Behrend Builders is MCCCS's award-winning volunteer program that works to repair, renovate, and rebuild Washington, DC. We work throughout the city to resuscitate homeless shelters, public and charter schools, homes for low-income families and elderly residents, recreational and community centers, social service agencies, and vital community spaces and facilities. Our goal is to provide volunteer opportunities that in turn will meet the critical needs of Washington's low-income housing communities and to supplement the over-extended social service agencies and government programs of our city.

Upcoming Behrend Opportunities:
To find out about ALL the wonderful Behrend Builders and MCCCS volunteer opportunities, please subscribe to the Volunteer View or contact Rose Cranna, the Behrend Builders Coordinator.

What have we been up to lately?

Friday, April 23, 2020: Over 100 volunteers, students and staff visiting DC from Jewish Day Schools across the nation, painted several classrooms at the Kingman Boys and Girls Club.  

Sunday, April 18, 2010: For our annual Spring into Action Day of Servcice, volunteers joined Behrend Builders at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and cleaned up trash from the Anacostia river and surrounding wetlands, removed invasive plants and renewed the recreation areas.  

Thursday, April 8, 2010: Volunteers from Fannie Mae spent the day with Behrend Builders, painting and revitilizing several rooms at the Kingman Boys and Girls Club, in preparation for the clubhouse's 42nd anniversary reunion.

Sunday, March 21, 2010: Open Builds are back with a vengance! Behrend Builders was joined by a dozen volunteers to paint 6 rooms and New Endeavors by Women, a women's shelter. Pictures COMING SOON! 

Monday and Wednesday, March 15 and 17, 2010: Students from Rowan University joined Behrend Builders as we returned to Veronicas House, a women's shelter. They painted the two common rooms and a bathroom of the shelter. 

Monday, March 1, 2010: Students visiting DC from Chicago, IL prepared over 80 emergency preparadeness kits to be distributed to families living in transitional housing, as well as over 50 grocery bags to be given out to day laborers who wait in the Home Depot parking lot. For more information on the issues facing Day Laborers, please visit Jews United for Justice. 

Monday, January 18, 2010: Behrend Builders returned to Ferebee-Hope Community School Complex for our Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, our first project of the New Year. Over 200 volunteers painted the fourth floor hallway of the elementary school and three classrooms of the US Dream Academy, an after school mentorship program.  We had a great day and got a lot accomplished.

Friday, December 25, 2009: Behrend Builders led a group of over 200 outstanding volunteers to Ferebee-Hope Community School Complex, where we painted the hallways and classrooms. The December 25 Day of Service (lovingly referred to as D25) is MCCCS's largest Day of Service, mobilizing over 800 volunteers and reaching over 50 social service agencies and thousands of low income individuals around DC. Pictures COMING SOON! 

Monday, November 23 & Wednesday, November 25, 2009: Together with the Morris Cafritz Center for Community Service, Behrend Builders hosted over three hundred volunteers who prepared 340 trays of Thanksgiving side dishes and 6,472 healthy snack bags for our annual Everything...But The Turkey event. All the food was picked up by our partner, DC Central Kitchen, who distributed the side dishes to shelters throughout the DC area. The snack bags were given to local elementary schools as a part of DCCK's Healthy Returns program. Pictures COMING SOON!

Sunday, November 15, 2009: Behrend Builders returned to Veronica's House with volunteers from University of Maryland’s Jewish student group, Tzedek. We painted one more bedroom and the dining room. We look forward to returning to finish the last bedroom and to paint the common spaces. Before and After pictures COMING SOON! 

Thursday, November 6, 2009: Along with 10 awesome volunteers from Maret School, we painted three rooms at the home of a retired pastor in Southeast DC. 

Sunday, October 18, 2009: For one of our last Open Builds of 2009, we painted three bedrooms at Veronica's House, a women’s shelter in NW, along with students from Howard University and MCCCS volunteers. Residents of the shelter were able to pick colors for each of their bedrooms.

Monday, October 12, 2009: Behrend Builders, in partnership with Yachad staff and volunteers and volunteers from American and Howard Universities, began renovations on a home in Hyattsville, Md.
The basement of the home, with a serious mold problem, was gutted to the concrete, and the hot water heater, which has not been working for several months, was replaced.
On the main level, volunteers repainted the foyer, living room and stairway. In addition, we removed three damaged sliding glass doors and a sheet of plywood and replaced it with a new wall, which will help keep the house warm as the winter begins. Finally, we patched two holes on the roof (damage as the result of a tree falling on the house at the end of the summer). 

Before and After pictures COMING SOON! 
   
Sunday, September 27, 2009: Behrend Builders returned to Ferebee-Hope elementary school (a long standing partner) with 25 teens and parents volunteers participating in community service as part of a bar-mitzvah project. We painted half of the third floor hallway and will return for a second coat and touch ups in the near future, as well as to complete the rest of the hallway.

Sunday September 13, 2009: MITZVAHstock: Behrend Builders staff lead volunteers at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Projects included clearing foliage from lily ponds, trimming trees, planting new plants and removing garbage from the Anacostia River (by land and sea).  

Friday September 11, 2009: In honor of Patriot's Day, Behrend Builders went to Ferebee-Hope (S.E.) elementary school with about 70 twelfth-grade students (as well as staff members) from Holten-Arms High School, painted the walls and columns in their second floor hallway blue, green and yellow. Distributed food donated by Holten Arms (about 50 pieces of fruit, sandwiches, etc) to Day Laborers outside of Home Depot on Rhode Island Ave. Before and After pictures COMING SOON! 

A History:
Founded 15 years ago by Ruth Small and Amy Goldstein, Behrend Builders is the longest-running program of its kind in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. We operate throughout the year, providing one-day or longer-term projects for volunteers and groups of varying skill levels. Our volunteers come from local schools and universities, Washington DCJCC's outreach efforts and local businesses and community organizations. We make every effort to have our volunteers work side-by-side with the recipients of their work, ensuring the creation of community and the building of bridges across the racial and socioeconomic divides that are so prevalent in DC.

No skills or previous experience are necessary, as training is given on-site and experienced Behrend Builders staff members and program managers oversee all projects. We welcome families and volunteers of all ages. If you have any questions, please contact us.