Partnership with Saint Kate’s Improves our Accessibility Services

We are extremely proud of our partnership with Saint Catherine University’s Occupational Therapy program! Through this partnership, we collaborate on service-learning projects that involve occupational therapy (OT) students screening potential clients, evaluating the homes of low-income older adults and individuals living with a disability for safety, and making recommendations for modifications designed to reduce the risk of falls and other injuries. Our volunteers and/or contractors then make the modifications that are within the scope of our programs.

In 2021, we hosted 46 students who worked in pairs to conduct prescreen evaluations and home evaluations for 24 low-income households with a senior or individual living with a disability. We expanded this program in 2022, hosting 50 students during the spring semester to conduct 25 prescreen and home evaluations, as well as a licensed Occupational Therapist who oversaw two students who conducted eight prescreens and home evaluations over the summer. This year, we will host 46 spring semester students to complete approximately 23 prescreens and home evaluations and a student who will complete their Capstone project with us over the summer.
This relationship has added value to our work as an organization and strengthens our mission as many of our clients have Occupational Therapy needs.

Our collaboration with St. Kate’s OT program has enabled us to provide accessibility modifications for low-income seniors and individuals living with a disability that are tailored specifically to their individual needs and home environment. As a result, we are able to better-serve our clients, allowing them to remain in their homes and neighborhoods for longer. We are grateful for this partnership and look forward to collaborating this year and beyond!

Thank You to the Minnesota Real Estate Investors Association!

We would like to send a very special thank you to the Minnesota Real Estate Investors Association for hosting a Casino Night Holiday Party on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. Attendees were able to try their hands at Black Jack, Texas Hold’em, and Three-Way-Action Poker, while raising more than $5,500 to support our work!

At their main meeting in November, they also posted a “We Buy Orange Shirts” challenge with all funds from the sale of the shirts supporting our work. Their goal was to get at least 40 people to wear this shirt; and they got 61 people to participate in the challenge!

We would like to send thanks to the many great companies and people who came together to make this event a success! They include:

  • Pine Financial – Kevin Amolsch and Sean Blomquist – thank you for sponsoring the wonderful dinner for the night.
  • Austin Brownie of Junktastic – thank you for sponsoring the masterpiece dessert for the night as well as the $1,500 in Junk removal services for the silent auction.
  • The Intrinsic Foodie – thank you for making the dessert masterpiece.
  • Magic Brad – thank you for providing magical entertainment and humor that everyone enjoyed.
  • Jeff Winship of Novus Mortgage – thank you for donating the bObSweep for the silent auction.
  • Annette Rodriguez from Rebuilding Together Minnesota – thank you so much for donating the 3-day cabin stay for the silent auction.
  • Jaren Johnson of Johnson Law Office, PLLC – thank you for donating the free entity formation and filing fee gift certificate for the silent auction.
  • Joe Pepka of Peptronics – thank you for donating the Inspirion Laptop for the silent auction.
  • Home Depot – thank you for donating a Nexgrill 4-Burner Gas Grill.
  • Sitthixay Khammounheuang – thank you for donating $1,200 in tattoo work.
  • Texas Roadhouse – thank you for donating gift cards.
  • Outback Steakhouse – thank you for donating gift cards.
  • Perfect 10 Car Wash – thank you for donating a 6-Pack Car Wash Gift Certificate and a gift card.
  • Brooklyn Park Hy-Vee – thank you for donating 50 cupcakes for the event.
  • Davanni’s in Edina – thank you for donating a Pizza Party for 12 people!
  • The staff at Ace High Casino
  • Leslie Lind and the fabulous staff at Banquets of Minnesota
  • Alex Cordoba – Thank you for being Santa for the night! Thank you to your helpers, AJ Savage (Elf), Layton Erickson (Christmas Elf), Kevin Meissner (Christmas Scooby Doo), Vy Le (Rudolph), Chad Unger (Frosty), and Jessica Calleja (Mrs. Clause) for creating a fun Santa photo experience.
  • Dalal (AKA ‘D”) – thank you for being a great pit boss.
  • Richard Loftus and Mary Ly – thank you for helping take Santa pictures.
  • Joshua Ellis – thank you for coming early and staying late to help with set up and tear down.
  • Darryl Frieburg – thank you for helping with registration and for everything you do for MnREIA.
  • Larry Klinbeil (AKA Doc), Dawn Kern, and Kathy Mell-Bowers- thank you for helping with registration. Kathy, thank you for also donating the Rehabber’s Bucket-O-Dreams for the raffle drawing.
  • Bachman’s of Fridley – thank you for donating a floral vase for the raffle drawing.

THANKS again to everyone who came together to make this event a success!

Welcome to AmeriCorps Member Julia Bina!

Please join us in welcoming AmeriCorps member Julia Bina to the team!

Julia is a Minnesota native and a graduate of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, go Gophs! In 2019, she graduated with a degree in Biology and minors in Public Health and Chemistry. 

After graduation, Julia completed a ten-month service term with AmeriCorps NCCC, an AmeriCorps program in which young people travel the country on teams completing service projects. During her term, Julia completed eight service projects in seven different states. She and her team built hiking trails in State Parks, responded to Hurricane Laura, distributed the COVID-19 vaccine, and even helped to restore a historic African American cemetery. 

Julia is excited to apply what she learned during her service to help her own community here in the Twin Cities. When she is not working, you can probably find Julia trying out a new coffee shop or restaurant in the Twin Cities or planning her next trip to someplace she has never been before. A fun fact about Julia is that she studied the predation of marine iguanas abroad in the Galápagos Islands during her undergraduate career!

Julia will serve a year with us as an AmeriCorps CapacityCorps member. Rebuilding Together CapacityCorps is a National Direct AmeriCorps program with AmeriCorps members serving 11 months at Rebuilding Together affiliates around the country. Members help improve the lives of their neighbors in need through hands-on home repairs and community outreach, while earning a living stipend and an education award to help with educational expenses.

AmeriCorps members play a critical role in our work to provide needed repairs and accessibility modifications for our neighbors in need. We are thrilled to have Julia on our team!