Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee and 'Heroes at Home' Work With the American Legion to Assist Local Nonprofit Veterans Center

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rebuilding Together, the nation's leading nonprofit working to preserve affordable home ownership, is partnering with Sears and the American Legion to provide extensive rehabilitations to Dryhootch Milwaukee, a local nonprofit veterans center, through the Heroes at Home program.

Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee, one of the 200 Rebuilding Together affiliates located across the country, will work with Sears and their joint program, Heroes at Home, which delivers critical renovations to veterans who are unable to live safely in their current home conditions. Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee is also working with the Wisconsin American Legion. American Legion staff and volunteers will work together to help complete substantial renovations for the veteran facility.

Dryhootch is a nonprofit organization founded by former Vietnam veterans. The organization's members recognized that veterans experience harsh realities when faced with returning from duty to their families, neighborhoods and jobs. The goal of the organization is to provide a safe place where veterans can relax, connect with each other and learn about services available to them and their families.

"We recognize the importance of having such a safe harbor for veterans here on Milwaukee's east side – so close to the UWM and Marquette campuses," said Robert S. Batty, commander of The American Legion's department in Wisconsin. "This community is really benefiting from Rebuilding Together's efforts. It's my understanding that they've done about 700 housing projects for veterans in the last five years – these volunteers are incredible."

Batty, an Army veteran who served during the Vietnam War, is also commander of American Legion Post 288 in Cedarburg.

"This is the kind of project that really represents what The American Legion is all about – veterans helping veterans," said the organization's national commander, Clarence Hill. "We are most impressed with Rebuilding Together's efforts to provide free home repairs and renovations for veterans and their families." Hill said the Legion passed a resolution last year that formally supports the group's program for veterans housing.

The essential repairs scheduled to be completed by volunteers include the following: remove a non-load bearing wall on the first floor to open up a larger resource room, install a ramp for better wheelchair access, and renovate the current space available for the coffee shop. All of these repairs are intended to create an environment that is physically accessible for all veterans and their families who wish to take advantage of the resources Dryhootch offers.

"Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee is honored to have partnered with Dryhootch. Our veterans are the backbone of our freedom and we feel blessed to support them as they return home to the Milwaukee community," stated Lynnea Katz-Petted, Executive Director, Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee.

Heroes at Home is a program created via the partnership between Rebuilding Together and Sears Holdings. To date, Heroes at Home has raised over $10 million in donations and focuses on providing free home repairs and modifications to improve the lives of veterans for the many personal sacrifices they have made for their country.  Over 750 veterans' homes have been rebuilt nationwide through the Heroes at Home campaign.

To learn more about Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee, visit www.rtmilwaukee.org

About Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee

Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee is an affiliate of Rebuilding Together, the nation's leading nonprofit working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by bringing volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners. RTGM's mission is to provide free, professional-quality home repairs and accessibility modifications for low-income homeowners who are senior citizens and/or persons with disabilities who live in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties. Since 2000, RTGM has completed home updates for more than 300 homes with the help of over 5,000 volunteers and invested over $5.6 million dollars into Milwaukee area housing.

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada.  Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, consumer electronics and automotive repair and maintenance.  Sears Holdings is the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands.  It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart.  We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually.  Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation.  For more information, visit Sears Holdings' website at www.searsholdings.com.

SOURCE Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee