Resident:
Leola Jenkins, Northeast Oklahoma City
Context: Jenkins said it’s difficult for widows such as her to keep up with home maintenance. Many are elderly and physically unable to do the work, lack the technological know-how, or do not have Internet to learn how to do the project themselves.
Response:
Jennifer Thurman, Executive Director, Rebuilding Together OKC
Rebuilding Together OKC’s mission is to “rehabilitate homes of low-income elderly homeowners.” Thurman, who took over the nonprofit in 2014, said its budget fell in fiscal 2014, partly because Oklahoma’s devastating storms in mid-2013 diverted charitable gifts that might have gone instead to Rebuilding Together. When asked why Leola Jenkins and others aren’t aware of her organization, Thurman said the organization has a small marketing budget and more requests than it can handle. Much of its budget goes toward major home repairs, which can be costly. In fiscal 2013, Rebuilding Together’s revenue was $1.3 million, up from $718,000 in 2012, tax returns show.
A Deeper Look:
Working with Less
When Rebuilding Together OKC’s budget fell in fiscal 2014, it received 48 more project applications and completed 10 less than the year before. Hover over the bars below to compare the number of projects the organization completed over those two years.
Data from Rebuilding Together OKC
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