Volunteers Spruce Up Rockville Shelter

Even the rain and chilly weather could not dampen the spirits of the more than 100 volunteers who descended on Rockville's Stepping Stones Shelter on Friday morning to make repairs to the historic house.

The project marked the beginning of a community service partnership between Rebuilding Together and Choice Hotels International.

Rebuilding Together is a national nonprofit organization that works to keep home ownership affordable by providing free repair and renovation services to those in need. Choice, which is based in Silver Spring, owns Quality Inn, Comfort Suites, Clarion and other hotels.

Between now and December, the two groups will complete 20 projects across the country, said Susan Hawfield, executive director of Rebuilding Together Montgomery County.

"Choice gives shelter to those who are traveling; Stepping Stones gives emergency shelter to those who need help finding homes. And we work on the homes of low-income, elderly, disabled families with children, so it's a good partnership for these three groups to come together," Hawfield said. Stepping Stones was chosen out of fewer than 10 county nonprofit groups that had applied for assistance from the organizations.

The goal of the nonprofit Stepping Stones Shelter is to provide housing to homeless families while helping them find permanent homes. It was selected as the kickoff location for the "Room to Rebuild" program because it deserves the help, Hawfield said. The rambling white house in the city's Hungerford community is expansive enough to accommodate a large number of Choice Hotel employee volunteers, she said.

Steve Joyce, chief executive of Choice Hotels, said the launch was scheduled to coincide with the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which President Obama designated as a day of community service as part of his "United We Serve" initiative.

"That was an important and sad event that people need to remember, and what better way to do that than giving back to the community and helping to support people who need the help?" Joyce said as he shoveled gravel in the shelter's back yard Friday morning.

Repairs and upgrades to the house, which was built in 1912, included re-carpeting; painting and replacing boards on the back porch; weeding and trimming; securing window screens, latches and child guards; and putting in new appliances, said Robin Sparer, executive director of Stepping Stones.

She said the improvements could not have come at a better time.

"This partnership today with Rebuilding Together and Choice Hotels was perfect because it's actually getting us ready for our 'Rapid Rehousing' program that's going to start in October, which means we're going to serve more people at a more rapid pace, and that means greater wear and tear on the house," Sparer said.

The program, which is part of a national initiative, aims to get homeless families out of shelters and into permanent housing faster. In the case of Stepping Stones, that means getting families back on their feet in 30 days instead of 90, she said.

The shelter serves an average of 32 families a year and can house six families, or up to 28 people, at a time.

Rita Santelli, an Elkridge resident and Choice Hotel's senior director of franchise management, said she was happy to pitch in.

"Already we can see so many improvements, which is so wonderful," she said as she raked gravel. "We're looking forward to the families coming home later and seeing all of this."