Christmas in April has changed its packaging.
Following the lead of its national organization, the Emporia volunteer group has renamed itself “Rebuilding Together.” Whatever the name, its mission remains unchanged — to help make free home repairs for the poor, the elderly and the disabled.
Aaron Sewell of Rebuilding Together said the original name had become a little dated.
“We wanted to get away from ‘Christmas in’ a certain month,” Sewell said, noting that many sales use a similar slogan. “They wanted to redefine the brand and make it clear again.”
The Emporia branch of the organization got its start in 2001. Its repairs are the sort that can be pursued by volunteers rather than contractors, such as fixing porches, repainting houses or building wheelchair ramps.
Rebuilding Together sends out applications for help in November and December and typically gets them back by late January. To qualify for help, an individual must own their own home and live in it and meet certain income guidelines.
Last year, the group worked on 10 or 11 homes in Emporia, Sewell said. This year, there were 12 or 13 applicants for help. Once projects are selected, the volunteers schedule two work days — typically in April — and begin making house calls. Last year, about 120 people were part of the labor pool, more than half of them from Emporia State University.
“It’s a fantastic program,” Sewell said. “People are helpful ... they see a need for our services.”
The group accepts in-kind donations and is also trying to raise $5,000 this year to offset its costs. Two years ago, its work got a boost through a bequest from someone’s estate, but most years its fund raising has to come from more mundane sources.
“Labor’s not the biggie,” Sewell said. “It’s funding that’s the biggie.”