Wells Fargo Volunteers Give Back

We recently hosted 18 volunteers from Wells Fargo who put together 25 Safe at Home Kits. The kits include a smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, no-slip bath treads, dawn to dusk lightbulbs and nightlights, grabbers, mini-flash light, batteries, kitchen fire extinguisher, reusable masks, sanitizing wipes, and an application for Safe at Home services. These kits provide an entry level of service for older adults who may be more difficult to serve either because of reluctance to ask for help, language or cultural barriers, concerns about COVID-19, etc. Our Safe at Home kits have a direct and immediate positive impact on the low-income older adults we serve. They also foster trust and raise awareness which lead many of the homeowners to ask for additional help needed to remain safely and independently in their own homes. We are very grateful to Wells Fargo for providing funding and volunteers to support this initiative!

Have You Heard about our Safe at Home Kits?

The COVID-19 pandemic created unique challenges as we worked to provide home safety and accessibility modifications for older adults in a safe and effective manner. One positive thing that came out of the pandemic was the launch of our Safe at Home kits, which made it possible for us to continue to provide services that would benefit older adults when we could not safely send staff or volunteers into their homes.

The kits are provided free of charge to low-income older adults and include a smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, no-slip bath treads, dawn to dusk lightbulbs and nightlights, grabbers, mini-flash light, batteries, kitchen fire extinguisher, reusable masks, sanitizing wipes, and an application for Safe at Home services. These kits are funded under an award with Trellis as part of the Older Americans Act and through the Minnesota Department of Human Services Live Well at Home program.

Our Safe at Home kits have been enthusiastically welcomed, and they have an immediate positive impact on the safety, health, and well-being of low-income older adults we are able to serve through this component of the program. The kits also help to raise awareness which will lead many of the homeowners to ask for additional help needed to remain safely and independently in their own homes.

If you are interested in volunteering to assemble and/or distribute kits or if you would like to request a kit, please email Tom at tom@rtmn.org.

Please note that our Safe at Home kits are only available in the 7-County Twin Cities Metro and in Cottonwood, Jackson, Nobles, and Pipestone Counties in Southwest Minnesota.  In order to be eligible to receive a kit, you must be a low-income senior (60+).

Safe at Home Volunteers Help Homeowners Live More Independently and Safely

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities believes that everyone should have a safe and healthy home. Our Safe at Home volunteers work on projects focused on improving the accessibility of the home, so that the home’s residents can live more safely and independently.  For example, Safe at Home volunteers Sam and Liz recently helped us finish a handicap-accessible first-level bathroom in a South Minneapolis home. The homeowner was wheelchair bound and had to take sponge baths because she could not access the second-floor bathroom where the shower was located.  The addition of a downstairs bathroom increased the homeowner’s independence and greatly improved her quality of life.  We are grateful to all of our Safe at Home volunteers for helping to improve the independence and safety of the people we serve!

Thanks To…

Steve Ivancic – We would like to give a special shout out to one of our amazing Safe at Home volunteers! Steve is one of our “three musketeers” and he has been instrumental in helping many of our clients live more independently and safely in their homes. He has “retired” from volunteering because he recently accepted a new job. We just wanted to say THANKS for all that you’ve done and best of luck on this next chapter! We will miss you!

Kaironn – Our summer student intern – please join us in welcoming him to the team!