Help Our Neighbor, Kathy

[Re]building Together® Long Beach received a request from single mom, Kathy, to help with repairs in her home that she could not afford to repair herself.

 A dedicated [Re]building Together® Long Beach volunteer performed a Safe and Healthy Priorities assessment at Kathy’s home and found many conditions that make Kathy’s home unsafe for her and her family.

Kathy’s home has no working heater or air conditioning, plus the roof and windows leak when it rains. Over the years, the rain has damaged and deteriorated the flooring, leaving holes where outdoor pests have found their way into Kathy’s home exposing the family to unsanitary and dangerous conditions.

Additionally, the carport supports have weakened due to age, compromising the integrity of the structure. If the carport collapses into the side of her home it would put Kathy’s house in jeopardy.

The roof, windows, and HVAC repairs are estimated by a contractor to cost $6,700, while the pest eradication and floor repairs are estimated by a contractor to cost $1,700.

The carport structure repair is estimated by a contractor to cost $1,000.

[Re]building Together® Long Beach needs YOUR help to make Kathy’s home safe for her and her family. Please donate today!

Update: Unfortunately, on March 26, 2021, Kathy called and informed us her roof caved in due to the elements and the pre-existing damage. She is unable to live in her home and is currently living in a motel, until the repairs can be completed. She is working through her insurance company to help fix the roof but they will not be able to cover all of the damages. Now more than ever she needs our help.

RTLB Celebrates Women In Construction Week

Women in Construction Week Honoree

Rebuilding Together Long Beach (RTLB) is celebrating Women In Construction Week (March 7-13) by honoring one of our own volunteers, Debbie Marrs-Leisy.

Debbie came to RTLB as a volunteer nearly 15 years ago while she and her husband were successfully managing their family-owned residential remodeling construction company in Long Beach. Debbie credits the success of their construction business to using business coaches, such as Remodelers Advantage, a peer networking group.

In fact, it was at one of the Remodelers Advantage meetings that Rebuilding Together was mentioned, so Debbie looked for a local branch and found RTLB!  “We love Long Beach and wanted to do something to give back and support Long Beach,” Debbie said. “RTLB was happy to have construction savvy people join the organization.”

Debbie has performed many administrative roles not only for her own construction business but also at RTLB. Although she admits she doesn’t hang drywall or wield a nail gun, Debbie has managed RTLB projects as Site Captain and often joined other RTLB volunteers painting a homeowner’s house.

Dr. Debbie!

You might be surprised that Debbie had a different career while she and her husband were building their construction company. Debbie and her husband met in high school and after college, they went overseas to India and Germany where Debbie attended graduate school and earned a Doctorate degree in Chemistry!

Debbie and her husband returned to California where she worked as a chemist for 20 years. Meanwhile, she and her husband built their residential remodeling construction company. In 2002, Debbie partnered with her husband full-time in their construction company.

Volunteering at RTLB

Volunteering at RTLB was an easy choice for Debbie. “I was impressed with the people, no egos, and everyone wanted to help Long Beach. They were all sharp people,” Debbie remembers.  “We were painting a Boys & Girls Club. I was Site Captain, and it was drizzling and dreary outside, but all these volunteers came out and were in good spirits.”

“I remember another day when it was beautiful outside and I thought,  all these college kids are spending their entire day painting the house of someone they didn’t know instead of being at the beach. You hear about the negative aspects of society, then you see the positive side of society and how people want to help each other. It gives you a very good feeling.”

Debbie remembers a homeowner who was wheelchair-bound and had no access out of his house. “He was stuck in his house 24/7! We ended up putting a concrete pad in the back yard and he was able to go out to the backyard where he hadn’t been for years and years and years and he started crying, thankful to be outside of his house.”

Debbie added, “These aren’t big things, but they make you feel good about what you are doing.”

Congratulations to Debbie Marr-Leisy as RTLB honors you during Women in Construction Week.