Board Spotlight: Erin Steckler

Erin Steckler, the Treasurer of our Board of Directors, was first introduced to Rebuilding Together Twin Cities in early 2012.  The incoming Board Chair at the time, Bart Foreman, thought Erin would be interested in our mission to help homeowners in need with critical repairs to their homes.  Bart also told her that the affiliate was growing and expanding its outreach to serve a greater number of those in need.  Erin was eager to participate in this important mission and joined the Board of Directors last year.

Erin feels that volunteering with Rebuilding Together allows her to give back to her community in a meaningful way.  She said, “There are individuals from all walks of life who just need assistance from time to time, plain and simple.  Everyone deserves a warm and safe home.  Rebuilding Together’s volunteers work tirelessly to make this a reality for as many as possible.”

Working in the finance field for more than 20 years, Erin is currently a Vice President Commercial Banker for Voyager Bank in Minnetonka.  She really enjoys spending time with her husband and vivacious three year old daughter.  Erin also volunteers with other organizations, including the Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners Food Shelf as a food shelf volunteer, and she served six years on the Board for the Greater Wayzata Area Chamber of Commerce.

Thank you Erin for your service and hard work on our Board of Directors!

Thanks To…

HRVP Volunteers – Bill Berschneider, Bill Pomroy, Larry Fisher, Ron Schmidt, Armand Peterson, Roger Kuntson, Paul Thornton, Ernie Steltzer, Doug Gardner, Tom Keljik, Tom Schermerhorn, Dale White, Vern Draxler, Richard Parnell and Paul Parrish – for setting a new record by installing a complete ramp in one day.

American Academy of Neurology (AAN) volunteers who made repairs for two veterans in need on September 17th!

Fireman’s Fund volunteers who partnered with us to help a veteran in need on September 18th!

University of Minnesota Law School students who painted lines on the basketball court at Farnworth Aerospace on September 29th.

Safe at Home volunteers who helped a homeowner in need live more independently in their home.

Students from Dunwoody College of Technology who helped us get ready for our project at the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery.

Taylor Winscher from the University of Minnesota who started as a Warehouse Volunteer.

Condolences

It is with heavy hearts that we share that one of our volunteers, Dan Dustin, passed away this month.  Dan worked for GLS Companies and volunteered with us several times on company-sponsored repair projects.  On his most recent project in June, Dan received our Green Hammer Most Valuable Volunteer Award for his hard work and dedication that day.  Our condolences go out to Dan’s family and large circle of friends.  He will be missed.

Volunteer Spotlight: Mariette Cole

Mariette Cole first volunteered with us in 2008, a week before her second hip replacement.  A month after that surgery, she arrived at the three-story Victorian house we were repairing on crutches and sat on a scaffold to paint at waist level.   She painted all summer, putting in more than 100 hours on that project.   She’s been an invaluable member of our team ever since.

Over the years, Mariette has worked on many things for us – everything from being a project leader to serving on committees to working in the office to finishing up projects.  She is our “go to” person for detail painting and Safe at Home program, which provides safety and accessibility modifications for low-income homeowners.  This includes training other volunteers on how to properly install grab bars, staining and sealing interior handrails, and organizing our Safe at Home kits.  She also currently handles a lot of the behind-the-scenes work for our projects, including putting together painting kits, wall repair kits, first aid kits, safety kits, tool kits and Safe at Home kits, all of which have made us more efficient.

Mariette is extremely energetic, passionate and determined.  She is frequently the first volunteer to show up and the last one to leave, and has tackled some very challenging projects for us over the years. Mariette is great with our homeowners and is extremely sensitive to their needs.  She goes out of her way to make sure they are comfortable and pleased with our services.  Through her own experiences, Mariette says she understands the challenges that many of our homeowners face in being able to live independently and safely in their homes.  She has said of volunteering, “I give back because there is so much need, and I am fortunate enough to be able to help.”

As of June 2013, Mariette has volunteered 1,945 hours of her time on 169 projects.  She’s an integral part of our team and we couldn’t do what we do without her.  THANK YOU Mariette for all you do to help us help homeowners and communities in need!