When Kathryn Greiner needs a little boost, she thinks about the woman who asked Rebuilding Together Minnesota to make her bathroom safer.
The woman was older, and her balance wasn’t good. Her adult daughter came over a couple of times each week to help her shower. Despite having a loving caregiver, the woman was worried.
“She was living in fear that her daughter, who was an active member of the National Guard, was going to get called up to active duty,” recalled Greiner, Executive Director of RTMN, a home repair non-profit. “She would no longer be able to live on her own, because she wouldn’t be able to get in and out of her bathtub by herself.”
After a crew of RTMN volunteers added grab bars inside the bathroom, the client was ecstatic. Gripping her new grab bars, the woman was practically dancing around her bathroom. “She was virtually hopping in and out of her bathtub, because she was so excited to take a shower by herself,” said Greiner. “It seems like little things, but it makes such a huge impact for folks.”
Ever since she started volunteering for RTMN 24 years ago, Greiner has been passionate about helping older Minnesotans and those with disabilities live independently at home. “Statistics have actually shown that people who stay in a home where they’ve lived for many years actually end up living longer,” said Greiner, who became the organization's leader in 2005. “They have a better quality of life. That is what we are trying to do … just help people stay where they want to be.”
RTMN’s two main programs, Home Repair and Safe at Home, offer no-cost repairs. The clients’ repair needs determine which program will serve them. In some ways, Greiner’s non-profit acts as a matchmaker. After visiting an applicant’s homes, a project manager tries to determine the funding source which best suits the homeowner’s needs. Case in point: a couple in North Minneapolis recently received central air conditioning and updated electric thanks to grant money earmarked for veterans.
During the pandemic, RTMN was forced to use more contractors to serve clients. As a result, the number of families served has grown. “We’re doing 250-300 projects a year, and that’s 300 different families,” said Greiner. “Everything from replacing the roof or windows in a house to putting in grab bars.”
It’s a big change from the organization’s early days when all of the repair work focused on one Saturday in April. These days, Greiner explained, “We operate more like a professional construction company.” In fact, Greiner has her contractor’s license.
The organization still uses volunteers. In fact, one team of retirees has built close to 100 ramps to provide disability access for homeowners who’ve started using wheelchairs.
After applicants apply to RTMN, a project manager visits the home to determine which repairs are most needed. “Basically, we look at what’s broken around the house that we need to fix, so it doesn’t fall into more disrepair,” Greiner explained. In that way, RTMN helps prevent homelessness.
Since helping people live safely is a key part of RTMN’s mission, project managers identify and eliminate any fall risks. “Is it adding a stair rail on going upstairs? Or is it adding a couple grab bars into the shower? Those two things alone can add so much independence for an older adult, and they can stay in their home three, four, five more years,” said Greiner.
Falls can be a matter of life and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults. Each year, in the United States, more than 14 million older adults (65 years of age and older) report falling. That’s one in four older Americans.
A look state-by-state health data from 2020 shows 29% of older Minnesotans have reported falls. That almost 254,000 people in one year. Falls are preventable. That’s why RTMN installs so many railings and grab bars in clients’ homes.
Greiner and her board are working to raise awareness about RTMN. Among the upcoming activities are a fishing-themed “Hook, Line, Shelter” fundraiser as well as a free breakfast event. For more information on those events, as well as signing up to volunteer, donate or apply for repair help, go to rtmn.org.