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March's Charity of the Month Christmas in April - Aurora Christmas in April - Aurora, based in Aurora, Illinois, received a $1,000 USD Worldwide Grant from the MDRT Foundation on February 16, 2004. The organization provides housing rehabilitation to those in need, and the grant monies will help replace the roofs of houses for low-income homeowners in the local area who are unable to do the work themselves. David R. Bellis, CLU, ChFC, of Naperville, Illinois, is the grant sponsor and presented the grant check to the charity during a board meeting. Bellis has been a board member with the organization since 2002, and he helped renovate two homes during last year's National Rebuilding Day activities. "I got involved with the organization because I felt that I needed to give back to my community since I have been so blessed," said Bellis. One of the projects that Bellis worked on last April was the major renovation of the house of a 77-year-old widow. She was married in 1952 and lost her husband only five years later, leaving her to care for their four children on her own. Volunteers performed many necessary house repairs including new water pipes, new gas piping and new electrical wiring. Said Bellis about the project, "We feel that we made a significant difference in this woman's life." Christmas in April - Aurora is a local affiliate of Rebuilding Together, the largest volunteer home rehabilitation organization in the United States. Rebuilding Together works in 865 cities and towns in all 50 states to preserve and revitalize houses and communities. Their mission is to assure that low-income homeowners do not have to choose between vital necessities, like food, or a roof that does not leak. All affiliates, including Christmas in April-Aurora, work year-round to prepare for rebuilding projects on National Rebuilding Day. On National Rebuilding Day in 2003, Christmas in April-Aurora rehabilitated 16 houses with the help of 400 volunteers. The MDRT Foundation provided grant monies to support this year's National Rebuilding Day activities, which includes the replacement of at least three roofs, to be held April 24, 2004. "I feel there is a similarity between the MDRT Foundation and the life insurance industry I have been affiliated with for over 29 years. They both help those in need of need," said Bellis. If you live near Aurora, Illinois and would like to get involved with Christmas in April-Aurora, please contact them at (630) 375-7446. Or, if you live elsewhere in the United States and would like to find an affiliate of Rebuilding Together near you, visit www.rebuildingtogether.org/find_program_near_you/index.shtml
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