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Energize Alexandria Volunteers Go to Work

Event put on by Rebuilding Together Alexandria and Washington Gas aims to keep vulnerable residents in warm, safe and clean homes.

Volunteers assisted dozens of low-income homeowners winterize and repair their residences Saturday during Energize Alexandria, a city-wide event put on by Rebuilding Together Alexandria and Washington Gas.

With support from several home repair retailers like Honeywell and Sears, volunteers from Alexandria and beyond weatherized and upgraded homes of veterans, low-income, disabled and elderly residents to continue to live in warm, safe and clean homes.

Graduate students from  in Old Town put plastic in the windows and closed draft areas at a home on E. Windsor Avenue.

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“Some of us are club members of [the American Institute of Architect Students],” volunteer Leslie Thompson said. “We recruited some other students as well. We all decided to just volunteer our time. This is one of our first volunteer opportunities and we love it.”

Members of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Alexandria assisted a homeowner on E. Duncan Avenue in the afternoon after working on a home in Old Town in the morning.

Find out what's happening in Del Raywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Weather stripping, putting plastic inside of windows and light-bulb replacement—that’s pretty much the order of the day,” said Del Ray resident and Westminster member Tim Shaw.

Fairfax resident Eric Weiss, also a parishioner at Westminster Presbyterian, said his group always enjoys the work.

“It builds fellowship and we get to know some of our neighbors,” Weiss said.


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