General volunteer testimonial: Joel Peterson

Joel Peterson works in Fund Operations for the annuities business, Allianz. The company's charitable committee picked Rebuilding Together Twin Cities as one of their charities last year.

Hearing about the project, Joel realized this was a great opportunity for him to put his skills to use. Flexible scheduling made it easy for him to get involved and still get a lot done.

"I'd encourage anyone to take time to do it. I don't know anybody who can't free up a day or two to make a difference," he said

Joel led the team that worked on the inside of the house owned by an elderly woman. After finding out what needed to be done by talking with the homeowner and seeing the house, the team got to work. A few of the repairs included installing a faucet, fixing plumbing in the bathroom and adding a pantry in the basement. The inside crew also added more storage in the basement.

Projects outside of the home included landscaping—trimming trees, removing brush and cleaning up the garden. The deck required repairs to the railing and the steps. The crew managed to add an additional storage space outside as well.

Joel was happy to get the homeowner involved on the last day of repairs.

"She was excited to find little things that she could help with," he said.

Helping others learn how to do things for themselves is another reason Joel likes volunteering for Rebuilding Together Twin Cities. He said working on projects is a way to get good training, allowing anyone with little to no knowledge to get involved.

"It's also a good place to learn skills for their own home," he said.

This isn't the last project for him. He is already scheduled for two more projects in the upcoming year.

"It's amazing how just dedicating a day or two can impact someone's life. It's a good motivator to see what else can be done," he said. "How much of a change you can make by just making a little commitment."