Repairing homes and rebuilding lives since 1988. | | |
Greetings!
A heartfelt thank you to all our friends and supporters who contributed to our year-end campaign. Your generosity brings safety, independence, and hope to neighbors in need — and we are deeply grateful for your partnership.
With February underway, we’re making preparations for National Rebuilding Day (NRD) on Saturday, April 25, 2026. In the weeks ahead, our team will be meeting with homeowners and nonprofit partners, coordinating projects, and working with our dedicated House Captains to bring this important day to life.
If your organization is interested in forming an NRD team, I would love to connect — please call me at 571-933-6429 or reply to this email for more information.
Our RT Express teams — which complete more than 100 home repair projects each year — took a brief pause during the recent snow and ice, as limited neighborhood parking made it difficult to safely reach the homes of the neighbors we serve. Most projects have now been rescheduled, and our volunteers are eager to get back to work helping homeowners across our community. If you are interested in becoming an RT Express volunteer please visit our website or reply to this email.
In this issue, you’ll read about Mrs. C’s new ramp and the independence it provides, welcome our newly elected board leadership and newest board member, celebrate Jon Armstrong’s retirement after seven years of service to RTAFF, and more.
As always, thank you for being part of this work and the impact we make together.
#WeAreRebuilders
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Patti Klein
Executive Director
| | Volunteers Build a Lifeline: A Ramp That Makes Home Safe Again | | |
When the front steps of Ms. C’s mobile home in Alexandria began to rot, even a short trip outside became risky. With limited mobility, she climbed carefully—always aware of the danger of falling. The situation became more urgent when her adult daughter moved back home after developing a serious medical condition that caused frequent dizziness and hospital visits. Together, they needed a safer, more accessible way to enter and exit their home—one that would support them both now and into the future.
Rebuilding Together–AFF was able to step in with a donated 40-foot aluminum ramp, but the project proved more complex than expected. From navigating permitting requirements to designing a custom platform around site constraints, staff and volunteers worked collaboratively to bring the plan to life. Thanks to skilled volunteers, pro bono engineering support, and 169 hours of hands-on labor, the ramp was completed and approved—restoring safety, confidence, and independence for Ms. C and her daughter.
[Read more on our blog to learn how this project came together and to see more photos, including the completed ramp.]
| | New Board Chair and Leadership Team Announced;
We Thank Outgoing Members for Their Dedicated Service | | |
We are pleased to announce the election of Christy Plunkett-Barese (pictured at right) as Chair of the Board of Rebuilding Together-AFF. Christy, a Financial Advisor with TNT Financial Services, brings more than 14 years of nonprofit leadership experience from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the American Red Cross National Headquarters before transitioning into a successful career in financial services. First introduced to Rebuilding Together through a volunteer block build in Atlanta, Christy’s passion for service has shaped her career and commitment to helping others. We are excited for her leadership and the expertise she brings to advancing our mission.
Joining Christy in board leadership are Mark Scherger, who will serve as Vice Chair and also volunteers as a Team Leader with our RT Express Program; Richard Donohoe, Treasurer; and Chris Barnwell, Secretary. Together, this leadership team brings a strong combination of expertise, dedication, and commitment to advancing our mission.
We also extend our sincere gratitude to the board members who are stepping down after their dedicated service. Dawn Wilson served as Board Vice Chair and Chair of Governance, generously hosted fundraisers, and was an exceptional recruiter and ambassador for our mission. Shanton Kittler provided strong financial leadership as Treasurer and Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee. Don Metcalf contributed both as a board member and as a hands-on volunteer with RT Express, and Elizabeth Zembruski led with thoughtfulness as Chair of Governance. We are deeply thankful for their leadership, time, and commitment to Rebuilding Together-AFF.
| | Welcome to the Board, Bryan Felder! | | |
We are excited to welcome Bryan Felder as the newest member of the RT-AFF Board of Directors.
A lifelong Northern Virginia resident and George Mason University graduate, Bryan brings deep local knowledge and a strong understanding of today’s changing marketplace. After beginning his career in banking, he transitioned into real estate in 2003, where he has built a nationally recognized career, earning honors as one of the Top 50 Up and Coming Realtors and leading a top-performing real estate team.
Bryan is known as a consultant, educator, and coach, with a passion for building long-term relationships and strong professional networks. His Senior Certified Real Estate Specialist designation reflects his commitment to serving older adults—an important connection to RT-AFF’s mission to support seniors through home repairs and accessibility improvements
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Bryan brings energy, vision, and an entrepreneurial spirit to the board. He is passionate about giving back and is especially interested in fundraising and raising awareness for RT-AFF. We are grateful that his firm plans to donate a portion of every closing commission to support our work.
Please join us in welcoming Bryan to the RT-AFF community—we’re delighted to have him on board.
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Goodwin Living, a nonprofit organization serving older adults across a full continuum of care, donated nine major appliances to RT-AFF —including stoves, clothes dryers, and a refrigerator—to support homeowners in need.
We are grateful for their generosity. Brian Greenfeld, Facilities Management Director for Goodwin shared, “We’re so proud to support Rebuilding Together and the wonderful work your organization does!”
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Target team members stopped by our office to deliver gifts through The Great Giftogether, their annual holiday program supporting families in need. Rebuilding Together–AFF was nominated by a Target employee who had volunteered with us, sparking this meaningful partnership. We selected two families already receiving home repairs through RT-AFF and invited them to choose $250 in gifts from the Target website.
The families were deeply grateful to receive items they truly needed.
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| | Jon Armstrong Retires from RT-AFF | | | | |
After seven years of service as Rebuilding Together-AFF’s Director of Programs, Jon Armstrong retired in December, closing an important chapter of his career. From mining a mile underground in Northern Ontario to building more than 65 homes in Costa Rica and finally leading home repair projects across Arlington, Fairfax and Falls Church, Jon brought experience, resourcefulness, heart and pura vida to our mission. His work helped countless homeowners live in safer, healthier homes — and leaves a lasting legacy at RTAFF.
Read more on our blog about Jon’s journey and impact.
| | Support Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church | | If you had to choose, would you pay for a medicine or pay for a plumber? Would you feed the family or fix your leaky gutters? These are choices our low-income neighbors have to make every day. We can help make these choices easier together. Please contribute today so Rebuilding Together -AFF can continue to provide free home repairs and modifications for our neighbors in need. | | | | |
