Elkus Ranch Chosen as Recipient for Rebuilding Together Day

Elkus Ranch, the environmental education center located on 125 acres in Half Moon Bay, is about to receive assistance with some much needed repairs to their Ranch House, a rustic facility that’s used for overnights for youth and meeting groups.

The nonprofit that provides hands-on learning experiences for kids has recently been chosen as a recipient for Rebuilding Together Day, an annual event that occurs on the last Saturday of April and is the culmination of a year of planning, evaluating, training, organizing, and assembling the largest nationwide group of volunteers and corporate sponsors to repair and restore houses and non-profit facilities.

Rebuilding Together does everything from yard cleanup and painting to skilled repairs of plumbing, windows, electrical systems, and flooring, according to the organization's website. Oftentimes they repair or replace roofs on homes and community facilities.

"This is a great opportunity, and I can’t wait to see our Ranch House all spiffed up," said Leslie Jensen, Elkus Ranch Coordinator.

The one-day rebuilding event is slated for April 28.

For Elkus Ranch, the day will be spent working on the Ranch House, putting in a new deck, new flooring, painting and other projects, all through Rebuilding Together Peninsula, which has completed repair and renovation projects at 91 homes and 23 community centers from Daly City to Sunnyvale in 2011.

The process started last fall when Elkus Ranch Environmental Science Educator Kathi Baxter submitted an application to Rebuilding Together Peninsula. According to Baxter, Rebuilding Together Peninsula representations later visited Elkus to take a look and consider repairs on National Rebuilding Day to the Ranch House.

“I feel that we were selected because Rebuilding Together Peninsula realizes how valuable Elkus’ programs are to the community," said Jensen. "It is so important to us because this will enable Elkus to fix up the Ranch House without putting more strain on our budget.”

Elkus staff is expecting a handful of people to volunteer from their Friends of Elkus e-mail list, “plus the rebuilding volunteers, many of whom come with labor skills,” said Jensen.

But more volunteers over 14 years of age are needed to help accomplish the repairs, and “the more skilled the better,” said Jensen.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Leslie Jensen at elkusranch@ucdavis.edu or 650-712-3151. You must register to be included. Mandatory safety orientation at 7:45 a.m. Work starts at 8 a.m. and will continue to 4 p.m. Lunch and t-shirt provided.

Can't make it to the event and would like to help in other ways? Please contact Jensen at elkusranch@ucdavis.edu or 650-712-3151.

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