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Press Release

Rebuilding Together volunteers help build San Francisco’s first off-grid building

San Francisco, CA – November 13, 2009 – Rebuilding Together San Francisco announces its biggest building project in 20 years. On November 17, 2009, RTSF will coordinate 250 Dreamforce volunteers to put the final building touches on San Francisco’s first “off grid” building. The EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park is a project of Literacy for Environmental Justice, and when complete, it will provide a unique and dynamic environmental education programming for all residents of San Francisco. The Center’s green technologies include: Eco Machine onsite wastewater treatment, green living roof, solar panels to meet all electricity demands of the building, native landscaping to promote water conservation, and green building materials including SIPs panels, low VOC paints and FSC lumber.

On November 17, 2009 Rebuilding Together San Francisco (RTSF) will coordinate 200 Salesforce employees, clients and users who are in San Francisco for the annual Dreamforce conference. Volunteers will paint the interior and exterior of the center, install office and kitchen cabinetry, build a fence around the leach field, and plants thousands of native plants to help restore the fragile wetlands at Heron’s Head Park. This is the largest project that RTSF has undertaken in its 20-year history. “Dreamforce is the perfect partner for RTSF on the EcoCenter project. We’re partnered with them in the past and have found that they bring organized and enthusiastic volunteers who can really make a difference in a day” says Karen Nemsick, Rebuilding Together’s Executive Director.

“This workday is bringing us a thousand hours closer to opening the EcoCenter’s doors,” said Malik Looper, executive director of Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ). “The EcoCenter is a source of great pride in our community, and we welcome the contribution of Rebuilding Together and all those who want to build a more sustainable future for our youth.” Press are invited to visit the EcoCenter on November 17th to view the volunteer project in action and to speak with Karen Nemsick, Executive Director - Rebuilding Together San Francisco, Malik Looper – Executive Director of Literacy for Environmental Justice, and Sean Rosas – Salesforce Foundation about this unique partnership.

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About Rebuilding Together San Francisco Rebuilding Together San Francisco (RTSF) evolved out of a grassroots collaboration of several business, labor, and community organizations in 1989 in response to the Loma Prieta earthquake. Over the last 20 years, RTSF has renovated more than 1,250 homes and 250 community and nonprofit facilities in San Francisco with the help of over 45,000 volunteers, affecting tens of thousands of our city's residents--from residents of Single Room Occupancy hotels to nonprofit employees and clients, from Head Start children to seniors--including all those who volunteered their time to help their neighbors. Rebuilding Together San Francisco is a local affiliate of Rebuilding Together, a national organization that mobilizes thousands of volunteers each year and includes 205 affiliates serving more than 500 communities nationwide. For more information on Rebuilding Together San Francisco, please visit: www.rebuildingtogethersf.org. About Literacy for Environmental Justice Founded in 1998 by a coalition of youth, educators, and community advocates, Literacy for Environmental Justice is an environmental education and youth empowerment organization created specifically to address the ecological and health concerns of Bayview Hunters Point and the surrounding communities of southeast San Francisco. LEJ provides paid internships to Bayview Hunters Point youth in environmental health, natural ecology, and community planning, and offers free hands-on environmental educational programs to schools, colleges and youth programs. www.lejyouth.org

Press Contact for Rebuilding Together San Francisco Karen Nemsick, Executive Director 415-905-1611 x202 Karen@rebuildingtogethersf.org