Why Donations Count — An Interview with Tim Drain

Tim was elected president of the board in 2013 and has remained active as a supporter and driving force behind RTWC since. One of the things that Tim feels strongly about, is helping homeowners we help – low income families, elderly, persons with disabilities, and veterans. “I see RTWC as a safety net for homeowners in the community who for any number of reasons find themselves in a condition where essential repairs are needed in their homes. These repairs are associated with basic needs for accessibility, safety, and being able to stay warm and dry.”

TimDrain
RTWC’s president Tim Drain, kicking off ‪#‎OregoniansGive‬, Washington County Style with at Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue with Community Action Hillsboro, and Oregon and Vision Action Network

When asked about why he decided to become involved at RTWC, he replied, “RTWC is an organization where I can use the skills I have acquired in my professional life to give back to the community where I live and have raised my family.”

Tim not only presides over the board at RTWC, but he has been a long time donor. He explains how important it is to donate. “The funds that are donated to RTWC are essential for the survival of our organization. RTWC has kept their overhead to the bare minimum. We have one full-time and one part-time employee and a small office located in Beaverton. Because of this we are able to use donations where they help the most, the people in need in our community.”

While overhead costs are low, sometimes the projects we take on can by costly. Tim explains that a recent project done by RTWC is illustrative of the benefit that our organization provides to the homeowner and to the community. A woman living in a mobile home in the western part of the County had an old failing roof that created problems with the ceiling below. Without the funds to hire a contractor, she sought help from RTWC. The work needed was extensive: stripping the roof covering; replacing some rotted roof sheeting; re-roofing the home; removing the ceiling sheet-rock below; repairing sagging ceiling joints; re-insulating the attic and replacing the ceiling sheet-rock. RTWC volunteers with the guidance of our project manager, will finish this project in the next week and provide a warm and dry place for a person who was on the verge of needing to walk away from the home and forced to look for shelter and assistance from our public agencies. This is the kind of work that we do but we can’t do it without the contributions from citizens and businesses who are willing to reach out to their neighbors in need.

Tim sums up our mission and need by adding that “RTWC, without cost to the homeowner, is their resource to reclaim some of  the lost basic comforts that many of us take for granted.”


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