Celebrating 20 Years (1990-2010)
Thank you to everyone who joined with us in our 20th Year to improve the lives of 25 families and helped with a major community repair project (Hospice). Twenty-one (21) of the homes were repaired on our National Rebuilding Day of Saturday, April 24, 2010, along with the major repairs to the Hospice home. The other four (4) homes were in need of emergency repairs, and thanks to the 12th Annual Southern Maryland Farm-Life Festival held in October 2009, several donors and our marvelous community partners, we were able to install three (3) new heating systems, build a bathroom, and offer other home emergency repairs.
Overview
Over the past 20 years, Christmas in April * St. Mary's County volunteers have accomplished free home repairs to 586 homes and 14 community projects throughout our county. These accomplishments could not have been done without the large number of individuals who have volunteered. Whether donating time and talents in providing on-site home repairs to the low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners in St. Mary's County, donating food to feed hundreds of volunteers, or offering logistical services, together, we have worked together to improve the quality of life for our fellow neighbors. Christmas in April * St. Mary's County is an affiliate of Rebuilding Together.
What's Next?
We are already preparing for our 21st year (2011) in repairing additional homes of the low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners in St. Mary's County. Our free 2011 Applications for Assistance are available. If you know of a St. Mary's County, MD homeowner in need of home repairs, you can download our 2011 Application for Assistance from our “Contact Us” section, email us at mary.chasen@christmasinaprilsmc.org or call us at (301) 863-2905.
Our next National Rebuilding Day will be on Saturday, April 30, 2011.
In the meantime, we will be holding a Golf Tournament Fundraiser on Wednesday, October 13, 2010. If you can help us in joining in this fundraiser, please feel free to contact us. This will be our 14th Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser. This is a major fundraiser for us. Proceeds from this golf tournament helps us purchase numerous materials and supplies to repair the homes of low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners in our community.
Click here to download the 2009 Christmas in April * St. Mary's Newsletter.
Click here to download the 2009 Christmas in April * St. Mary's Annual Report.
ABOUT CHRISTMAS IN APRIL
Christmas in April * St. Mary's County, Maryland, Inc. is a local chapter of Rebuilding Together, a national volunteer organization that, in partnership with the community rehabilitates the homes of low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly and disabled, so that they may live in warmth, safety, and independence. We also provide help through work on community projects in St. Mary's County.
In the past twenty (20) years, the Christmas in April * St. Mary's County, Maryland, Inc., volunteers have repaired over 586 homes; 14 community nonprofit facilities have received help with repairs; 33,300 people have shared their time and talents; and have made home repairs worth more than $4.4 million to improve the living conditions of low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners in our community.
Volunteer registration officially begins on January 1, 2011, however, we are always looking for volunteers to serve on our committees and help with various aspects of our program. Volunteer sign-up is on-going, but we ask prospective volunteers to contact us prior to April 2, 2011, since it takes a lot of logistical planning to prepare for each one of our National Rebuilding Days.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR...
Monthly planning meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month (except July and August), at the Burch Oil Co. meeting room, located on Rt. 235 in Hollywood (near Hyperspace). Since we try to reach out to as many people as possible, our meeting schedule fluctuates: one month, we meet at 8:30 am; the following month's meeting will be at 7 pm. You can request to be placed on our monthly postcard mailing or monthly email mailing to be kept up-to-date on our schedule of events.
Volunteers are needed throughout the year. You don't need to be a carpenter or plumber to help with planning activities, offering office support (filing and typing), fundraising activities, or helping to distribute homeowner applications. Come and join us. Your help is welcome. Of course, if you are a plumber or carpenter, sometimes we need your help during the year too-for emergency repairs.
STARTING POINT
In preparation for April 30, 2011, we are distributing copies of our 2011 Application for Assistance from now until mid-October 2010. The members of our House Selection Committee will then begin their work in mid-October through December visiting everyone in St. Mary's County, MD, who applies for assistance from Christmas in April * St. Mary's.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Christmas in April * St. Mary's County (an affiliate of Rebuilding Together) is grateful for every financial contribution (from $1 on up). For our major financial donors, we have three levels:
“Neighborhood Builder” – an individual, group, or company that donates at least $1,000 to become a co-sponsor of a home. They will receive recognition of this donation by having their name on a board outside the home they are helping to co-sponsor; their name on a large board at the volunteer picnic; their name listed in our thank you ad in The Enterprise newspaper; their name listed as a Neighborhood Builder in our yearly newsletter; and will be receiving a plaque stating their status as a Neighborhood Builder. In those cases, where the individual or group is a repeat Neighborhood Builder, they will be given a plaque insert to be added to the plaque they have already been awarded.
“Community Builder” - an individual, group, or company that donates at least $2,000 to become a sponsor of a home. They will receive recognition of this donation by having their name on a board outside the home they are helping to sponsor; their name on a large board at the volunteer picnic; their name listed in our thank you ad in The Enterprise newspaper; their name listed as a Community Builder in our yearly newsletter; and will be receiving a plaque stating their status as a Community Builder. In those cases, where the individual or group is a repeat Community Builder, they will be given a plaque insert to be added to the plaque they have already been awarded.
“County Builder” - an individual, group, or company that donates at least $2,500 to become a sponsor of a home. They will receive recognition of this donation by having their name on the back of the volunteer tee shirts; their name on a board outside the home they are helping to sponsor; their name on a large board at the volunteer picnic; their name listed in our thank you ad in The Enterprise newspaper; their name listed as a County Builder in our yearly newsletter; and will be receiving a plaque stating their status as a County Builder. In those cases, where the individual or group is a repeat County Builder, they will be given a plaque insert to be added to the plaque they have already been awarded.
All prospective County Builders need to let Christmas in April * St. Mary's County know of their upcoming donation prior to February 27 in time to get on the volunteer tee shirts.
MATERIAL NEEDS
Donations of new building materials are always welcome. Give us a call with your suggestions. We always need paint brushes, buckets, safety masks and gloves, not to mention trash bags, fire extinguishers (to leave with each home owner so that they may be more safe in their homes) and smoke alarms.
To volunteer, contact us at (301) 863-2905 or email mary.chasen@christmasinaprilsmc.org .
WE GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2010 MAJOR SPONSORS
+In-kind donations
County Builders (Donated $5,000 or more)
The Love of Christ Foundation
+Kitty Parlett and the Parlett Family
Sears Holdings
St. Mary's College of Maryland
United Way of St. Mary's
+ Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship (Paul Hall Center)
Community Builders (Donated $2,500-$4,999)
A&B Trucking
Boeing
Booz-Allen Hamilton
Burch Oil Co. & Employees
Century 21/New Millennium
+Cherry Cove
+CMI General Contractors, Inc.
CSC/Computer Sciences Corporation) Range & Engineering Services
Constellation Energy
+Steve Dyson Hauling
+ Dyson Building Center
FannieMae Foundation
First Saints Community Church
+Great Mills Trading Post
Heroes at Home (Rebuilding Together)
Honeywell & Employees
Lexington Park Rotary Club
Lockheed Martin
+ Maryland State Highway Administration
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church
Northrop Grumman
PNC Bank
Rebuilding Together (Administration on Aging)
SAIC Employees (formerly Eagan-McAllister Employees Community Service)
Sears Holding
+ St. Mary's County Public Works Department
St. Mary's Hospital Employees & Medical Staff
+United Site Services
+Waste Management of So. MD
Wyle
Community Builders (Donated $2,000-$2,400)
+Steve Arnold
+Mattingly Electric Co.
+ Lincoln Roofers
+Mechanicsville Lions Club
NICCjv
+Southern Maryland Oil Co.
+Winters Heating & Cooling
+Kenny Wentworth ( St. Mary's Builders)
Neighborhood Builders (Donated $1,000-$1,999)
+AJ Quade Electrical
Aviation Systems Engineering Co., Inc. (ASEC, Inc.)
AVIAN Engineering
+Bob Green Siding Co.
+Bozick Distributing
+Robert T. Brown (Shop Cove)
Buck Distributing
+Minor Buckler Electric
+Chaney Enterprises
Chopticon High School National Honor Society
+ Griffin 's Carpet Max
+Guy Distributing
+Tom Hayden Electric
Congressman Steny Hoyer
Knights of Columbus #9968 (Immaculate Heart of Mary Church)
Lettie Dent Elementary School
Lexington Park United Methodist church
+Lowes
Maryland Bank & Trust
Cap Mona
Optimists of Mechanicsville
Seventh District Optimists
Southern Maryland Electric Co-Op (SMECO)
+St. Mary's County Commissioners
+ St. Mary's County Fair Board
+Sunshine Catering
+Tice Electric Co.
+Thos. Somerville Co.
Delegate John Wood, Jr.
Media Sponsors
+The BayNet
+B&B Publishing (Brandy Blackstone)
+The County Times
+The Enterprise
+The Tester, Public Affairs Office
+WMDM/WPTX Southern MD Radio
Logistical Support
In addition to the volunteers that worked on the
22
different sites for Christmas in April's National Rebuilding Day this year, and the 5 homes we helped repair during the year, were the people providing logistical support for each one of the sites. Work begins several weeks earlier when volunteers from SMECO visit each home and install safety covers on the overhead electrical wires where needed. SMECO volunteers also help on our National Rebuilding Day when the electricity needs to be turned off for safety and repairs and then turned back on after the work is done. Then United Site Services comes and places porto-potties at each one of the sites. Chaney Enterprises follows up with the delivery of the gravel needed at sites. We salute the following individuals, groups and companies for their assistance in providing this logistical support: A&B Trucking (Bonnie Sternack); George Erichsen, Richard Tarr, and Bobby Cooper (St. Mary's Co. Public Works Dept.); Calvert Co. Public Works; Steve Dyson Hauling; Waste Management of Southern MD; Ray Carter and the other members of the Maryland State Highway Administration; Howard Thompson; Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship, Paul Hall Center; and Bubby Knott, Great Mills Trading Post.
Salute to Former Homeowner Recipient
In April 2004, Loretta Rule received home repair assistance from Christmas in April * St. Mary’s. Mrs. Rule then volunteered her time, and over the next several months, hand-made crafts that she donated to Christmas in April for sale at the Southern MD Farm-Life Festival held in the Fall of 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. What a wonderful way to say thank you, and we truly appreciate Loretta Rule’s generosity!
Extra Thank You’s!
Christmas in April * St. Mary's County would like to thank the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship, Paul Hall Center, for generously sponsoring our Appreciation Dinner held on February 14, 2010. It was a wonderful evening, and an opportunity to again express our thanks to the House Captains, Area Coordinators, Skilled Trades, Board of Directors and leaders on our Christmas in April * St. Mary's County Committees who volunteered their time and skills for the 20 th Annual Christmas in April * St. Mary's County National Rebuilding Day.
Parlett Family for sponsoring the 12 th Annual Southern Maryland Farm-Life Festival in October 2009.
Darene Kleinsorgen for co-chairing the So. MD Farm-Life Festival in Oct. 2009.
Burch Oil Co. for continuing these past 20 years in giving Christmas in April a home, where we could hold our monthly meetings.
St. Mary's County Fair Board for partnering with us as our headquarters/warehouse is located on the St. Mary's County fairgrounds property.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church for loaning us your hall for our house captain and homeowner meetings;
Brandy Blackstone of B&B Publishing for updating our web site
Norma Clarke for all the help in designing/layout of the tee shirts
To Alex Clarke and everyone at Wyle for providing us many of our 2009-2010 marketing materials
Thank you to everyone who contributed to make our 20th Annual Rebuilding Day a success.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support Christmas in April * St. Mary's at our 10 th Annual Beer & Wine Tasting Fundraiser: the J T Daugherty Center, Cherry Cove, Metro Restaurant & Janitorial Supplies, Guy Distributing, Bozick Distributing, the Southern Maryland Wine Society, Guenther Beer & Spirits Store, Carolyn Huff (Longabarger baskets), and all our supporters for their help.
2010 Christmas in April * St. Mary’s Board of Directors
(as of January 13, 2010)
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