2025 ReFrame Conference Learnings

Mountain T.O.P. was a founding member of the Reframe Association, now called the Coalition for Home Repair. Each year, the Coalition hosts a conference that offers guest speakers and breakout sessions that help nonprofits learn more about advocacy, home repair, volunteer management, fundraising, organizational development, and marketing. We are proud to be part of a national network of organizations dedicated to the repair and rehabilitation of homes across the country.

From Annabel | Service Area Director

This year at the ReFrame Conference, I learned about the importance of conducting home assessments and implementing efficient processes to better serve our homeowners with the help of our volunteers. The best way to assess a home to ensure that repairs and modifications actually benefit the homeowner is to watch them move in their home as they do their daily tasks. Getting a good understanding of the safety and usability of each room before and after Mountain T.O.P. completes repairs can help create impactful data, too. Many sessions focused on new ways to make modifications for older adult homes. As more adults in the world, and especially in Grundy County, are choosing to age in their own homes, there are quite a few repairs that can make mobility easier. I hope to add more Aging-In-Place home repairs and modifications to Mountain T.O.P.'s regular work scope in the new year. 

From Hailey | Logistics Coordinator

Attending the ReFrame Conference was a wonderful introduction to the inner workings of home-repair nonprofit organizations like Mountain T.O.P. It was impactful not only to see the widespread need for home repair across the country in so many different settings, but also to meet the groups and individuals who are passionate about addressing this issue and are actively doing so in their communities. Seeing how many organizations focus on urban home repair also further reaffirmed how unique and vital rural programs like ours truly are. 

The way presenters spoke about both the challenges and the people affected gave me valuable insight into how to share this work in ways that emphasize the significance of the need while still honoring the dignity of each homeowner and family. This is especially important when introducing volunteers of all ages to our service area and to the homeowners and families we partner with.  It helps them see that everyone deserves to have a home that's safe and healthy, protects them from the elements, and connects them to their community. Each interaction should grow out of that same place of respect and understanding.

It was also very beneficial to learn new tools and strategies for incorporating health and wellness into the work Mountain T.O.P. is already doing. With my background in nursing, I’m excited to explore ways to help bridge the gaps between our community members’ homes and their health, as well as continue finding meaningful ways to promote healthy habits within our Day Camp programming.

From Rachael | Director of Formation & Impact

“Home repair is always the bridesmaid and never the bride.”

I heard this quote in one of the plenary sessions and it resonated with me and the work that Mountain T.O.P. does. Oftentimes, in the conversation about housing—from new home construction, rental properties, to emergency shelters—the topic of home repair is deprioritized. It’s not new or flashy or always exciting. It’s a chronic issue that always exists. And yet…

“The most affordable home is the one a family already lives in.”

This was a statement that was brought up many times during the conference and again, it resonates deeply with our work and our community. Grundy County specifically has a higher-than-average homeownership rate, which is really great. However, we also have an aging housing stock: 42% of our homes were built before 1979. Not all of those homes have been maintained well so that the homeowners can continue to live healthy and safe lives. (This is where the conversation about aging-in-place is so important!) For some, homeownership might be out of reach, especially given the currently high interest rates and rising home prices. Our work of housing preservation means that families can stay in their homes longer. It means that the house will be in good condition to be passed down to the next generation. Mountain T.O.P.’s work of home repair means that we preserve affordability, safety, and financial well-being!