On the first day...

…the one word that describes and drives our year: IMPACT.

To borrow heavily from Emily's end of year snippet in the December newsletter:

In reflecting back on 2010, one word quickly moves to the forefront of my mind: IMPACT. In looking at the dictionary’s definition of IMPACT, several definitions are listed. These include, but are not limited to, influence, effect, and the force exerted by a new idea, concept, technology, or ideology. After a record-breaking and life-changing year at Rebuilding Together Aurora, I would like you to consider another definition of IMPACT: a collective group’s influence on other people’s lives...

The collective influence of this group [68 financial supporters, 700 local volunteers, 1 staff member, 2 AmeriCorps members, 12 board members, 10 advisory board members, and several community partners] has done the following:
· Improved the daily living environment for 129 low-income people by providing home repairs they couldn't provide for themselves
· Provided financial relief to 51 families residing in owner-occupied homes in Aurora
· Improved a community of 172,950 people

As we close out a monumental year, I would like to sincerely thank you for being a part of our efforts in 2010. You’re support has allowed us to have an unforgettable IMPACT on many people’s lives and the community of Aurora. You have been a blessing to our organization and the family’s we serve and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

View the video that sums up our compassion for community change here:
2010 Compassion on a New Level

Thank you all again for a fantastic year of IMPACT, and help us bring in 2011 with COMPASSION for COMMUNITY!