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Bellevue, Wash (May 7, 2007) -- It was during the Christmas season of 2003 that Petra Joski’s husband Robert suffered a stroke. Rather than enjoying the high-spirited activities of the holidays, Robert ended up confined to a wheel chair. Petra found herself suddenly overwhelmed with the responsibilities of caring for an ailing husband in his 70s and an aging house built in the ‘70s.

In April 2007, things went from bad to worse when Robert’s kidneys’ began to fail, and he was put on dialysis. “I am my husband’s primary caretaker, and I am unable to take care of all the yard work and the painting,” Petra, 73, says. “There just isn’t enough time.”

Although the Joskis have a supportive family, they live out of state and there was only so much they could do with the crumbling fence, the peeling paint and a yard growing out of control. And for Petra and Robert, the thought of just abandoning their home was heartbreaking. So they turned to a group that had helped them once before, the nonprofit organization Rebuilding Together®. “They’re a beautiful organization that had built wheelchair ramps to our home a couple of years ago,” says Petra. “So I knew they would help us stay in the house we love.”

Rebuilding Together – a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining homes and independence for the economically challenged -- turned to another organization also committed to building community, Guidant Financial Group™ of Bellevue. According to David Nilssen, Guidant’s president and CEO, the company had been searching for a local charity to partner with. “Our staff chose to become a ‘House Sponsor’ for Rebuilding Together because we really appreciate the literal hands-on work they do for people in need.”

Guidant elected to contribute money as well as time and effort to Eastside Rebuilding Together. So when the organization scheduled April 28-29 as an 11-project weekend, Guidant was one of the first companies in line.

“The Joskis’ home was one of the projects,” says Nilssen. “And since the house is located in the Eastgate area of Bellevue, not far from our corporate office, we said, ‘This one’s for us.’” He turned the coordination of the project over to Guidant’s Social Commitment Committee, which worked out the details with staff volunteers and Eastside Rebuilding Together. On Saturday, April 28, over 30 Guidant employees, friends and family members donned scruffy work clothes and converged en masse on the Joski home.

Armed with paintbrushes and gardening tools, Guidant managers and staff worked side-by-side for six hours renewing the Joski home... along with their spirits.

“It was an absolute joy to see all the volunteers working so happily to help someone else,” says Petra. “By the end of the day, we were able to see our beautiful yard and have our house look beautiful inside and out.”

Nilssen points out in our business we get to help clients achieve their investment and entrepreneurial dreams and we pride ourselves on our customer service and ability to help society out as a whole. In doing so, Guidant makes an effort to hire employees who are as dedicated to helping others as they are to providing customer service to company clients. “This attitude of support and guidance is as important in building community as it is in building a business,” he says. “We’ve got a great staff here at Guidant who aren’t afraid to work hard for those things they believe in. I’m so proud of them.”

About Rebuilding Together®

Rebuilding Together preserves and revitalizes houses and communities, assuring that low-income homeowners – particularly the elderly, disabled and families with children – live in warmth, safety and independence. Last year, the national organization rehabilitated 105,020 houses and non-profit facilities across the U.S. The Bellevue-based Eastside branch reaches homeowners from Bothell to Kent, and from Bellevue to North Bend.