Rebuilding Together, Lowe's and Carter's Kids Revitalize Como Neighborhood in St. Paul

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Apr 29, 2013, 01:00 ET

ST. PAUL, Minn., April 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rebuilding Together, a Safe and Healthy Housing organization that believes Community Starts at Home, is teaming up with Lowe's through its Community Partners program and Carter's Kids May 1-2 to benefit the Como neighborhood of St. Paul. More than 100 volunteers, including Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers, will join together for the two- day event to provide free critical home repairs to three low-income homeowners and improvements to the Northwest Como Recreation and Daycare Center. In addition, volunteers will install a new playground for the local Chelsea Heights Elementary School.

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The work will include a complete renovation for a St. Paul family whose lives have been drastically changed due to significant health issues that have left the family unable to make the necessary repairs to keep their home safe and healthy. Volunteers will remove and replace carpeting, make several energy efficient improvements, replace the bathroom flooring and address other maintenance issues on the interior and exterior of the home. In addition, volunteers will be working on a home near the State Fairgrounds, making improvements such as electrical repairs, installation of a new stove and bathroom, and other critical repairs that will enable the family to remain in their home.

At the Northwest Como Recreation Center, Lowe's Heroes volunteers will be making improvements to storage areas and common use spaces by painting, installing shelving and signage, and providing new lighting to better serve the children and families of the Chelsea Heights/Como Park neighborhood.

In addition to the renovations to these homes and the Rec Center, Carter's Kids will join Rebuilding Together and Lowe's Heroes to build a brand new playground for the students of Chelsea Heights Elementary School. Carter's Kids, founded by HGTV Star Carter Oosterhouse, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and promoting awareness of fitness and self-esteem for America's youth. Oosterhouse will build alongside the volunteers and dedicate the new play space for students on May 2.

"In concert with Lowe's and Carter's Kids, Rebuilding Together is demonstrating our commitment to repairing individual homes for low-income families and renewing entire communities," said John L. Fiegel, interim president and CEO of Rebuilding Together. "We very much appreciate our partnership with Lowe's, which has enabled Rebuilding Together to serve more homeowners and communities not only in the Twin Cities area but across the country for many years."

In its six years of partnership with Rebuilding Together, Lowe's has donated $7 million and successfully completed nearly 1000 projects across the country.

"We love working with Rebuilding Together because our work benefits entire communities," said Joan Higginbotham, Lowe's Director of Community Relations. "Helping our neighbors make much needed improvements to their homes builds a renewed sense of pride and engagement that is contagious to others around them. Having a central area for the entire neighborhood to play and gather strengthens the community. "

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 close to 200 local affiliates complete 10,000 rebuild projects a year thanks to the efforts of nearly 200,000 volunteers from corporate partners, skilled trades professionals and everyday good citizens. Join us — visit www.RebuildingTogether.org.

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities

An affiliate of Rebuilding Together, Inc., Rebuilding Together Twin Cities has been preserving and revitalizing homes and communities in the metropolitan area since 1997. Our programs provide opportunities for community involvement. Through sponsors and volunteer efforts, we strive to impact communities and the nonprofit places where neighborhood members gather. Our Home Repair Program provides renovation work for homeowners in need, including re-roofing, installing handicap ramps, weatherizing, plumbing, electrical repairs, cleaning, re-carpeting, patching and painting, siding, landscaping and almost anything that restores the homeowners' independence, safety and security. Our Safe at Home Program provides home safety and accessibility modifications for low-income homeowners who are older adults or are living with a disability. For more info, visit www.rebuildingtogether-twincities.org

About Lowe's

Lowe's supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company's signature education grant program, Lowe's Toolbox for Education^®, has donated more than $34 million to 7,500 K-12 public schools, benefiting more than 4 million schoolchildren. Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together and the American Red Cross. In 2012, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $30 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.

About Carter's Kids

Carter's Kids is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating and promoting awareness of fitness and self-esteem for America's youth. Founded in 2008 by TV host Carter Oosterhouse, the purpose of Carter's Kids is to increase the activity level of kids by building and developing community parks and playgrounds in their neighborhoods. These play spaces have been found to have a positive effect on the cognitive, social and physical development of the children who use them.

SOURCE Rebuilding Together