Interview: Nicole Juday, foundation director, IDEAL Industries, Inc.

Now in our second year of partnership, Rebuilding Together and IDEAL Electrical are making electrical repairs to keep homes and community facilities safe. We asked Nicole Juday, foundation director, IDEAL Industries. Inc., to share her thoughts on the value of keeping homes safe and healthy, her experience volunteering with Rebuilding Together, and our partnership's impact.

When did you first learn about Rebuilding Together?  

Part of my job is to research nonprofit organizations that align with IDEAL Industries’ giving priorities. We’re always looking for opportunities where our products and expertise can make positive social impact, and when I found Rebuilding Together, I immediately got excited about the possibility of working together to provide electrical upgrades to homes and organizations. 
 
Why do you think Rebuilding Together’s work is important to communities?  

Lack of safe, affordable housing is at a crisis level in the US. Once a family’s housing situation becomes untenable, it can create a doom loop that makes re-establishing a stable footing much more difficult. Rebuilding Together’s interventions help keep people in their homes and increase their safety and livability. 

How does the mission of Rebuilding Together align with IDEAL Electrical's values?  

Very simply, we are in the construction industry. Our products help power homes and businesses across the world. For more than 100 years we’ve been giving back to communities, and one of the most impactful ways we do this is by leveraging our products and expertise working with organizations like Rebuilding Together. 

You've volunteered on multiple Rebuilding Together projects alongside IDEAL Electrical colleagues and professional electricians. What are some moments or experiences that have stayed with you?   

In Chicago, we worked at a women’s shelter where there were about twenty beds in rooms with only three outlets to charge everyone’s devices plus run fans for ventilation. We added outlets every couple of feet around the perimeters, so that clients of the shelter could easily charge their phones and stay connected—key to beginning the process of rebuilding their lives. 

What is your favorite part of a Rebuilding Together volunteer day?  

The camaraderie. Being around people who all care and are excited to get to work to improve the quality of life of those in need. 

For someone who may be hearing about Rebuilding Together for the first time, what would you want them to know about its impact?    

Rebuilding Together’s model hinges on preemptive and preventative intervention. It’s much more efficient to maintain housing security rather than to intervene once a housing situation has become destabilized. This organization has deep ties and has clearly built a large amount of trust within the communities it serves. 

When you look at the partnership between IDEAL Electrical and Rebuilding Together, what makes you most proud?    

Both sides of this partnership are focused on the same question: How can we use our resources to create maximum positive impact addressing real-world issues? We all come together with such great energy, dedication, and creativity, and it’s powerful to me to see the impact we’re making by partnering with Rebuilding Together.