Six Atlanta Families Receive Home Repairs in 24th Annual ‘Kickoff to Rebuild,’ a Super Bowl-Sanctioned Event

ALTANTA, February 1, 2019 – Nonprofit Rebuilding Together partnered with Lowe’s, the Official Home Improvement Retail Sponsor of the National Football League (NFL), to provide critical home repairs for six families in Westside Atlanta’s Just Us neighborhood. More than 100 volunteers from Lowe’s, local organizations and the community joined NFL players to complete the repairs at no cost to the residents as part of Kickoff to Rebuild, an annual Super Bowl-sanctioned event.

This year’s event was led by the nonprofit’s local affiliate, Rebuilding Together Atlanta, which has served the greater Atlanta metro for 26 years.

“Since the beginning it’s been our belief that everyone deserves to feel safe and comfortable in their home,” said Caroline Blakely, president and CEO of Rebuilding Together. “Through Kickoff to Rebuild, we’ve repaired over 140 homes, engaged more than 5,000 volunteers and invested more than $5 million in communities nationwide.”

Volunteers performed the work in one day and were joined by NFL player De'Vondre Campbell. Repairs ranged from interior and exterior painting, bathroom floor and shower tile work, insulation for proper home weatherization, light landscaping and installation of handicap-accessible features.

“With a family of eight, I simply don’t have the resources or time to keep up with home maintenance,” said Kelly Fox, a Just Us homeowner and mother of six. “These repairs will lift a huge burden off of our family. The best part is having the assurance that my kids will have a safe and healthy home.”

Students from local high school, Booker T. Washington, also volunteered their time and hand-delivered Lowe’s “Safe and Healthy Housing” kits door-to-door. The kits, which contain items such as smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, weatherization materials and handheld tool kits, were designed to provide Just Us residents with critically needed home items.  

Just Us is a historically black neighborhood in Westside Atlanta established in the 1950s during the height of the Civil Rights era. Now, the once thriving community finds itself in decline because of few resources and deterioration caused over time.

“Many homeowners who received repairs today have lived in this community for generations and are on a mission to revitalize Just Us to its former condition. Their homes are heirlooms, and their neighborhood is a unique part of the city’s history,” said Julie Yenichek, community relations director for Lowe’s. “As the Official Home Improvement Retail Sponsor of the NFL and long-time Rebuilding Together partner, Lowe’s is proud to lend our expertise to these critical home repairs while spotlighting an important piece of the city’s cultural heritage.”

Additional sponsors who make Kickoff to Rebuild in Atlanta possible include CBRE, Atlantic Pacific and Berkadia.

For additional information about Kickoff to Rebuild, visit rebuildingtogether.org. Details about Rebuilding Together Atlanta can be found at rebuildingtogether-atlanta.org. Photos of the event, including repairs performed and the homeowners, can be found here.