Homes have been an integral part of the American Dream as long as the American Dream has existed. For many, home is respite and sanctuary, a source of stability and pride. Dignity is vital to the well-being of every person, but easily diminished or robbed from the elderly, particularly when financial circumstances force sacrifice and loss. For many of the homeowners Rebuilding Together serves, their home represents one of life’s major achievements. A warm, safe and healthy home reconstitutes both pride and dignity.

“Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home” is a line from the lyrics of the song “Home! Sweet Home!” written in 1823 by American dramatist John Howard Payne for his opera The Maid of Milan. The song goes on to proclaim, “A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there/Which seeks thro’ the world, is ne’er met elsewhere.” As people grow older, their world begins to constrict. As physical and mental faculties diminish, the importance of surroundings which are familiar, friendly and secure becomes more vital to happiness, contentment and quality of life. Homes, in the truest sense of the word, are places filled with comforts and love.

It is in the soul of every human to help our fellow man. Rebuilding Together Houston provides a unique and rewarding means to give back to others. Imagine your home falling apart around you; your roof leaking, frayed wires a cause for concern. What if a lack of mobility made it difficult or nearly impossible for you to enter and exit your home? Chance are, your days would be filled with heightened anxiety and your nights a source of constant dread. No one deserves to live this life, particularly those who have given so much of themselves over the course of a lifetime of value and purpose.

Like many big cities, some of Houston’s most historic and cherished neighborhoods are growing old and coming apart at the seams. Tens of thousands of our fellow citizens live and work in these communities, where advancement and improvement are not always easily accessed. As urban blight increases, so does crime and hopelessness. A single home repaired says that others care. A single life made easier says that everyone matters. Rebuilding Together not only impacts those individuals who benefit from its programs, but all of Houston benefits because home by home and block by block, our city’s future is filled with greater promise and hope.

One house given a fresh coat of paint; sealed off from the elements; and made safer, warmer, and drier; what impact does it have on a larger scale? Plenty. Change can be contagious. Almost without exception, when one home is given a new lease on life, other nearby homes follow. And when one street is made to look a little sharper, a tide turns on other streets in close proximity. The homeowners served by Rebuilding Together Houston, people who have been a part of their communities for many, many years, are the fabric of local society. The work we do doesn’t merely fix homes or improve lives, it also fosters pride and ignites change.