Rebuilding a house and trust

A musician and machinist, Charles Andre worked two jobs for three decades to buy his house in north Minneapolis, the only home he's ever owned. 

"There's nothing like it," Andre said. "I put in 30 years here." 

But when he lost his leg to diabetes last fall, he also lost his faith in other people. While he recovered in the hospital, teenage thieves broke in and stole most everything he owned. 

"When they found me missing around here long enough they started kicking the doors in," he said.

But the only strangers in Andre's house now are here to help him: Twenty people giving their Saturday to clean his home and then rehab it. Through grants and corporate donations, the house will get $40,000 of remodeling to make it livable with Andre's wheelchair.

Everybody working at Andre's home is a volunteer. Nobody knew him before today, but all of them say they wanted to give him a fresh start. 

Volunteer Jane White heard about the project online. She says Andre's story moved her, and she thought he deserved a break.

"It makes me feel good to be here," White said. "I thought I've just got to get out and do something and help somebody else."    

This is just the first of many days needed to fix the house, since the whole main floor will be gutted. But while construction may take until spring, Andre says already rebuilt is his trust.

"He went through some pretty hard times," said Dave Christensen of Rebuilding Together Twin Cities, which is leading the project. "Individuals want to volunteer, not just corporations. Not just because they feel obligated, but people just want to help."

"I'm blessed, finally," Andre said. "Yep, I'm blessed."

For more information on Rebuilding Together Twin Cities, click here.

For more information on Volunteer Match, click here.

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