ROOF's 2012 PortBury Follies recap!

ROOF's 2012 PortBury Follies was a sold-out show, thoroughly enjoyed by all who were there! You will NOT want to miss next year - just to give you a taste, take a look at this video, produced by Newburyport Today and sponsored by the Institution for Savings.

ROOF Over Head on Film

ROOF Over Head Collaborative is proud to announce our new film to introduce our organization and our mission. Please let us know what you think about the film and about ROOF.

Our thanks to the Institution for Savings for underwriting this project!

Tickets can be ordered online

or by calling (978.462.7336)

or visiting the Firehouse Center for the Performing Arts box office!

The PortBury Follies! Coming soon!

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!