How One Volunteer Raised $1,000 – Just By Showing Up
David Fant, a long-time Anderson resident and insurance agent, doesn’t consider himself the most construction savvy. David is’t one to shy away from hard things or lending a helping hand whenever he can. So, when a friend asked him to help replace windows for an older Anderson woman alongside a team of Rebuild Upstate volunteers, David said yes, despite is nerves and lack of construction experience.
David was intrigued by the mission of Rebuild Upstate. He believes that as a Christian, God encourages believers to serve those in need and love their neighbor as themselves. Rebuild Upstate seemed like a great outlet to get to do that. With a servant’s heart, David arrived at the home of Ms. V, an older adult neighbor ready to serve.
David worked alongside his build team to remove old windows and install new vinyl windows. With site leader and project manager Brooke Perkins directly supporting the repair process, David felt much more confident and equipped to do the work. By the end of the day, he felt like he had learned a whole new skill.
But the reality is he did much more than that.
David’s service raised $1,000 for another Anderson homeowner.
Because David is 55+ and chose to volunteer in Anderson County, David’s service raised an additional $1,000 for Rebuild Upstate, paid through the AmeriCorps Senior RSVP grant.
The AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP program pairs thousands of Americans aged 55 and older with organizations making change in communities across the country. Rebuild Upstate is a current program grantee, which makes volunteering with our home repair program eligible for reimbursement.
RSVP volunteers have raised $155,656 since 2021, entirely through volunteering. In this grant term alone, 76 volunteers age 55 or older have volunteered with the program.
David encourages others 55+ to volunteer with the program. “Volunteering as an RSVP volunteer is one of the easiest ways to help provide financial support to Rebuild Upstate. The RSVP program gave me the ability to support Rebuild Upstate through volunteering and helping them get financial resources at the same time.”
The RSVP program still needs volunteers to meet our annual goal and grant requirements. Complete an interest form to get connected with the RSVP program.
David wants other potential volunteers to know that home repair for low-income neighbors is a huge community need, and getting to go out and serve in that capacity is incredibly rewarding. He reflects on his time at Ms. V’s home, “It was so cool watching Ms. V light up and get so excited about all of the work being done in her home.”
Transformation doesn’t always happen overnight, or in Ms. V’s case, in a build day.
With volunteers like David invested in our program, transformation is a reality for more neighbors in Anderson.
If you want to support our work in Anderson County, you can inquire about RSVP opportunities (must be age 55 or older) or register for Wake Up with Rebuild.