The Truman Charities Podcast
Truman Charities is the only podcast that donates $250 to each of our guests' charity of choice.
Jamie Truman, connects with individuals who are making a significant impact in their communities. From New York Times bestselling authors to innovative farmers, we share the untold stories of those who are shaping the world around us. We feature trailblazers, influencers, and innovators who are driving positive change, such as the lawyer who fought Dupont for two decades to protect our water and the vital work of an organization dedicated to supporting women who have been trafficked within the United States.
Jamie Truman is the co-founder of Truman Charities, an entirely volunteer-run organization. Since its inception in 2010, Truman Charities has successfully raised over $2 million for a variety of charitable causes.
In addition to her work with Truman Charities, Jamie is also the author of the bestselling book "Vanishing Fathers: The Ripple Effect on Tomorrow's Generation." This book has generated over $80,000 for charities supporting at-risk youth, as 100% of the book's proceeds are donated to these vital organizations.
The Truman Charities Podcast
What If You Had to Choose Between Food or Fixing Your Roof? Rebuilding Together Montgomery County Helps People Keep Their Homes—And Their Health Ep. 150
What if you had to choose between food, utilities, or urgent home repairs? This is the reality for many Montgomery County families barely scraping by, living in homes that are falling apart faster than they can fix them.
In this episode, Chloe Bernardi of Rebuilding Together Montgomery County talks about this overlooked crisis and the volunteers who help them make homes safe and livable again. She shares who qualifies for their services, the crucial partnerships that allow them to reach more people, and real stories of their impact in the community.
Tune in to learn why this work matters — and how you can support their mission!
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Email: info@trumancharities.com
This episode was post produced by Podcast Boutique https://podcastboutique.com/
What would you do if you couldn't take a shower in your own home for over a year or had to catch rain and buckets every time it stormed? For many families in Montgomery County, that's a daily reality, but today's guest is working to change that. Welcome to another episode of the Truman Charities podcast, where we introduce you to people making a real difference in our communities. Introduce you to people making a real difference in our communities. I'm your host, jamie Truman, and in this episode, I'm talking with Chloe Bernardi, the Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Montgomery County. Today, she shares powerful behind-the-scenes stories from the homes her team has helped repair. We'll talk about how her organization is tackling unsafe living conditions, the incredible volunteers and partnerships driving their mission and the surprisingly urgent need for support right here in our backyard. You'll also learn how something as small as painting a wall or fixing a door can change someone's life and how you can be part of that change.
Speaker 1:This is an episode you do not want to miss, so please welcome Chloe to Truman Charities. Chloe, thanks for coming on today to talk with me. I am really excited to learn more about rebuilding together Montgomery County, and I know you have some great stories and updates about repairing homes in Montgomery County and then also your collaborations with different partnerships to help out with the community too, and I really want to get into about repairing homes in Montgomery County and then also your collaborations with different partnerships to help out with the community too, and I really want to get into that. But first I want to learn kind of a little bit about you, chloe, and why you are so passionate about this particular organization.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. First of all, thank you for having me on. Any opportunity to talk about what we do so that we can spread awareness. To make sure everybody knows that our services are available is a great opportunity.
Speaker 2:So I was born and raised in Montgomery County and so I have a soft spot for the county. I think I've seen the variations of how the county has changed and how folks are living in the county. My background is also social work, so I'm a licensed clinical social work in both Maryland and DC and have been for 20 plus years. So just from a young age I was always drawn towards helping people in some capacity, spent most of my career in child welfare, working with trauma, mental health, running group homes, helping families to prevent them from becoming homeless and getting services they need so that they could be self-sufficient and not reliant on systems, and also really treating trauma. That tends to be sort of the underlying cause for a lot of challenges in life. I did that for up until about a year and a half ago, when I came to Rebuilding Together Montgomery County, and then they just got to the point where I felt like I had given everything that I had to give. I started working on a macro level and doing a lot of legislation and policy and trying to make bigger system changes so that we could help on a broader scale, and then felt like it was time to pass the baton to somebody else to take over, and then this position became available.
Speaker 2:I personally love home repairs. I do a lot of work on my own home and I know the satisfaction and empowerment that I feel being able to fix something on my own. So being able to take my social work skills, my care for the community and then help people live in safer and healthier homes just kind of all meshed at the perfect time. So the other piece of it is that what we're doing is really a prevention and so hopefully, if we're able to get in before we have to intervene, it prevents problems from becoming more compounded and more difficult to address. So I get to put my tool belt on, I get to go out, pick up a hammer, you know, engage with the community, engage with homeowners, work with other nonprofits. We have a very small staff but we are pretty mighty and we get a lot of work done.
Speaker 1:We have a very small staff, but we are pretty mighty and we get a lot of work done. Yeah, I was reading that you guys have helped over 3,000 homeowners throughout Montgomery County and you've engaged more than 50,000 volunteers, which is pretty incredible. And I was reading a little bit about your housing and how you're helping with rebuilds and all of that great stuff, and so we're talking about this 25-point framework that targets significant health and safety hazards in homes. So tell me a little bit about that, because with your housing, you talk a lot about safe and healthy housing, so explain that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely so. Rebuilding Together Montgomery County. We are the affiliate that works solely in Montgomery County. I'll just sort of give you an overview of who we are, what we do.
Speaker 2:In order to qualify for services, you do have to live in Montgomery County, you have to own your own home and you have to meet the income criteria, which is living at least 50% below the area median income, and so oftentimes that looks like a family of four living on maybe $35,000, $40,000 a year, which is impossible to do in the county pretty much anywhere. When you own your own home this is something that a lot of folks don't know you don't have to have home insurance, and when you're making a decision to put food on your table, keep the lights on or pay for home insurance, the home insurance usually goes by the wayside. So when home repairs are needed and you don't have the capacity or resources to afford them, it becomes deferred maintenance, and deferred maintenance turns into health and safety issues. So imagine if you had a window that was leaking and you were not able to fix that. Well, that leak then goes into the wall, it goes into the carpet, it becomes mold and then it's a health issue and a safety issue. So we are safe and healthy homes programs provides free, absolutely free, no strings attached, critical home repairs to people living in Montgomery County who have met the criteria for services, have met the criteria for services, and so we're doing energy upgrades, accessibility modifications. So folks that are living in wheelchair need modifications, and we're working with the most vulnerable residents in our county and when we go into a home we use that framework those 25 checkpoints to assess the home, determine the scope of work, what's needed and what is most important in order to ensure health and safety and to age in place. So a lot of our folks are older. You know most people want to age in place if they can, and so the repairs that we're doing allows for them to remain in their home.
Speaker 2:That's our main program, is our safe and healthy homes, but we provide other services in their home. That's our main program is our safe and healthy homes, but we provide other services in the community. So one of nonprofits in Montgomery County are critical for people that live here that need the resources. We are the pillar of the community and so we really believe in helping other nonprofits. So aside from working with homeowners, we also work with other nonprofits, so we will find nonprofits, go visit, look at the scope of work, see what repairs they need. That oftentimes they can't afford because it will come out of the bottom line, which is tough to do, and then we send in a group of volunteers to go paint, patch holes, power wash, fix locks, any sort of repair that will help the residents that are living in their facilities live more comfortably.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, so let's go back. I thought it was interesting that you mentioned I didn't even think about it when you were talking about health and safety and repairs and mold, because I've been learning so much about how mold's kind of this sneaky thing that you don't even know can happen behind your walls if you say you have a leak or something like that because of a window, and it can cause so much havoc on your health, so it's really important for you to be able to get that done immediately those repairs. So tell me I want to go back a little bit about some of the repairs so tell me what you think has been your most difficult repair that you've done, or maybe most challenging your most difficult repair that you've done, or maybe most challenging.
Speaker 2:So I think one of the first. When I first started, there was a woman who lived with her daughter and her bathroom had it was in complete disrepair. It was a similar situation that water was leaking, the tiles started to deteriorate, fall off, there was a hole where you could see the piping behind and it was covered in mold. So for a year, until we were able to get in and help, she could not use the shower. So there was no. So for a year it was using the sink, using whatever other resources she could find, and we were able to come in and repair that shower so that it was functioning. And the other piece is that she was in a wheelchair, and so in order, when you live in a wheelchair in a home, your door has to be wide enough for the wheelchair to fit through and you also need the accessibility modifications to get into a shower so you don't have to step over the lip. So we were able to come in, not just fix the mold, repair the bathroom, but make it accessible for her. And when I saw the pictures, I imagined what it would be like to wake up every morning and that be your bathroom and not be able to take a shower. And I thought about my child and what that must be like for them to wake up every morning and not have any options to fix it. If we were not here. So if Rebuilding Together, montgomery County did not exist, that would remain probably for the rest of her life. So that really the magnitude of the impact that we have really hit home.
Speaker 2:For me, I think, different than what I used to do is you can go in at nine o'clock in the morning do a repair and when you leave at five, you see the difference and you see the difference that it makes in their life and you know that then, when you leave peace of mind that they're going to be in a much better place because of what we are able to do. We had also a grandmother and a grandfather living with their son and two grandkids and they had a hole in the roof. Again, you know that's $10,000 plus if you're going to fix a roof. Well, that wasn't an option for them. So every time it rained they had buckets, so they would fill the buckets up and dump the water out the window or out front in order to avoid flooding in the home and so we were able to go in and give them a new roof and again, if we weren't there to provide that service, they would have lived like that forever.
Speaker 2:The gratitude from them, but not just them, but the neighborhood was just like the community that, oh my gosh. You finally, you know they saw the suffering that was happening day in and day out, and to just have people kind of gather around and really feel the sense of what their life is going to look like, moving forward, not having to collect buckets of rain every. So we see this a lot. It's Montgomery County. We also work with companies who will do their corporate give back days with us, so they'll send out as a team build, they'll come out for the day and we'll find the project, facilitate the project, and they come out for the day and do work. We had one company that said to us when they realized they were going to be working in Montgomery County, they said, oh, we thought we would be shining BMWs and washing down granite countertops and it was so far from that that they were blown away that this happens in this county.
Speaker 2:The premise of what we do is neighbors helping neighbors. So it really is. You may be OK, but the person next to you may not be OK. But you don't always know it. Sometimes you know from the front it's a facade and you don't know what's happening inside. So the fact that this does happen in Montgomery County more often than you think, which is evidenced by the amount of work we've done and the fact that we have 100 people right now on our waiting list, waiting for services- Okay, so you have 100 people on your waiting list.
Speaker 2:We have 100 people.
Speaker 1:Wow. So I find it interesting too, because it wasn't until Truman Charities has been around since 2010. But I guess when we first started, we were talking with another nonprofit and they were telling us how one third of the children and it still is that way to this day, that one third are on the free and reduced lunch program, and these are things that you wouldn't expect within Montgomery County. But so I was going to ask you what you kind of answered when you were talking about the corporate givebacks, because I was thinking I said, okay, well, those are two repairs that seem pretty difficult. Right, it's not something that I could come in and help do, like I could come in and help you paint or do something like that.
Speaker 1:But when it comes to the roofing and things that have to go into, like bathrooms, and making sure the mold's all taken care of and all of that kind of stuff. So is that typically how you get the expertise is by the corporate give backs.
Speaker 2:Through the corporate give back and a lot of times it is construction companies. But we also work with contractors. So when we have more complicated, skilled repairs that need to be done, we work. We have a couple of contractors that they, you know, oversee those projects, because we are very careful about pairing up. If you are coming in to do a volunteer project and you don't have that skill set, then we're going to give you a paintbrush and maybe do some yard work Still things that make a really big difference in how people live every day but we're certainly not going to give you power tools and ask you to fix a bathroom. So, yeah, we're very careful about matching. So a lot of our work is done through contractors. We work with them. They prioritize their work so that the homeowners can get the work done in a timely manner, and then when we have volunteer projects, we will match you know what the skill set of the volunteers are to the need of the home.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's perfect. And so what do you think your typical repair is when you're going to a house? What do you see? You know kind of over and over again.
Speaker 2:We have a lot of folks that need modifications because they're in wheelchairs putting in ramps, putting in chairlifts so they can get up the stairs, modifying bathrooms so that they're able to use, get into the shower, get into the bathtub, so a lot of accessibility modifications. And then the just sort of basic repairs. Maybe a stove is not working or an outlet hasn't been working, some electrical issues, and again these are things that if they're not taken care of, become a safety issue. So when you have loose wires or you know your outlet is not up to code, you know without fixing that it can become a safety issue. And then when, like we have another project called SheBuilds, which is women helping women, I was going to ask you about that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's so. We actually have one and you're welcome to come out anytime and pick up a paintbrush and come join us. We will be working on women's shelter. That's for women and children that have experienced domestic violence, and so we have a group of about 25 people coming out, all women helping all women, and we will be painting, doing some power washing, putting in drawers that need to be fixed, little repairs here and there that really the nonprofit can't, doesn't have time or the capacity to get to. We do one in the fall and we do one in the spring, so we do it twice a year and, quite honestly, it's so popular that we may end up doing more, because just the feeling of being out there, all women helping women, and seeing what we do from you know, starting at nine o'clock and ending at five o'clock, is just. You just leave and you're just it's like the buzz of energy is incredible.
Speaker 1:You just leave and you're just. It's like the buzz of energy is incredible. You mentioned about your partnerships.
Speaker 2:Talk about some of the community spaces that you've been able to help repair with the help of these local nonprofits, so the homeowners, and then generally we're working with nonprofits that are providing housing for folks, so Interfaith Works, Our House National Center for Children and Families, those. We will go out and walk the property, walk the homes, see what kind of work they need to do, see if we can meet their needs. That's typically where we use our volunteers to come out and do those sort of projects.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, that's perfect. That seems like such a great partnership.
Speaker 2:I really see it as like it's paying it forward. There was a time in Montgomery County where nonprofits were very siloed and we can't be anymore because we all rely on each other and it's so critical that our folks in the community know all of the resources that are available to them. So we may have a group of volunteers that are available to them, so we may have a group of volunteers that come out to us and we're a nonprofit and then we find a nonprofit to help. So it's really like this circle of giving, which I just love. The commitment to that, to the community in that capacity, is really core to who I am and what we do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've noticed that over the past few years, and especially at our last party that we had for Interfaith Works, and I think there was five or six different nonprofit founders there and they all were collaborating with each other and they've all kind of helped each other in different ways, which is great, because a resource that you have may be very instrumental to what they're trying to do and vice versa. So let's talk a little bit about the volunteers. So you have a lot of need and a lot of different volunteers. So what are you looking for in your volunteers?
Speaker 2:We're pretty flexible and I feel like we can sort of meet the need of what the volunteer group is looking for.
Speaker 2:So, like we have, we just partnered with AstraZeneca and they want something where we come on site. They're going to pack cleaning supply boxes for our homeowners, so we will come there, talk about you know who we are, what we do, the impact that they have and then work with them for a couple of hours on site. Versus we have our big weekend in April is called National Rebuilding Day. We have 12 different groups within three days, 400 plus volunteers all over the county doing various projects, either in homes or at nonprofits, and those are folks that have a bigger team. They want to get out, they want to pick up the power tools, they have the capacity to do that and all they have to do is tell us they want to do it, they make the commitment and then we find the projects, we facilitate it and we make sure the day runs smoothly. So it really varies in what you're interested in, how big your group is, what capacity you have, what skillset you have.
Speaker 1:You know, because when I was looking at and I was reading through your volunteers and some of the work that you guys do, I immediately started thinking because I have three boys and I thought this would be something perfect for you know teenage boys or young adults. So I thought this would be a great opportunity for you know families to do something together too, as like a family activity, what I thought when I looked at your organization. I thought this would be great for families to do together.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think it's important for kids at a younger age to understand, you know what it means to give back and the community that they're living in. You know for my daughter, I know she, you know, has all the resources she needs, but I always made sure that she understood that we are very fortunate that not everybody lives like this and that it's important to remember that there are people that are potentially next door to us that are struggling. Yeah, so starting at an early age, I love that.
Speaker 1:Yes, just like you had said on your website, it's neighbors helping neighbors, exactly which. I really, really love that. So tell me how else we can help your organization. Say unable to physically volunteer? How can we help?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I think I'll probably reiterate what any executive director of a nonprofit says is the financial donations. Contributions help us build capacity. One of our goals is to be able to build capacity so that we don't have an extensive wait list, so that when somebody applies and is accepted, we don't have to wait nine to 12 months to get back to actually do the work, Because then imagine what happens to those needed repairs in that timeframe, how much more complicated they get. So supply donations One of the big things is just spreading awareness. So we try to be out at events, tabling, talking to people, so that the homeowners in this county know who we are and know that there are resources. So spreading the word is really important. We have a great board of directors that are really involved and really our focal point is the brand awareness and ensuring that you know people that may not have internet, may not have access to learning about all these resources, are aware that we are here and they can apply for services.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was reading that you guys for Montgomery County, the rebuilding together, Montgomery County opened in or you started in 90.
Speaker 2:And I, for some reason, had not heard about you guys, I know Yep and it's a common problem that we hear, so it's really important that people know that we're here.
Speaker 1:Well, that's what we're on here for. Yes, I love that. I love that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we had NPR did an article on us about six months ago and that was great. If you get a chance, it's on our website. If you get a chance, it was one of myself and one of our homeowners who is just phenomenal and it really highlighted who we are, what we do and the need in the county. But again, it's just kind of constantly being out talking about it, wearing our branding out, wearing our shirts, you know, and people saying, oh, what is that, what do you do? And making sure that we have the opportunity to share that information.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because, like you said, you just mentioned that when someone applies, if it's going to be, you know, nine months or 12 months, by the time that you get there the degree of the repair can be.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it can really skyrocket. So how do you see rebuilding together Montgomery County in the future?
Speaker 2:no-transcript. When we go into the homes and we have the privilege of going into people's homes, which a lot of agencies do not they're not actually in the home. People are coming, maybe, to their community center for resources, but we see how they live. And when we, when you walk into someone's home, it may be obvious that they needed a bathroom repair, but what you don't always see is they're struggling with food insecurity, their mental health issues, there's transportation issues, they're struggling with food insecurity, their mental health issues, there's transportation issues.
Speaker 2:And so my goal and I think just with my social work lens ingrained in everything I do is being able to expand and have a position specifically for connecting our homeowners with other community resources, so that we're not just going in fixing the bathroom and leaving. We're leaving them with a connection to get food, to get their medication, to you know if they need a case manager, and just doing a brief assessment based on what we see and what they're willing to share with us and then ensuring that there's that connection before we pull out when we're done with the work. So I think that's a much more holistic approach than we've taken in the past. It takes a lot of work and it takes people and we don't have a whole lot of people filling positions and we just we don't have the capacity so and that is that kind of lends itself to to connecting with other nonprofits.
Speaker 1:That's what I was going to say. Like then that kind of rolls into the partnership.
Speaker 2:Yep and I think that my again. I served on nonprofit Montgomery board, maryland nonprofits. I was on the commission for children and youth, so I think it's not just doing what we do, but making sure that everybody that is in need of resources has access to resources, whether I am referring them, maybe, to a completely different nonprofit or connecting them to something that we potentially don't do. It's really that commitment to making sure that they're taken care of and in the full capacity.
Speaker 1:It sounds like you are the perfect person to be, you know, executive director for this organization, especially with your background, since you're having this kind of holistic approach to everything. And I want to know, chloe, before I let you go is there anything that we haven't covered that you think people should know?
Speaker 2:No, I think we kind of touched on everything, I think, the breadth of services that we provide. I shared sort of the different capacities and how we work, who we work with. I will say, if nothing sticks with you, remember we have a hundred people right now waiting for services and that's likely going to grow. So the need is great. You know any support that we're able to get. If you hear about us, tell somebody else about us. Tell whether it's you know someone that might be interested in joining the board or a homeowner that needs services. Keep talking about Rebuilding Together Montgomery County so that everybody knows that we're here.
Speaker 1:So can you tell everyone how they can follow you guys and if they would like to donate and or volunteer, where do they go?
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely so. We have a presence on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter and LinkedIn, and then our website, RebuildingTogetherMCorg links you to everything, whether you want to apply for services, whether you want to donate, if you're interested in becoming a board member. We have a lot of events that we do that folks are welcome to come to, and that's all on the website.
Speaker 1:Chloe, thank you for everything that you're doing and kind of opening my eyes to the need for all of these home repairs and things that I didn't even think about that a lot of people need right here in Montgomery County. So I love all the work that you guys are doing and I'm so glad that you were able to come on here. So, of course, thank you again. And then I want to thank everybody for tuning in to another episode of the Truman Charities Podcast. I had no idea how much need there was in Montgomery County for home repairs, so I'm so glad that I got introduced to Chloe and to rebuilding together Montgomery County.
Speaker 1:If you liked this episode, please make sure to rate your review on our Apple podcast app. The reviews really do count and I do read each and every one of them. So please take a moment, scroll down and hit the five stars and rate a short review and, while you're at it, click the subscribe button so you don't miss any future episodes. If you want to follow us, you can follow Truman Charities on Instagram at Jamie underscore. Truman Charities. Facebook at Truman Charities. You can follow me on LinkedIn at Jamie Truman and then, so you don't miss any future upcoming Truman Charities events or our Bethesda's Best Happy Hours. Please go to TrumanCharitiescom and sign up for a newsletter there. Thanks again for tuning in to another episode of the Truman Charities podcast. Until next time.
