Hundreds of union members volunteer to repair South Bend homes

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - About 300 Michiana union tradespeople volunteered their time on Saturday to repair some South Bend homes as part of the Rebuilding Together program.

The repairs were done at no cost for the elderly, disabled, or veterans. The renovations included new roofs, new gutters, plumbing, and electrical work.

Started locally in 1989, Rebuilding Together is a nonprofit, community-based partnership of volunteers from government, businesses, and nonprofits that rehabilitate the homes of low-income homeowners.

“It’s very important because Roofers Local 23 is pretty prevalent in the community. We do a lot of work locally, do a lot of work out on Notre Dame, so it’s important that we give back to the community,” explained Derek Carrington, president of Roofers Local 23. “It’s important that our guys know that they have a trade now. They can do stuff like this to give back to the community and to somebody who really needs a new roof that might otherwise not be able to afford it.”

IBEW Local 153, Sheet Metal Local 20, Plumbers Local 172, and Roofers Local 23 participated in the Rebuilding Together skilled trades day.

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