Spring 2010 Volume 74 Issue 1 - ME Rinker, Sr., School of Building ...

Rebuilding Together North Central Florida
By: Melisa L. Miller, Executive Director, Rebuilding Together North
Central Florida. BCN Grad 2005
A wise woman once told me: “To be happy
and meaningful, look for the place where your
gifts and talents intersect the needs of the
world- then go and do that with your life.”
That simple statement set me on a path that
eventually led to me becoming a graduate of
the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction
in May of 2005. It didn’t take me
long to realize that I have a passion for construction,
and that there is an incredible need
for adequate housing in this world. It has always been my goal to
use what I have learned at BCN to help those in need.
While in high school and college, my quest to combat inadequate
housing took me to many far-off places. I worked in orphanages
in Peru and Mexico, helped shelter the homeless in Philadelphia,
and repaired homes for those in need in the Appalachian Mountains.
However, every time I returned to Gainesville, my eyes were
opened to the need in our own community.
According to a study by the Department of Urban and Regional
Planning at UF, there are an estimated 7,500 substandard homes in
Alachua County. 1 When I first heard that statistic, I felt compelled
to do something about it. In 1998, I started a non-profit organization
with a group of friends that coordinated volunteers to repair
homes for those in need. The organization was “Rebuild Gainesville,”
and we focused on building handicap ramps and repairing
leaking roofs. After meeting more and more families in need, we
chose to affiliate with a national organization, Rebuilding Together,
in 2008 to be able to provide additional services. Rebuilding Together
is the nation’s largest non-profit addressing home repair for
those in need. This year, more than 10,000 homes and community
centers throughout the nation will be repaired through the efforts of
Rebuilding Together.
In our first full year of operation, 11 home repair projects were completed
in the Gainesville area. Now, we have completed repairs and
energy improvement projects in over 300 homes, and have hosted
over 1,400 volunteers with nearly 15,000 hours of service. Our volunteers
repair foundations, chimneys, and everything in between!
Rinker students have been a part of our growth beginning with my
brother, and founding Rebuild Gainesville member, Brice Miller
(BCN alumnus ’01, ‘02) and with retired professor, Dr. Wetherington’s
community service requirement. Current J1’s volunteer on
our project sites every semester. These students are learning basic
construction and management skills while helping to “Preserve Affordable
Homeownership” for those in need.
My challenge to BCN students and alumni is to find the place where
your gifts and talents intersect the needs of the world, and begin to
make a difference! What an amazing opportunity you have to be
able to use your unique skills and experience to do business differently.
To do construction, not just for profit, but because you can
fulfill the basic human need of shelter.
If you are interested in getting involved or, would like to learn more
about the efforts of Rebuilding Together, please visit our website
at: www.RebuildingTogetherNCF.org. Special thanks to Dr. Wetherington
and Dr. Sullivan for their endless support of Rebuilding
Together and for their dedication to volunteerism.
(1) “A GIS Decision Model for Detecting Substandard Housing in Alachua County, Florida”, 2003; Department
of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Florida- Paul D. Zwick, PhD and Juna Papajorgji
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