Rebuild Resources is a non-profit enterprise helping recovering men and women rebuild their lives through the most powerful social program of all: A job.
Founded in 1984 by a recovering alcoholic, we own and operate businesses in St. Paul, Minnesota. We provide meaningful, transitional employment for men and women who want to become sober, self-sufficient and of service.
At Rebuild, the alcoholic or addict finds a recovery-laden, Twelve-Step environment and is seen with compassion, but not illusion. We demand productivity, accountability and forward motion. Student-employees stay long enough to stabilize, build a job history and work reference, gain tangible skills, and build their capacity to be valuable to an employer. Then we help them land a permanent job, and make room for the next candidate.
Our businesses also serve as the economic engines that sustain our work. We aim for self-sufficiency by funding eighty percent of our budget from business revenues, and twenty percent from the generosity of individuals, foundations, businesses, churches, and service organizations. No government funding is currently sought or received.
Our work works. We've graduated more than nine hundred men and women, with a measured success rate of sixty-eight percent and a social return of nearly half a million dollars per successful graduate.
Why We Need a New Website
The most critical factor in our ability to accomplish our mission is the stability and success of our business enterprises. Our Custom Apparel and Promotions enterprise, which is our primary revenue source, would benefit enormously from an online storefront customized to fit our business objectives. Our current website for this business is functional at best, and since it is hosted by a third party, it is exceedingly difficult to make even the smallest customizations.
We believe that a customized and extensible web store, in which we have full access to the source code, will allow us to create a smoother, more intuitive, more inspiring user experience. Additionally, we will be able to conduct more accurate analytical testing to achieve a greater return on investment from our marketing budget. A site with functionality similar to that of our national, for-profit competitors (e.g. 4imprint.com) will position Rebuild as a major player in its market. We are confident that we will see dramatic increases in our business revenue and, more importantly, the number of jobs we are able to provide to recovering people.
We believe this presents a unique and imposing challenge, and that only the most skilled team of developers will be able to accomplish the objectives in 24 hours. More than this, we believe that this is one of the most unique opportunities in the F1 Challenge - one that promises to create profound, measurable, and lasting human and social value.
When the judges choose which non-profits will be selected to participate in this year's F1 Challenge they will take into account testimonials from beneficiaries, donors, volunteers, board members and other
Rebuild Resources is a fantastic organization doing great work for the community. I highly recommend Rebuild Resources for the F1 Web Challenge. A web presence is critical to Rebuild Resources long-term success as it allows customers from all over the world to find and use RR for its apparel needs while also allows Rebuild to devote its resources less on in-person sales and more on its principle purpose of serving its "student workers" transitional needs and supporting the community at large.
Plese feel free to contact me with any questions
Nate Hughes
952-563-0593
Nathan P Hughes: Board Member, Rebuild Resources
Rebuild Resources changes lives. The staff and students at Rebuild are some of the most postive and supportive people you will find anywhere in the recovery community. I have known about the organization for about 10 years and have been a member of the Board for about 5. I have witnessed hundreds of students go through the job training at Rebuild to become stable, productive, contributing members of the workforce. Many of those graduates have stayed close to Rebuild have helped others in the program. Rebuild Resources is determined to provide work opportunities for people looking to rebuild their lives. The effort to expand business by expanding their internet presence is just another indicator of that. Best wishes to the staff and students at Rebuild.
Dick Smith, Board Member
Rebuild Resources is a real life example of social enterprise, an emerging model for accomplishing social mission through business. Many non-profits are looking to social enterprise as a way to alleviate the dependence on charitable contributions.
Rebuild was actually founded on the principle that business enterprise is part of the solution for certain social ills -- in this case, the repetitive cycle of woe and misfortune that often accompanies drug and alcohol addiction.
Through its business enterprises Rebuild accomplishes two things: 1) it helps break the cycle of addiction by offering a safe, sober, non-enabling work environment for those who are in early recovery, and 2) it is the primary funding mechanism to accomplish this important social endeavor.
We often say that the best way to assist Rebuild in its mission is to do business with us.
Over the past few years Rebuild has made great strides in its sales and marketing efforts. An important element of that improvement has come in the form of web-based marketing and web-based customer service. I encourage you to help Rebuild make further gains in this area -- to create more jobs and serve more people -- with an F1 Challenge award.
Rick Berglund, Board Member
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to be a part of the Rebuild Family and I am grateful for the experience and the many people that I have worked with and met while making this part of my journey in life.
I am truly grateful that a program such as Rebuild is available for us that are working the 12 step program and can enjoy the fellowship of this program in making the transition from addiction/prison and support each other in knowing we have all traveled the same path in so many ways.
Ed H. - Rebuild Graduate 2006
I’m just grateful to Rebuild for teaching me responsibility, humility, and teaching me to work with people from different backgrounds. Rebuild’s really helped my self-esteem.
Dean B. - Rebuild Graduate
Thanks to Rebuild, I have a new look on life. I have lots of opportunities to share and be around others like me. Thanks to Rebuild, God showed me there is a tomorrow.
Ray W. - Rebuild Graduate 2007
I’m so grateful to be part of Rebuild. It’s been a wonderful experience. My Higher Power found this place for me.
Deb M. - Rebuild Student
I’m grateful for Rebuild and a chance at life. My kids are ecstatic that I got a job. I’m grateful to be alive.
Heather - Rebuild Student
Two things that have improved greatly is my self-confidence and my confidence in my work. I have pride in my work now too. One way I’ve been staying sober is that, when I want to use, I have to tell someone. When I tell someone, I talk myself out of it. When I’m at Rebuild, I don’t have to worry about that anymore. When we came in here, we were hopeless drug addicts. Now that we are leaving we have jobs with benefits. When my biggest worry is discussing with my therapist how I’m going to do my 401K, I’m not doing so bad!
Tim S. - Rebuild Graduate
Being here helps me focus on the things I’ve been through. It takes away those urges to use and drink. I really appreciate being here.
John R. - Rebuild Student
Rebuild has helped me feel good about myself and has given me back what I was missing for along time and that is self worth. I am very grateful to Rebuild.
Anonymous
Rebuild has been an awesome support to my recovery. I would recommend Rebuild to anyone who is willing to change their life.
Anonymous
I want to say thank you to Rebuild for helping me. No one would touch me because of my criminal background and because I was an addict. I couldn’t do it without Rebuild.
Will B. - Former student
Two facts struck me when I first researched the problem of post-release re-entry: How expensive it is for society when ex-offenders slip back into their old lifestyles (about $500,000 per individual), and how terribly difficult society makes it for those who sincerely want to change their lifestyle.
Rebuild Resources addresses this problem in the most practical manner – by providing a job and a sober and supportive environment for motivated individuals to begin rebuilding their lives and reclaiming their value as contributing members of the community.
I have had the privilege of assisting Rebuild’s dedicated staff in providing training for their ‘students,’ and this close-up look has made me an enthusiastic supporter of Rebuild Resources. Any way their business endeavors can be strengthened– such as through the F1 Challenge award – is in the best interests of all of us.
Cecelia MacDonald, Grant Manager, Century College
When I came to Rebuild I had almost given up hope of finding employment. I had lost my self esteem and was so discouraged. I was ready to start my life over but no one was willing to give me a second chance. I am so grateful that Rebuild Resources gave me that opportunity. They offered support and encouragement. They believed in me enough to offer me a staff position and I'm now working with the internet sales.
Any help you can give us to improve our website allows us to give more people another chance to grow and give back.
Rebuild graduate/staff member
I have been priviledged to be a member of the Rebuild Board for 20+ years.
Rebuild Resources, without question is a unique private sector solution to a huge social problem which goes like this: We see alcohol and substance abuse offenders on the streets inevitably wind up in jail, prison or a treatment facility then in a halfway house and back on the street only to repeat the cycle over and over again. This is the the public sector approach to the problem. Less than 5% break the addiction. Rebuild was created to stand between the halfway house and the street as alternative way to sobriety where the offenders can "earn there own recovery," learn to take responsibility for there own behavior and become contributing members of society. In other words, people are challenged to discover and awaken the huge potential, value and self worth within themselves in a safe, sober working environment. Given the opportunity to succeed in a productive private social enterprise environment inspires creativity, cooperation good work habits; confidence is nurtured and changed lives are the result. The Rebuild private sector approach success ratio eclipses the public sector by more than 60%. We greatly appreciate this opportunity you have extended us to compete for your generous offer to enhance our web site marketing. If we are awarded this valuable prize I know your confidence in Rebuild Resources will be fully rewarded.
Robert Bratnober, board member
On behalf of Concordia University, Southeast Asian and Hmong Culture and Language Programs, I am writing to express our support of Rebuild Resources and its programs which have joined together with our programs for the benefit of Hmong children and youth. Our university has been in partnership with Rebuild Resources this year through using the tee shirts produced there to advertise our program.
The opportunity for the two programs to work together through the workmanship of Rebuild Resources which supplied staff and students with logo wear and in turn through the story of the this organization modeled healthy living and a modeled productive community life for the them. It has been such a privilege to work with Rebuild Resources personnel.
Rebuild Resources, Inc.
602 Prior Ave. N.
St. Paul, MN 55104
Our Mission
The mission of Rebuild Resources is to help addicts and alcoholics become sober, self-sufficient, and of service by providing real, meaningful, transitional employment in business enterprises we own and operate.
Rebuild Resources, Inc.
