry Dinoff and I met with a couple that had requested help at their home.
Our goal is to conduct the VERY BEST, MOST EFFICIENT, Initial Home Visitations possible!
When we are at our best, after the IHV, we will have gained the following insights:
Able to decide if we will proceed with the repairs requested
Able to decide if we will engage a contractor to obtain a bid for repairs
The 25 priority list will be completed
We will have an idea if any of the repairs can be done by volunteers
We will have set expectations with the neighbor about what the next steps are
We will have pictures of the proposed repairs
We will have documented all of the IHV information in SalesForce
WHEW!
Seems like a lot, and yet, "It's not rocket science!" It's being intentional and attentive to details.
We serve our neighbors better when WE get better.
As our organization grows we need to be able to process hundreds of applications every year. And, becoming better at our Initial Home Visits is the 1st step!
~Wayne
BTW - Jen & I are going to Johnson City, TN in November to help Appalachia Service Project with IHV's!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (Friday, Oct. 1, 2021)
Gratitude!
Last evening…
We said “Thanks” to some of the people that have supported us over the past several years. I wanted to personally say “Thanks” to all of YOU!
I have been privileged to walk alongside you as we navigate our mission to repair homes, revitalize our community and rebuild lives by providing homes that are safe and healthy. We’re in this together and I am inspired to focus on our vision of eradicating substandard housing in Kent County.
My message is simple,
Thank YOU!
- Wayne
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (9/24/2021)
Initial Home Visits
This week I’d like to review a process we call, “Initial Home Visit.”
We have been working diligently to create, document and implement an efficient process - from cradle to grave - if you will… for everything that happens here at RTKC. Whether it’s creating a post for our Facebook page, interacting with our neighbors, writing a grant, engaging volunteers, hiring contractors or simply balancing our checkbook… we want to be intentional about HOW all these things happen. It’s a process. It’s a continuing process. We just learned we need to keep copies of employment applications that people submit to us! From now on, we’ll scan these documents and keep them!
As we move forward, we’re taking a closer look at HOW we do & document Initial Home Visits. Getter better at this one task will enable us to process neighbor’s applications more quickly, allow us to train volunteers on the appropriate aspects and make it easier for us to gauge outcomes!
So, here goes…
After we receive a neighbor’s application, and we ensure all appropriate documentation is included, we schedule an Initial Home Visit (IHV) with the neighbor.
We meet the neighbor and begin to make some initial determinations about the scope of the work being requested. We review the application with the neighbor to ensure we understand the various repair requests. We complete the “25 Health and Safety Priorities” checklist. We endeavor to create an initial scope of work and identify repairs that may be completed by volunteers.
This entire process takes about 60 minutes.
After the IHV…
Now that we have a more complete understanding of the repairs and possible scope of work, we’re able to make the determination if we will proceed with the project. If we decide to proceed, we identify possible contractors and request a “formal” estimate of repairs based upon our IHV.
We’re also able to begin to assemble a volunteer team to perform the repairs identified as volunteer-friendly.
Additionally, the 25 Priorities, the initial scope, and any other vital information is documented in SalesForce.
We then communicate with the neighbor and let them know what the next steps will be - either that we may be able to help or we won’t be able to do the repairs.
THAT’s IT!
In the ideal world, this is the way our IHV process works. I’ve been on several IHV’s this week and have already identified several potential repairs for volunteers.
I continue to learn and grow in this nonprofit construction world. I may not always get it right, but I’d like to think I’m always willing to listen and get just a little bit better. I always appreciate feedback on what I’m doing, and what the staff is doing.
Thanks,
- Wayne
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (9/17/2021)
…Rebuilding lives!
Repairing homes, Revitalizing communities, Rebuilding lives
A couple of weeks ago I lifted up the first 2 words of our mission statement: Repairing homes… as the main thing we do. Today, I’d like to focus on the last 2 words of our mission: Rebuilding lives.
Deserving?
I have had more discussions than I would have imagined I would have revolving around the following “concern.” I was recently asked this question: “How do we determine if an applicant is deserving of our help?” I simply answered if they live in an unsafe or unhealthy home, we try to help.
I could tell there was more here than was being said. This person pressed me a bit on if the applicant was willing to assist in repairs, if the family was willing to assist, if the family was grateful for the work being done, if the family had exhausted all other options (and were able to document their efforts) etc.
I reiterated if they live in an unsafe or unhealthy home, we try to help. This got me thinking that this mindset was more prevalent than I had expected in this community.
Sensitivity…
In several other organizations I’ve been involved with, the volunteers are required to take some “sensitivity training” before being permitted to interact with the community being served. In the ASP world, they embrace something called the “Three S’s” – safety, sensitivity and stewardship. Most work teams have intentional training about what sensitivity means in Appalachian culture, prior to being on a work site or meeting the homeowner.
For me…
I have never been homeless or unable to buy food or experienced a daily existence in an unsafe or unhealthy home. I had the incredible insight to choose to be born in the United States to wonderful, loving parents. For me, even imagining a different kind of life where I didn’t have the resources I’ve always had access to - is virtually impossible.
Until…
I met a lawyer from New York City. I met a doctor from Puerto Rico. I met a successful restauranteur from Germany. I met all these guys at a homeless shelter - in Philadelphia.
I met a woman that had worked for a large corporation for many years and had a pension. I met a retired senior who served our country in the armed forces. I met a mother of two who had a full-time job. I met all these neighbors - in Kent County.
Who is deserving?
Rebuilding Together doesn’t have any process for determining if someone is deserving of our help. There’s no Rebuilding rubric to determine if someone is worthy of assistance. (Even the income requirement is something affiliates have adopted - mostly to comply with accepting government funding.)
“We accept people right where they are, just the way they are.” - Tex Evans, founder of ASP
I’d like to think Rebuilding Together Kent County embraces a similar philosophy.
My Nudge for today…
Is for me! I thought that deserving people always looked like the man in the picture at the top of this post. It took me a long time - and meeting the homeless and meeting neighbors living VERY DIFFERENT lives - that I was able to begin to have a bit of a Paradigm Shift. It didn’t happen overnight - kind of like the Velveteen Rabbit becoming real.
I need to be reminded that the neighbors we serve are people. They’re people that find themselves in an unsafe or unhealthy home. And that’s what we look at - we accept our neighbors right where they are! We don’t attempt to determine how they arrived at their present situation. We don’t judge past decisions made.
I appreciate your listening to what’s been on my heart. Having multiple conversations, since I became the Executive Director, like the one I described above, nudged me to share and to hope we will accept people right where they are.
Remember…
The Main Thing Is to Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing - Stephen Covey
If you want to dig a bit deeper, read the story after my name. This is the exact nudge I’m attempting to make here!
- Wayne
This is from a blog I found (John.do)
I think often about the incredible story that Stephen Covey shared in his well-known work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He shares the power of what he calls a “Paradigm Shift” in an experience he had on a subway in New York:
I remember a mini-Paradigm Shift I experienced one Sunday morning on a subway in New York. People were sitting quietly — some reading newspapers, some lost in thought, some resting with their eyes closed. It was a calm, peaceful scene. Then suddenly, a man and his children entered the subway car. The children were so loud and rambunctious that instantly the whole climate changed.
The man sat down next to me and closed his eyes, apparently oblivious to the situation. The children were yelling back and forth, throwing things, even grabbing people’s papers. It was very disturbing. And yet, the man sitting next to me did nothing.
It was difficult not to feel irritated. I could not believe that he could be so insensitive to let his children run wild like that and do nothing about it, taking no responsibility at all. It was easy to see that everyone else on the subway felt irritated, too. So finally, with what I felt was unusual patience and restraint, I turned to him and said, “Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people. I wonder if you couldn’t control them a little more?
The man lifted his gaze as if to come to a consciousness of the situation for the first time and said softly, “Oh, you’re right. I guess I should do something about it. We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago. I don’t know what to think, and I guess they don’t know how to handle it either.”
Can you imagine what I felt at that moment? My paradigm shifted. Suddenly I saw things differently, I felt differently, I behaved differently. My irritation vanished. I didn’t have to worry about controlling my attitude or my behavior; my heart was filled with the man’s pain. Feelings of sympathy and compassion flowed freely. “Your wife just died? Oh, I’m so sorry. Can you tell me about it? What can I do to help?” Everything changed in an instant.
Many people experience a similar fundamental shift in thinking when they face a life-threatening crisis and suddenly see their priorities in a different light, or when they suddenly step into a new role, such as that of husband or wife, parent or grandparent, manager or leader.
It becomes obvious that if we want to make relatively minor changes in our lives, we can perhaps appropriately focus on our attitudes and behaviors. But if we want to make significant, quantum change, we need to work on our basic paradigms.
I love how Covey ends this segment with a quote from Thoreau:
In the words of Thoreau, “For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root.” We can only achieve quantum improvements in our lives as we quit hacking at the leaves of attitude and behavior and get to work on the root, the paradigms from which our attitudes and behaviors flow.
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (9/10/2021)
Doin’ it better! …with volunteers!
The Main Thing Is to Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing - Stephen Covey
REPAIRING HOMES, REVITALIZING COMMUNITIES, REBUILDING LIVESOver the past several years we have begun to set up good systems to do what we do. We continue to focus on establishing good practices and procedures for all we do. Our “Main Thing” is stated right in the first two words of our mission statement: Repairing Homes!! The board realized several years ago that in order to serve more neighbors in Kent County, they needed to envision an organization that was able to hire and manage contractors - AND - engage volunteers in meaningful and critical work.
Volunteers are part of our DNA.
Christmas in April and Rebuilding Together were built on volunteer engagement. We are sharing our story at several “Volunteer Fairs” this month. We will also survey people that have volunteered with us in the past to assess readiness and willingness to re-engage.
Prior to COVID, we had begun to set up some work teams to install smoke alarms, CO monitors, and address numerals. We will be reaching out to those individuals and discuss re-establishing the work teams.
Our strategic plan clearly defines a goal to “Create a system to recruit and steward volunteers.” We’ll be working on being more intentional and systematic in our stewardship of volunteers as we move into a post-pandemic world.
We shared our story…
On First Friday and at the Volunteer Fair at Washington College this past Wednesday! Look for us tomorrow, Saturday near the Farmers’ Market!
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (9/3/2021)
Doin’ it better!
Over the past several years we have begun to set up good systems to do what we do. We continue to focus on establishing good practices and procedures for all we do.
During the past month, we received an “Excellence” award from the Kent County Chamber of Commerce. We received a generous $2,500 donation from a member of the Presbyterian Church. We were approved for a $50,000 USDA Rural Preservation Grant. We are close to assigning and scheduling all of the repairs required to invest the balance of the $125,000 grant money. I spoke with a local bank president who is so impressed with what we do, he expressed interest in joining our board. We are looking forward to another successful fall fundraising campaign. And yet… we could do better!
What exactly does “Doin’ it better” look like?!
The recently adopted strategic plan clearly indicates what we need to do to get better. Our strategic plan doesn’t express a grand compelling vision for RTKC, it expresses that we need to get better at what we do.
The Main Thing Is to Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing - Stephen Covey
Our “Main Thing” is stated right in the first two words of our mission statement: Repairing Homes!!
The staff is dedicated to doin’ it better in the next year. We are re-focusing our efforts to build a sustainable organization that is not dependent upon an individual. We are reviewing and revising the way we do things to be more efficient. We are minimizing paperwork wherever we can. We are being more intentional about making sure all we do is focused on our main thing: Repairing Homes!
Have a restful Labor Day Weekend!
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (8/27/2021)
Neighbors’ Wrap-ups… and more…
We contacted more neighbors this past week to wrap up our work with them. We reconnected with some neighbors that applied and needed to take another look at the repairs requested. We continue to do Initial Home Visits so Scott can generate a “first-look” appraisal and analysis for the work that needs to be done.
In the community…
I am meeting with Bob Altieri (President & CEO - Chesapeake Bank), Rob Comfort (Previous RTKC Board Member & volunteer), Darius Johnson (Kent Attainable) and Vic will join me when I meet with Scott Sturgill (President & CEO - The Peoples Bank) and his wife, Erika. Later in September, I am meeting with county officials to discuss a CDBG strategy for funding RTKC.
The purpose of all of these meetings is to share our story and ask how these individuals might envision being involved with us!
The waiting game…
We submitted our request for a $150,000 grant from the USDA. We also submitted our request for $75,000 from MAHT. We “should” hear from the USDA in the next few weeks. The MAHT grant award is typically announced in the first few weeks of December.
We are in the process of doing Initial Home Visits and obtaining contractor estimates for the latest round of neighbors that applied by the July 15th deadline. Our strategy is to be in a position to schedule repairs as soon as we are awarded the USDA grant.
Fall Rebuilding Day - update
We will be making decisions about the Fall Rebuilding Day in the next few days. We’ll have more details to share by the end of next week.
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (8/20/2021)
Neighbors’ Wrap-up
I’ll be visiting with neighbors we’ve helped and do a “wrap-up” visit. I’ll be asking them to acknowledge the repairs we’ve done and to reiterate what else we will be doing. (In most cases, this is the final visit, so I’ll reiterate that we are finished with the repairs, and set the proper expectations for the future.) I’ll be sharing highlights of my visits here and at our board meetings.
Mr. Newman is the 84-year-old veteran who was the recipient of a roof courtesy of Arocon Roofing last December. At that time, we told Arocon that we would repair the ceiling inside of Mr. Newman’s house due to the damage done from the leaking roof.
Not only did we repair the ceiling, we also fixed rotten ceiling joists and replaced insulation. Mr. Newman now has a drier and warmer home because of the work we were able to do on his house. When I visited him, he was working on his immaculate 2010 Chevy Silverado! He said he purchased it years ago and tends to it with loving care!
He was in the process of changing the battery since it had given home trouble over the past few months. We chatted a bit about cars and then he showed me the work that had been done inside of his house. He is grateful and thankful that we were able to help him out. He feels his living environment no longer depresses him.
FEEL FREE to share his story!
Just in case, you missed this… Here is the video from the Kent County Chamber of Commerce acknowledging us with their Community Excellence Award!
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (8/13/2021)
Good News / Bad News…
Yin Yang
It seems this past week has been a series of good news/bad news events. The last two happened just yesterday… The GOOD NEWS was that we received the delayed check from United Way for the balance of the $9,000 grant! Yeah - GOOD NEWS!
In the same mail delivery, we were informed by the Maryland Department of Labor that they were paying unemployment benefits to a fraudulent claim filed by someone using Genevieve’s personal information and that RTKC may be on the hook for $9,230! Argh! - BAD NEWS!
And… earlier this week, we were informed that United Way of Kent County had awarded us a grant of $8,000 for 2022! Yay! GOOD NEWS! (Shhhh - don’t let the KARMA gods know!) See the United Way press release HERE.
We worked on several homes this week and more neighbors are living in safer & healthier homes because of our efforts. Our last volunteer rebuilding day was featured in the Kent County News. Look for more good news in email and print over the next few weeks!
My thoughts - from the GLS and the questions I’ve challenged all of us to ponder… These two: What is the biggest challenge we are facing today? How can we serve more neighbors?
These two questions appear to be interconnected. For me, as the Executive Director, I need to have a clear vision of where we need to be to serve more neighbors. Part of the sustainable solution is funding. The other key is having engaged supporters - volunteers, donors, contractors, etc… Over the past 24 months, we have begun to design the “machine” to do the work of repairing homes.
To revitalize the community will take engaging people. And engaging people will take telling our story and the stories of our neighbors. I’ve been involved in other nonprofits, and in every case, the power of the story ALWAYS correlated to an increase in support for the organization. More volunteers, more enthusiastic donors and more business community involvement.
Simply put, we all need to become better storytellers. That’s it… and that’s my nudge, for you and for me.
- Wayne
Fall Rebuilding Day - September 25th!
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (8/6/2021)
Insights / Wisdom
I’ve been asking you to ponder these last few weeks and really digging into where we are and where YOU are in serving the residents of Kent County. The questions have challenged me to look beyond the daily tasks and to what makes us who we are - both as an organization and a person.
I thought you might enjoy the following accumulated wisdom**:
Hofstadter’s Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law.
Parkinson’s Law: Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
Horstman’s Corollary: Work contracts to fit the time we give it.
Stock-Sanford’s Corollary: If you wait until the last minute, it only takes a minute to do.
In an effort to gain leadership wisdom, I am attending the Global Leadership Summit. This is an event that Jen & I have attended several times in person. We have always gained valuable nuggets of insight in helping us become more effective leaders - both professionally and personally.
We ALL have influence! And, since we ALL have influence, we are ALL leaders!
Below are the questions I posed in the last two weeks. I look forward to hearing your responses and thoughts!
#1 > What is the biggest challenge we are facing today?
#2 > How can we serve more neighbors?
#3 > What do we need to focus on?
#4 > What are we missing?
#5 > Where do we “find” the next volunteer, donor, sponsor, and board member?
#6 > What do I personally, need to focus on to get better in order to help the organization get better?
#7 > What should I be asking?
#8 > How can I use my skills and talents to be a vital part of maintaining sustainability?
#9 > What specifically would make me feel more connected with our mission?
#10 > Am I open to being flexible enough to contribute in whatever manner necessary?
I’ll be sharing MY thoughts in the coming weeks!
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! Fall Rebuilding Day - September 25th!
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
** Summarized from an article in the Wall Street Journal written by Paul E. Greenberg.Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (7/30/2021)
Thinking Time - Part II
There is no TRY, only DO - Yoda
Last week I posed some of the questions I’ve been asking about Rebuilding Together Kent County over the past several months. That was the easy part of this exercise. Today, I want to focus on what we, as individuals, are willing to contribute to the success of our mission. What do I need to do differently? What have I not done? Tough questions…
I asked myself, where am I deficient? What am I doing that’s a barrier to achieving our goals? As the Executive Director, where have I dropped the ball and what do I need to do differently to cause us to get better? How can I better support Genevieve and Scott? How can I engage the board in a more effective manner? What are the disciplines I need to adopt to create the outcomes I want?
Difficult questions. Challenging answers. Neighbors’ unmet needs. Sustainability. So, challenge yourselves and ask these questions - in light of your participation as a board member of Rebuilding Together Kent County and your desire to serve our neighbors with your best efforts.
Here are the questions…
As a BOARD member of Rebuilding Together Kent County…
#6 > What do I personally, need to focus on to get better in order to help the organization get better?
#7 > What should I be asking?
#8 > How can I use my skills and talents to be a vital part of maintaining sustainability?
#9 > What specifically would make me feel more connected with our mission?
#10 > Am I open to being flexible enough to contribute in whatever manner necessary?
“SEE” you all next Friday!
- Wayne
FYI > Some of the above questions were asked of the AmeriCorps applicants.
SAVE the DATE! Fall Rebuilding Day - September 25th!
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (7/23/2021)
Thinking Time - Part I
There is no TRY, only DO - Yoda
I invite you to join me in this thought exercise… Imagine how YOU would respond to these questions. Notice how you initially react to the questions - do they make you angry, surprised, amused, uncomfortable? Allow each question to “sit with you” and imagine if you had unlimited funds, if there were no barriers, if the entire community was on the same page.
The Quakers are experts at this type of thing.
Hopefully, you are still with me. If you have a personality that is more into concrete things and less into esoteric things, here are a couple of nudges for YOU. Think of specific, concrete ways to achieve what the various questions suggest. Think of action steps we can take in the next 60 days. Be specific. Be personal - think about what YOU can do for RTKC. If you’re not sure about YOUR role here, try to imagine what would make you feel as if YOU were an integral part of our organization - and then tell me!
OK, I’ll get off my soapbox… Here are the first questions…
…As an organization…
#1 > What is the biggest challenge we are facing today?
#2 > How can we serve more neighbors?
#3 > What do we need to focus on?
#4 > What are we missing?
#5 > Where do we “find” the next volunteer, donor, sponsor, and board member?
Stay cool!
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! Fall Rebuilding Day - September 25th!
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (7/16/2021)
AmeriCorps!
This past week Genevieve was immersed in AmeriCorps supervisor training. It’s been an intensive week of information about the ins & outs of engaging an AmeriCorps member. We are excited about the possibility of having an AmeriCorps member join RTKC! We have a few applicants and will be making a decision in the next week. Stay tuned!
Our decision to host an AmeriCorps member is a key to our sustainability. Being able to do more with less is the hallmark of the adage “No margin, no mission!” (See my ED Board Summary for August as I share what these words mean for us!)
Genevieve’s knowledge and personality will ensure that whomever we select will have the opportunity for a transformational experience. Other Rebuilding Together affiliates have incorporated an AmeriCorps member into their sustainable model. Some affiliates host 2 or 3 AmeriCorps members every year!
I attended most of the supervisor sessions this week, also. There’s a lot to know and understand about this program. Genevieve will be providing “training” to the board later this year - this is a REQUIREMENT of the program! I was interested in their terminology - “BAD” vs. “GOOD” - in describing the program. For example: BAD = job, employee, work; GOOD = AmeriCorps member. BAD = wage, salary, paycheck; GOOD = Living Stipend. Bad = intern, apprentice, volunteer, student; GOOD = AmeriCorps member.
There are strict guidelines! The training said to think of an AmeriCorps Member as a “Walking Government Grant!” We have similar requirements for the various state and federal grants we’ve received. It’s just that managing a human being is a LOT different than managing a grant! Genevieve’s board and staff training will include the tasks and activities our AmeriCorps member is NOT permitted to engage in!
Repairs Return!
We’re gettin’ to work with contractors again! We have obtained written estimates and have scheduled repairs! Scott continues to work with contractors and neighbors. Thanks to the generosity of a Lowes grant, we have purchased a tool trailer to house tools and supplies. The 6’ x 10’ trailer will make a great “billboard'“ when Scott is working at a property. The trailer is scheduled to be delivered in the next two weeks.
Volunteers Return!
I shared our story at the Presbyterian Church last Sunday during their worship service and after the service, several people said they were excited to be able to volunteer again. There was also interest in “non-construction” activities like providing food for National Rebuilding Day.
Tomorrow, Scott will work with volunteers to install a ramp for Ms. Scott on Georgetown Road.
We’re getting ready for Fall Rebuilding Day!
The picture below is from our very FIRST ramp project way back in 2004!
Stay cool!
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! Fall Rebuilding Day - September 25th!
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (7/9/2021)
Dog daze…
Here we are in the hot days of July! And we’re just beginning to expend the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust grant money! We’ve identified several roofing projects and are waiting on more estimates to come in. Our goal is to have all of the USDA money invested and have all of the MAHT scheduled by the end of July.
Darius (ED of Kent Attainable Housing) and Dawson (Transportation & Housing Coordinator - Local Mgt Board) and I are meeting later today to discuss a CDBG funding strategy. The goal is to put together a specific, concrete plan to apply for funding for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. I’ll share the outcome of our meeting at the August board meeting. CDBG funding offers the opportunity to tap into a sustainable source of revenue for repairs as well as unrestricted funds. Other Rebuilding Together affiliates use this reliable source to grow and sustain their organizations.
I will be presenting a “Minute for Mission” at the Presbyterian Church this Sunday. I’ll be sharing with the congregation during the worship service about Rebuilding Together Kent County. We’ll have an insert in the bulletin with our new tri-fold. I’ll also be asking for volunteers for our Fall Rebuilding Day!
Couple of the seminars we’re attending:
SMART Growth Webinar From the State of Maryland!
Create a Range of Housing Opportunities and Choices, Create Walkable Neighborhoods, Encourage Community and Stakeholder Collaboration in Development Decisions, Foster Distinctive, Attractive Communities with a Strong Sense of Place, Make Development Decisions Predictable, Fair and Cost-Effective, Mix Land Uses, Preserve Open Space, Farmland, Natural Beauty and Critical Environmental Areas, Provide a Variety of Transportation Choices, Strengthen and Direct Development Towards Existing Communities, and Take Advantage of Compact Building Design.
The Digital Fundraising Summit is an absolutely amazing and awesome nonprofit virtual conference to help you learn how to raise more with less effort. According to a recent survey, nonprofit professionals’ #1 challenge is growing fundraising, and a close #2 is limited time and resources. So this year’s Digital Fundraising Summit is all about equipping you to rapidly grow digital marketing and fundraising at your organization in less time and with limited resources. The Digital Fundraising Summit helps you acquire new skills, new processes, and new technology, learned from the top nonprofit digital marketing + fundraising experts to give you the practical + tactical insights you need. Join 6000+ nonprofit professionals.
Here are just a few sessions: (1) 4 Ways to Help Donors Understand Why They Should Give (2) Lessons Learned About Digital Fundraising In A Time Of Covid (3) How to Convert Social Media Fans and Followers Into Donors And Long Term Supporters (4) Coping With Nonprofit Burnout (5) Digital Fundraising 101: How To Get A Fundraiser Off The Ground + Make It Successful
Scott continues to speak with contractors and obtain estimates for repair work. The goal is to be able to assign and schedule all of the identified repairs by the end of July!
LATE-BREAKING News (Genevieve & I just attended!)
Investment Connection seminar for potential applicants! This is an opportunity to be “in front” of multiple funding sources. You can follow the link and read more.
Investment Connection is a program that introduces public and private funders in the regions served by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond to proposals from community-based organizations and small businesses that benefit low- and moderate-income, distressed and underserved communities. The Investment Connection application portal will be open to community-based and nonprofit organizations serving rural communities July 5-30.
Stay cool!
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! Fall Rebuilding Day - September 25th!
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (6/25/2021)
Sharing our story…
We shared our story with the county commissioners on Tuesday. They appreciated the work we do and were interested in county CDBG funding. We will continue to work with Dawson Hunter to research ways in which to make CDBG funding happen in Kent County! As we move into the post-COVID world, sharing our story will be critical to our sustainability. I’ll be sharing our story at the worship service at the Presbyterian Church on July 11.
Darius Johnson (Executive Director, Kent Attainable Housing) and I will be meeting with all of the town managers in Kent County over the next 60 days. This effort will strengthen our connections with the towns and provide a good basis for support of future CDBG funding.
We will also be a sponsor for the 2021 Health & Wellness Expo to be held on Thursday, October 14, at the Kent County Community Center in Worton, MD.
The basic needs task force met on Thursday and we broke into two sub-groups - Housing and Transportation. In the housing group, we discussed some concrete ways we could begin to address the housing needs of our neighbors. CDBG funding was one priority we identified.
Summer has become a profitable time for us over the past few years. See the grants we’ve applied for, or are applying to:
$150,000 - Amount of USDA - Housing Preservation Grant
We will be submitting this grant to the USDA before June 30.
$75,000 - Amount of MAHT - Maryland Affordable Housing Trust Grant
We will be submitting this grant request to MAHT before July 30.
$20,000 - Amount of a grant submitted to the Bank of America Charitable Foundation
We submitted a proposal for the “Emergency Repairs Program” ($20,000). We would utilize this funding for neighbors that call us with critical - time-sensitive, urgent needs - a hot water heater that stops working; an electrical issue that needs immediate attention; fixing a small roof leak created by a storm… Items like that…
Scott continues to speak with contractors and obtain estimates for repair work. The goal is to be able to assign and schedule all of the identified repairs within the next 30 days.
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! Fall Rebuilding Day - September 25th!
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (6/18/2021)
Happy Juneteenth!
Crowdfunding!
At the last board meeting, I heard a comment about “Crowdfunding” and then an email with this title arrived in my inbox, “4 new revelations on how people give to charity crowdfunding campaigns!” You can check out the article > HERE
For more specifics about how all this would work, here’s a version of the site GoFundMe called GoFundMe-Charity!
We are meeting with the county commissioners at 10 am on Tuesday to share our story.
We met with Darius Johnson - the new Executive Director of Kent Attainable Housing to discuss how we can best tell our story and collaborate to serve more neighbors in Kent County. Darius and I are planning on meeting with all of the town managers in an effort to heighten the awareness of the housing needs right here in our backyard.
We have obtained written estimates from some of our contractors! We’re still waiting for others. We are planning on beginning to schedule work before the end of the month.
Lastly, please look for an email entitled “COVID-19 Considerations Going Forward” - this is an email from the national office. Way too much to share here… I’ll just forward the email to you all to peruse…
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! Fall Rebuilding Day - September 25th!
SAVE the DATE! National Rebuilding Day - April 30th!
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (6/11/2021)
Kent County, and beyond!
We don’t live in a bubble. We are interwoven with all around us - whether family, friends, acquaintances or people we run into at the market on Saturday morning. Everything is connected - whether it’s chemicals used in agriculture finding their way to the bay or chemicals used to color/enhance the flavor of food. This week I’d like to share a few of the ways WE are connecting with others here in Kent County, and beyond!
We are meeting with the county commissioners at 10 am on June 22. You all are welcome to attend. 400 High Street.
Here’s a letter we just sent to Congress where we strongly urged them to:
Double the budget for the USDA Section 504 Single Family Housing Repair Grants & Loans from $58 million to $116 million, Fund packaging grants for the 504 programs by renewing Section 525 Technical and Supervisory Assistance Grants and appropriate $2 million for it, and Increase the USDA Rural Development salaries and expenses budget from $277million to $367 million.
We’re meeting with the Kent Attainable Housing next week to discuss how we might collaborate on writing grants. We meet the following week to discuss other ways we can work with each other to address the various housing issues in our community.
We will be participating in a round-table discussion about revising the National Rebuilding Together Standards of Excellence document. This is the first revision ever for this important document. The Standards of Excellence initiative will affect all of the affiliates for years to come!
We are a member of the Basic Needs Work Group and will be meeting with the Local Management Board for a training session on Collective Impact to better align our work with others. This training will prepare us for the strategy and action planning that we will embark on in the coming months. This is a first step in creating a unified effort in Kent County to address the housing issue.
All of the above efforts point to an intentional effort on our part. An effort we have clearly identified in our strategic plan.
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! Fall Rebuilding Day - September 25th!
As a reminder, for the month of June, Rebuilding Together Kent County will receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $3.00 reusable GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Bag at the ACME store located at 711 Washington Avenue, Chestertown MD.
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!
The Nudge Report (6/4/2021)
Ribbon Cutting!
I was out in the community this past week. I attended the ribbon-cutting of the new hearing center as well as the ceremony at Hope House in Rock Hall. Hope House will be providing food and clothing for our neighbors in need. I also spoke with the pastor of the church that is running Hope House about possible volunteer opportunities for their congregation!
Vic and I are meeting with Kent Attainable Housing later today to continue the conversation about how our two organizations might partner in the future.
USDA Seeks Applications for Grants to Help Repair Housing in Rural Communities
The USDA has just opened the grant application process. This is a grant we first received in 2019. We received $50,000 in 2020 with 15% being available for “admin” costs. The deadline is July 7, so this is a quick turnaround! Stay tuned
I’ve shared this link before, and here it is again > Current Repair Activity Summary
Here is a NEW “Grant Summary 2021” link > Grant Summary 2021
Our focus this month is on obtaining contractor bids and estimates for all of the projects we have lined up. It promises to be a busy summer!
- Wayne
SAVE the DATE! Fall Rebuilding Day - September 25th!
As a reminder, for the month of June, Rebuilding Together Kent County will receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $3.00 reusable GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Bag at the ACME store located at 711 Washington Avenue, Chestertown MD.
Rebuilding Together Kent County is the most impactful nonprofit in Kent County!
Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Safe homes and communities for everyone.
…ending substandard housing in our community!