At OPC, we feel that being involved with charities and not-for-profit groups is important. These groups improve the lives of less fortunate by providing for basic needs like clothing and shelter. There are lots of worthwhile causes but we identify with two in particular- Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat is a nonprofit group that strives to provide every man, woman and child a decent, safe and affordable place to live. They achieve this by constructing simple homes that are affordable to low-income families around the world.
Here in Baltimore, Habitat is very active in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of West Baltimore. Sandtown Habitat partners with homeowners to rehabilitate houses and then sell the completed homes at cost to low-income families. They’ve been at work for over 20 years and completed 276 homes.
Get Involved
It’s easy to take part in the work Habitat is doing.
- Volunteer– Find a local chapter and volunteer some time or check out their International Volunteer Program.
- Social Media – Show your support by becoming a fan on Facebook or following them on Twitter.
- Donate – Donate online using their secure form.
- ReStores – Shop at Habitat ReStores to purchase reusable and surplus building materials for your next home improvement project.
Before & After
It’s almost time for our 3rd annual Before & After summer series. If you’re not familiar, we run a weekly post showing a before and after transformation. Posts are submitted by readers (who win prizes) and we make a donation to Habitat in their honor. Look for more information later this week!
Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is another national nonprofit that rehabilitates homes for low-income Americans. They do this by providing free repairs, making homes safer, more accessible, and more energy efficient. They also play a part in public policy, meeting with congressional representative to advocate for residential energy efficiency programs, elder falls prevention, veteran’s housing, and AmeriCorps expansion.
The local chapter has been at work in Baltimore since 1990. During that time, they’ve repaired / revitalized 966 homes and mobilized 19,400 volunteers.
Get Involved
Here are some opportunities to take part in Rebuilding Together.
- Volunteer – RT has lots of opportunities for volunteers– volunteer leader, professional skills, serve on a committee and more.
- Donate – The work RT is doing is supported by individual and business sponsors. Check out their Donate Page to make an online donation.
- Rebuilding Day – Every year, in April, RT has a Rebuilding Day to organize hundreds of thousands of community volunteersan annual Rebuilding day on the last Saturday of April every year.
Donate Goods
One of the easiest to chip in is to donate goods. Kim has a couple great posts about charities with local pickup and where to find charity drop-off locations. Either way, you’re getting unused items out of your house and an easy tax right-off.
Our Commitment
I write this post, not only to raise awareness, but to put it out there that OPC is going to make it a priority to be a part of these worthy groups. We are going to set aside time and money. I hope you’ll consider it too.
What do you think? What nonprofit do you volunteer with?
I’m a fan of the Habitat Restore concept- some pretty good things to be had at a fraction of retail. I find it amazing to see that some very high- end merchandise finds its way to those stores.