Sunday, April 29, 2012

ROOF Partners with Next Step Living - Your Free Home Energy Assessment nets $10 for ROOF!


Roof Over Head Collaborative (ROOF) has partnered with Next Step Living, a residential energy efficiency company, to help families cut high utility bills by accessing NO COST National Grid energy assessments. For every no cost energy assessment completed through this partnership, Next Step Living will contribute $10 to ROOF to help in their efforts to support local families and children.  

The Energy Assessment is available to renters and apartments too!

Program highlights:
  • Thousands of MA families saved up to 30% on their energy bills last year. Now you can too!
  • Receive energy efficient light bulbs that use 75% less energy installed at no cost during your energy assessment
  • Health & Safety inspection of your home for carbon monoxide and possible sources of mold or mildew
  • Access a ZERO % loan to fund new windows or upgrade to a high efficiency heating system
  • 100% instant incentive for targeted air sealing -Air sealing reduces exposure to pollen and allergens – main cause of allergies)
  • Next Step Living contributes $10 to ROOF for every home energy assessment completed through this partnership - Click here to register to benefit You And ROOF!
Avoid the long waiting list, schedule your assessment today. Spring and Summer are great months to schedule your No Cost energy assessment!

ROOF Welcomes New Family with Help from the Institution for Savings

Newburyport, MA: Roof Over Head Collaborative (ROOF), a non-profit organization providing housing and services to local families in transition, recently welcomed its third family into the program and into a wonderful new home in Amesbury.  This home, ROOF’s second purchased property, was possible in a large part from a generous donation from the Institution for Savings and the extreme generosity of many other individuals and organizations.

The Institution for Savings, through its Charitable Foundation, recently granted ROOF $25,000.  The Bank was instrumental in ROOF’s start-up and provided a $50,000 grant in 2011. Michael J.  Jones, President and CEO of the Institution for Savings, said the Bank was pleased to contribute again to this worthy cause.  “The Bank’s vision statement captures why we did this,” said Mike.  “A key element of our vision is to positively affect the lives of every person within the communities we serve.  ROOF’s work is critical to helping the underserved members in Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury and we are proud to be part of this”

Kimberly A.  Rock, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, explained that this donation was only a part of the bank’s investment.  “As we have done with past ROOF clients, we also provided other household items that the new family needed.  We distributed the list among our employees who welcomed the opportunity to contribute by bringing in donations of housewares, furniture, and other things to make the house a home.”

“We are thrilled to have our next family in place and on the road to financial independence,” said Kerri Perri, ROOF co-chair.  “With the generous gift from the Institution, the tireless work of our amazing volunteers, led by our own founding member Joyce Munier and her husband Bob, and the generous donations of supplies and labor, we were able to completely rehab this space to make it a wonderful fresh start for our new family!”

Another organization that helped to bring this new home online in record time was JulieKing of Samarra Painting.  Paint It Forward is Samarra's community outreach project, and through this program, they provided a color consultation and painting, including supplies, for a bedroom at no charge.

ROOF is currently fundraising to secure its fourth property to provide a local family with dependent children with a roof over their heads while they take part in a program to help them regain financial independence.  Susanne Cameron, ROOF co-chair, noted, “There are so many families with children right here in Newburyport, Salisbury and Amesbury who need a chance to regain their financial footing.  We are grateful to the Institution for Savings for their gift to help us serve them.”

ROOF welcomes donations of money, volunteer time, renovation skills and property to continue their works.  To learn more about ROOF, please visit our website at www.RoofOverHead.org, email us at info@RoofOverHead.org.







The mission of ROOF Over Head Collaborative is to provide transitional housing for families in need in Amesbury, Newburyport and Salisbury. ROOF collaborates with a support services partner to empower children and their families so their lives can be lived with dignity, ending the frightening reality of homelessness. Families pay a portion of the rent while maintaining an active status with the support services partner working to improve their education, job training, and other skills to help them to get up and out of crisis.  To learn more about ROOF or to make a donation of time or money, please visit our webpage at RoofOverHead.org or info@RoofOverHead.org or 978-961-1555.


About The Institution for Savings: the Institution for Savings is widely recognized as one of the oldest and most stable mutual banks in the country, with assets totaling approximately $1.3 billion as of March 31, 2012. It is also the largest mutual savings bank in the Greater Newburyport region and the third largest on the North Shore.












ROOF participates in Community Forum on Affordable Housing

Co-president Susanne Cameron represented ROOF at a community forum, "Three Approaches to Community Affordable Housing." Joining her were Ed Cameron, Newburyport City Councillor at Large, and the Associate Executive Director of the Division of Housing and Homeless Services of Community Teamwork, Inc., and Andrew DeFranza, Executive Director of Harborlight Community Partners, which provides housing with services primarily for low and moderate income people living in Southern Essex County. Susanne talked about ROOF's mission and target clients, stimulating lots of questions - including how to volunteer and support ROOF!

Newburyport Five Cents Savings Donates to ROOF


Newburyport, MA:  Roof Over Head Collaborative (ROOF), a non-profit organization providing housing and services for families in transition, today welcomed a generous donation from The Newburyport Bank.  ROOF is currently fundraising to secure its fourth property to provide a local family with dependent children with a roof over their heads while they take part in a program to help them regain financial independence.
 
Newburyport Five Cents Savings Charitable Foundation awarded a grant in the amount of $6000 to ROOF to assist them in purchasing their next property in Amesbury, Salisbury or Newburyport.  Jan Morse, president and CEO of the Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank, was pleased to contribute to this worthy cause.  “The economic situation of the last four years has touched us all of course, but has left some families in our local area on the brink.  We are pleased to assist in providing families with children a secure environment on their way to regaining financial independence while keeping their children in school.”

 “We have learned so much as an organization with our first properties and are pleased to see that our concept works and we are able to help these families in need,” said Kerri Perry, ROOF co-chairperson.  “With this gift from the Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank, we have started fundraising for our next property and have a volunteer army in place to invest the “sweat equity” as well,” she continued.

Susanne Cameron, ROOF co-chair, noted, “The down economy has impacted low income families in Massachusetts and driven many into crisis.  A medical issue, a job loss, a cut in hours, or lack of transportation will drive a family from a relatively stable environment into potential homelessness.  We are grateful to the Newburyport Bank for their gift to help us serve them.”

ROOF welcomes donations of money, volunteer time, renovation skills and property to continue their works.  To learn more about ROOF, please visit our website at www.RoofOverHead.org, email us at info@RoofOverHead.org or call 978.961.1555.





The mission of ROOF Over Head Collaborative is to provide transitional housing for families in need in Amesbury, Newburyport and Salisbury. ROOF collaborates with a support services partner to empower children and their families so their lives can be lived with dignity, ending the frightening reality of homelessness. Families pay a portion of the rent while maintaining an active status with the support services partner working to improve their education, job training, and other skills to help them to get up and out of crisis.  To learn more about ROOF or to make a donation of time or money, please visit our webpage at RoofOverHead.org or info@RoofOverHead.org.



About Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank:
 
Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank is a growing community bank, with six locations and has over 90 dedicated employees. The bank provides its customers a full range of consumer, residential and commercial lending and business banking products and services. We also take great pride in supporting the many diverse social, educational, environmental, civic and cultural community based organizations to ensure that the greater Newburyport area is a vibrant place to live, work and grow.  Giving back is the best way forward.

To learn more please visit www.newburyportbank.com

Central Congregational Church Donates to ROOF

The Reverend Christopher Ney of Newburyport’s Central Congregational Church gives a donation of $1000 to members of Roof Over Head Collaborative’s board members, Jo An Kincaid, Joyce Munier and Kerri Perry. The donation was one of several from the church to local charities as a part of their Outreach Tithe from their capital campaign.