2025 Spring Newsletter and Annual Report

It’s amazing to see how a group can make the mightiest changes and impact, just like my fellow RTSV All-Stars at this Rebuilding Day project site!

My favorite coffee at Starbucks costs $5.95 for the 16 oz grande size: expensive for a regular treat but every once in a while, that shaken expresso is a delicious treat. But we’re not here to talk about coffee. Did you know that same $5.95 given once a month to Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley’s Change Order monthly giving program makes a long-term, significant impact? With this relatively small but attainable monthly gift, I can take pride in knowing I’m supporting my community at a rate that is feasible for me and that once added up annually, provides life-changing home repairs and community connection for the local neighbors in need that RTSV supports.

If you haven’t heard of it already, allow me to introduce you to The Change Order, Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley’s monthly giving program. The Change Order is made up of a mighty and growing group of dedicated supporters committed to helping our most vulnerable neighbors in need on an ongoing basis!

Members of the Change Order make automated donations of any size every month and take pride in knowing their gifts provide a tangible, low-cost solution to our Bay Area wide housing crisis. Each monthly, automated gift is easy to complete and underpins RTSV’s critical and safety home repairs across Santa Clara County.

Getting Started in The Change Order

Make a gift of any amount! Any amount can make a big difference. Joining the Change Order can fit into any budget.

Automatically make a difference! It’s that easy. Your donation is automatically withdrawn monthly. Modifications or cancellations can be made at any time.

Enjoy being a part of something BIG! Take pride in knowing that you are making an impactful change for the better here in your local community, alongside like-minded and values-driven supporters.

I love sharing updates from my monthly Change Order E-Newsletter with my community!

The most meaningful aspect of my Change Order membership is seeing the monthly newsletter articles shared with me about where our membership made a meaningful difference that month. Through the Change Order’s exclusive monthly newsletter, I’m able to see the collective impact that my membership makes through the stories of our neighbors who have had their homes repaired and their lives rebuilt by RTSV.

Another one of my favorite perks is the exclusive insider updates and event invitations to upcoming convenings!

My monthly gift may cost as much as a coffee, but the impact is resounding. My Change Order membership gives me hope that I can easily and affordably make a meaningful difference in the lives of our fellow neighbors in need!

Why Join the Change Order?

Housing is healthcare. Our home repair work targets significant safety and health hazards based on the Eight Principles of Healthy Homes. Through critical home repairs and home modifications in under-resourced communities, we address the connection between health and housing.

Our work prevents homelessness. Many of our neighbors face difficult decisions every day like whether to prioritize lifesaving medications over basic home repairs that over time, can cascade into unsafe living environments for themselves or their family members, forced evictions, or even condemnations. By providing no cost repairs, RTSV prevents worst case scenarios and preserves the integrity of our communities.

We transform our neighborhoods in need. Community revitalization happens through intentional partnerships with community leaders and members to determine needs and provide necessary improvements. RTSV starts with neighbors helping neighbors to sustain safe, healthy, and thriving communities.

I love celebrating the impact my membership creates in our community with my fellow change-makers and Change Order members at Paint The Town, RTSV’s annual fundraiser!

In addition to actively addressing the Silicon Valley housing crisis, members receive exclusive benefits like:

• Early-bird invitations to our exciting events throughout the year
• Two free tickets to Paint The Town, our annual fundraiser and celebration
• Early access to our National Rebuilding Day swag
• Monthly updates about the impact of your gift in our exclusive Change Order E-Newsletter

Imagine receiving all of these benefits for the same price as a coffee! Next time you order a coffee, imagine the impact you can make for the same price. The impact and benefits of joining The Change Order are endless — I hope to see you there!

Fellow RTSV All-Star and Board Member Terry takes a break to smile big next to me during our community revitalization event in Seven Trees where we helped beautify an undeveloped plot of land at the rear of the Seven Trees Community Center.

Walking the line isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it. When we brought sidewalk repairs to the Seven Trees Neighborhood as part of our Building A Healthy Neighborhood (BAHN) program, we jumped through hoops to make sure we could address these community-driven requests for sidewalk repairs. The community supported us throughout the process as we coordinated walking tours with the City of San Jose, assisted neighbors in applying for sidewalk repairs, and ultimately completed the repairs that improved walkability in Seven Trees.

Taking on sidewalk repairs is a new adventure for Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley. As we grow with our BAHN program, we learn to roll with the punches as we listen to community needs and figure out how to optimize our resources to address them. That’s what BAHN is all about: working diligently to improve the overall quality of life for residents by restoring and fostering a sense of belonging. Several initiatives we have introduced at Seven Trees represent significant milestones for RTSV. These include the installation of sensor lights and Ring video doorbells to enhance security, as well as the transformation of an undeveloped plot at the rear of the Seven Trees Community Center into an attractive community space. These projects are firsts for RTSV within our BAHN.

The impact of providing extra attention and care to a neighborhood such as Seven Trees extends beyond immediate effects and fosters long-term positive outcomes: economic development is stimulated by attracting new businesses and community organizations, cultural heritage is preserved as residents take pride in their community, and safer, more inclusive, and sustainable communities are cultivated for future generations. These results are achieved through initiatives like the installation of motion sensor lights and Ring video doorbells, beautification of community spaces, and sidewalk repairs.

Neighbors Looking Out For The Neighborhood

When RTSV All-Star Val volunteers at the Seven Trees Community Center’s food pantry, she builds relationships, familiarity, and trust within the community while giving back to our neighbors in Seven Trees!

Our close partnership with the Seven Trees Neighborhood Association is the starting point for each of the revitalization projects we plan in Seven Trees. Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley has been consistently attending these neighborhood association meetings since 2022. Listening to our neighbors in Seven Trees voice their needs firsthand have been instrumental in developing the direction for our revitalization projects. Take Allie for example, a Seven Trees Neighborhood Association leader and community advocate who shared her concerns about the walking path hazards around Seven Trees, especially around the Seven Trees Community Center. She noted that older adults have difficulty navigating safe sidewalks when arriving at the community center for their free lunch program. Children on scooters and parents pushing strollers also find it difficult to stroll through parts of Seven Trees.

Allie from The Seven Trees Neighborhood Association takes a selfie with The City of San Jose’s Department of Transportation and the RTSV All-Star Programs Team during a walking tour in Seven Trees.

While the stage was set for community revitalization through sidewalk repairs, Rebuilding Together learned that bringing these sidewalk repairs to the community would be no easy task. Victoria, RTSV’s Program Manager – Community Engagement, connected with the City of San Jose to get started and learned that San Jose holds each homeowner liable for sidewalk repairs in front of their home. Further, the City of San Jose needed to give their stamp of approval for each sidewalk repair that RTSV identified, and this approval process made it tricky to move forward. Val, RTSV’s Outreach Coordinator, spent countless hours surveying the Seven Trees neighborhood on foot, making lists of the sidewalks that needed repairs and talking to neighbors who were apprehensive about applying. Eventually, Val was successful, a handful of neighbors decided to apply, and our sidewalk repair project was kick-started in Seven Trees!

Walking The Line With The Curb Cut Effect

Val celebrates with a selfie as she helps our very first neighbor in Seven Trees successfully apply for sidewalk repairs. Great job, Val!

After gaining approval, RTSV worked with the City of San Jose approved contractors on filling cracks, covering gaps, and leveling down uneven sidewalks. At RTSV, we recognize the importance and know all about The Curb Cut Effect, or solutions designed to serve the most vulnerable or marginalized that ultimately lead to large-scale positive change. Our Executive Director, Deanne Everton wrote a blog post all about it here.

She notes that the curb cut “got its name from that crudely constructed sidewalk ramp built in Berkeley in the 70s (what we know now as a curb cut) that provided much-needed mobility for Berkeley students with disabilities AND became a symbol for the way the country thought about access and opportunity for all.” Curb cuts were designed for students and people with disabilities in mind but ultimately brought mobility and benefited many more groups like people with strollers, kids on scooters, students roller blading to class, you name it! By working on sidewalk repairs in Seven Trees, RTSV brought the Curb Cut Effect and walked the line in Seven Trees, benefiting our neighbors with needs as diverse as the community itself.

Roger stands proudly in front of his freshly transformed home alongside our [Re]Builder volunteer crew from Star One Credit Union.

Welcome to our Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood: Between publishing children’s books and tutoring the neighborhood kids, a neighborhood is lucky to have someone like Roger to call a friend. Roger, a 76-year-old retired educator, has made his home in the Evergreen neighborhood of San Jose for the past 19 years. His favorite part of the mobile home park he lives in is the warmth and kindness of his fellow neighbors he often speaks to while he tends to his garden or takes long walks.

“I’m passionate about shaping the minds of the next generation of students through education”

— Roger reflecting on his life’s goal

Born in Ohio, Roger moved to California with his parents and immediately fell in love with the Bay Area. While studying abroad in Scotland, he received what he calls his life’s biggest accomplishment: his PhD in American History. Upon returning to the US, Roger knew he wanted to stay in the Bay Area that he loved so much, yet he struggled to find a permanent job. As a result, he decided to pursue further education with a teaching credential in English and social science.

Roger brought out his collection of published children’s books he wrote himself to share a brief story time with our [Re]Builder volunteer crew.

Roger prides himself on being a well-seasoned educator, having taught every grade from pre-school all the way up to the Master’s level! He currently enjoys tutoring the fellow neighborhood kids, teens, and college students in each of the subjects he dedicated his life to mastering.

RTSV Gives Back To A Beloved Educator

This past Fall Rebuilding Day 2024, our staff addressed 3 major critical repairs on Roger’s home before it would be ready for volunteers to help put the finishing touches. RTSV staff sealed gutters to divert runoff from creating further damage and repaired damaged siding and trim around Roger’s home so that there were no cracks, gaps, or holes. We also worked diligently to re-level the home and ensure Roger’s home was free of tripping hazards. After RTSV staff hammered away on repairs, his home was ready for our [Re]Builder volunteer crew as a part of RTSV’s Fall Rebuilding Day!

Volunteers brightened his home with a beautiful, new coat of paint. Roger was beaming and even shared some of his children’s books with the crew before his home’s transformation was complete.

Roger shares a moment of gratitude with fellow RTSV All-Star and Program Manager, Victoria.

How Much Did It Cost?

Back in 2005, an average home in Roger’s neighborhood cost $74,000. Adjusting for inflation, that’s $123,270.34 in 2024, but currently, an average mobile home in San Jose’s Evergreen neighborhood costs $308,000. That’s what makes our work in preserving affordable housing so critical. Where would Roger call home if he was forced to move?

Seeing our community come together in this way reminds me how much we can accomplish when we rebuild together. Your support brings the magic of Rebuilding Day to neighbors like Roger who have devoted their lives to our community and depend on our services to stay safe in their homes. I invite you to join us in supporting our life-changing work because you make it all possible. And after all, isn’t that the meaning of Rebuilding Together?

Leading up to National Rebuilding Day on April 26th, I’m proud to celebrate April as National Rebuilding Month with my fellow RTSV All-Stars and volunteers!

April is National Rebuilding Month: Rebuilding Together affiliates, including all of us at RTSV, host an annual month-long call to service during April, culminating with National Rebuilding Day on Saturday, April 26th. We put the focus on our clients and engage volunteers and partners with opportunities to serve the veterans, older adults, families with young children, and neighbors with disabilities who depend on our services to stay safe in their homes. Check out our website for events and volunteer opportunities to get involved during National Rebuilding Month!

We’re expecting to transform 21 homes at project sites located throughout Santa Clara County! Will you be one of our smiling volunteers this year? We’re counting on you to show up on National Rebuilding Day so that we can continue to provide life-changing repairs at zero-cost to our neighbors in need.

Get involved by learning about Rebuilding Day or making a difference with your time as one of our amazing volunteers!