About 50 volunteers from the Bellevue Sunrise Rotary Club and Woodinville-based Synergy Construction spent the day making over a low-income housing complex in Kirkland on Saturday, April 25.

Workers built a new wooden fence, repaired exterior siding and foundations, installed 10 energy-efficient toilets and replaced gutters for the Salisbury Court Apartments, which is owned by KITH (Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing). The complex currently houses 11 families, but has room for 12.

“We’re doing the same thing here that we’d do to our own homes,” said Bellevue Sunrise Rotary President Tom Fowler, who helped with landscaping.

He added the work “feels good from the standpoint that it has made a difference in people’s lives.”

Rebuilding Together Eastside (www.rebuildingtogethereastside.org), a national nonprofit organization that repairs and revitalizes low-income homes, awarded KITH the major renovation project as part of Rebuilding Days. Each year, Rebuilding Together donates materials and rallies volunteers to rehabilitate homes and nonprofit facilities. This year KITH was one of only two selected project sites.

The Salisbury Court Apartments were built in the late 60s and has not had any upgrades since KITH acquired the property in 1993, said Jan Dickerman, KITH executive director.

“It’s a nice feeling of doing a project together in these economic times when everyone has pulled back a little bit,” added Dickerman, who was also on site helping out during the day. “It’s heartwarming to see this generosity.”

KITH provides programs that house, feed and clothe individuals and families at risk of homelessness on the greater Eastside in Kirkland, Bellevue and Redmond. For information, visit www.kithcares.org or call 425-576-9531.

For information about Bellevue Sunrise Rotary, visit ww.bellevuesunriserotary.org.

Carrie Wood is Editor of the Kirkland Reporter. She can be contacted at cwood@kirklandreporter.com

425-822-9166, ext. 5050, www.kirklandreporter.com.