General volunteer testimonial: Jeanne Burnett

Allianz Senior Accountant Jeanne Burnett was looking for a volunteer opportunity when she found Rebuilding Together Twin Cities.

She used to work for a non-profit company that helped low-income people with small home improvements. Hearing more about Rebuilding Together Twin Citites sparked Jeanne's interested immediately.

"It just hit me. There are people out there that need help. It inspired me to volunteer," she said.

Jeanne worked on the same project as co-worker Joel Peterson. The Allianz team spent two days at the home of an elderly lady named Sandra.

"My role turned out to be making sure Sandra was okay," she said. "Having a group of total strangers come into your home can be overwhelming at first."

One of the projects in the home was remodeling the bathroom. The carpet in the bathroom needed to be removed. The toilet also needed to be replaced. It was decided that tile would be best. Jeanne took Sandra to Home Depot to pick out tile for the bathroom. Sandra was thrilled with the idea of getting out of the house to help.

"To pick out the tile herself was really very important," Jeanne said. On the way back to the home, the pair received a call to make another trip to Home Depot. Sandra was happy to do that and told Jeanne she hoped they would need to make another stop before they headed home.

The two-day project was a great experience for Jeanne. Not only did she give companionship to Sandra, she was also able to meet people from her company that she otherwise wouldn't work with. She was also pleased to see how everyone brought something different to the project, which helped to make a difference in someone's life.

"It was a wonderful feeling. It was just a lot of fun to do," said Jeanne.

The Allianz team is making plans to be involved in other future projects. Jeanne is looking forward to volunteering for Rebuilding Together Twin Cities again.

"It's a perfect volunteer opportunity for me because I love to do carpentry and woodworking. I love to do things around the house. This seems to be a perfect fit for me," she said.