Executive Director & CEO Corner
As we head into the summer months we aren’t slowing down at HomeAid, with over a dozen projects in the pipeline and a non-stop calendar of events. We kicked if all off with one of our biggest Builders & Friends BBQ in memory, with hundreds turning out to enjoy friendship with colleagues – as well as the guilty pleasures of enjoying an ice cream before dinner! – while raising tens of thousands of dollars to support our mission. Together, we blew our collection goal out of the water when we collected and delivered almost 240,000 diapers and wipes for needy families just a few weeks ago. In August, we’ll host Arts in the Park at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, where we’ll make a carefree, memory-making day accessible for families and for non-profit staff who often find such events out of their reach. In September, we’re looking forward to our annual Golf Tournament, and I hope I can count on many of you to show your support for this important event through sponsorships – we have support levels for every budget! Throughout, we’re planning, starting, and finishing building and renovation projects – some of which we’ll cover in more detail in next month’s issue of Building Hope. No matter the project or the event – and no matter the month – we cannot do all that we do without you. Thank you for continuing to show up for us and for the countless individuals and families in our communities who depend on us.
With gratitude,
In the Neighborhood
Sponsorships Now Open for HomeAid Golf Tournament
On Friday, September 15, with a 7:00 a.m. check-in and 8:00 a.m. shotgun start, we’ll host our annual Golf Tournament presented by Darvish Companies at Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club, and we hope you will be part of our success! Sponsorships are now open, and the event has a long track record of being a top-quality tournament for the building community. Put your company name in front of an always-sold-out crowd of golfers with the knowledge that 100% of proceeds will go toward enhancing HomeAid’s mission of helping people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness build new lives through construction, community engagement, and education. In 2022, we raised more than $150,000 – can you help us do it again?
With a wide range of sponsorship opportunities – including par and hole, bar, birdie, cart, and hole-in-one sponsorships – we have sponsor levels for every budget. Find out more today!
In Your Community
GE Appliances Named HomeAid Trade Partner of the Year
On a picture-perfect evening more than 245 partners, supporters, and guests joined us for HomeAid National Capital Region’s Builders & Friends BBQ. Presented by Buhl Electric, the event was held at the beautiful National Botanic Garden in South Riding; everyone enjoyed friendship and networking, live music by Acoustic Soul, cold brew from Starr Hill, a delicious dinner of all-you-can-eat BBQ, cornhole, and raffle prizes! Together, we raised $64,000+ to continue our mission of building new lives for those experiencing homelessness.
We also were proud to announce and recognize our 2023 Trade Partner of the Year: GE Appliances. The award is presented annually to a Trade Partner that has gone above and beyond in their service to HomeAid and our nonprofit partners. Milton Baxter, GE’s senior area sales manager, and his team have been volunteering and contributing to HomeAid since 2008, providing appliances for 36 projects and donating $130,000 worth of time, labor, and materials. The total impact of their support has improved 7,967 lives, including those at our latest project for Communities of Trust project in Fairfax County, where kids can now gather after school and over the summer for mentoring, programming, and positive engagement opportunities with local law enforcement.
Enormous thanks to our sponsors and volunteers who made the event possible!
Couldn’t make it this year? Be sure to check out our online photo album of this year’s BBQ!
Making It Count
238,153 Diapers & Wipes Collected!
By the time HomeAid National Capital Region’s 2023 Builders for Babies drive wrapped up on June 19, we exceeded our goal by collecting an incredible 238,153 diapers and wipes for 26 of our nonprofit partners. With a collection period set between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, it was a huge effort; 38 groups collected diapers and wipes via 63 location sites, with supporters ranging from an under-nine-years-old girls soccer team to national construction companies.
Next, more than 70 volunteers pitched in to sort, count, organize, and deliver the huge collection throughout Virginia and Washington, D.C. Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s drive such a success! Collectively you made a big difference in the lives of parents and children in our region.
Support Spotlight
Inspiring Others Through Leading
Mark King, vice president of engineering for Bowman Consulting, has served on HomeAid National Capital Region’s Board of Directors for five years, bringing a unique voice and perspective to our projects and efforts. This year, he ramped up his involvement with Builder for Babies and helped expand collection efforts company-wide, reminding all of us that it’s one thing to do a good deed; it’s another to also get others involved by leading the way. We look forward to seeing how else Mark will encourage others to join our efforts and help us build new lives.
Q. How did you first get involved with HomeAid?
A: I hadn’t heard of HomeAid before one of my clients and friends, Skip Causey, retired president of Dree Homes, reached out and asked if I’d be interested in getting involved and joining Board of Directors. As a Civil Engineer, I work with a lot of national homebuilders and developers, and Skip named some names that I knew, so I agreed. Once I joined, the interaction with those from the development community who were on the Board felt so different from the interactions we shared on the business side of our relationship, and I found that so appealing. The way they cared about the cause and their willingness to offer their time and expertise to build and renovate buildings at their own cost really inspired me. And HomeAid’s CEO Kristyn Burr is such a great leader; she further inspired me to follow her lead in helping folks who are less fortunate.
Q: What have you been most surprised to learn about homelessness in the area?
A: When you see people living on the street in all of our major cities and towns, it’s at first hard not to wonder why they’re living that way. Many think that they’re lazy and looking for a handout. HomeAid has made me see that everyone has a story to tell. When you see that among those experiencing homeless are our veterans, women and children escaping domestic violence, and people who have struggled with mental illness, you want to help.
I have definitely become more compassionate toward anyone in need of help. A little empathy for people is what we all need to not make a judgment on someone about whom we know nothing.
Q: Let’s talk Builders for Babies: Why did you jump in?
A: This is my fifth year on the Board, and I’ve seen the diaper collection drive grow bigger and bigger every year. This year, we challenged everyone in my company to pitch in and do a little more than we’ve done in the past. Julianna Blaylock, HomeAid’s director of events and community engagement, really inspired everyone with her organizational and communication skills, and when leaders are working hard, it rubs off on everyone. And then we have our own heroes—the women who run Bowman’s Virginia offices and contributed to this cause—along with our corporate marketing group, led by Renee Narvaez. She and her staff put the HomeAid flyer in our monthly newsletter to get additional help from our 73 offices and 2,000+ employees nationwide. I’m certain it helped the overall effort!
Announcements
Thank You, Mike!
Mike Scheurer has served on HomeAid’s board almost since our founding, with 19 years of service, including serving as our president in 2012. He recently announced his retirement – from our Board as well as from Cornerstones Inc. He has brought his priceless wisdom and insights to our organization and so many others, particularly in the areas of affordable housing finance and development, and has been a steadfast supporter, mentor, and educator. Thank you, Mike, for your many contributions. Enjoy your well-earned retirement!
Celebrating our 7th Care Day of the Year!
A round of applause for the 17 volunteers from Peterson Companies, who took part in a hands-on service day for Shelter House in June! Their Care Day task was originally scheduled for outdoor yard cleanup and landscaping, but when smoke from Canadian fires pushed local air quality into dangerous territory, the crew moved inside to thoroughly clean and organize a single family housing unit in advance of a family moving in. Want to find out more about hosting a Care Day? Please contact Julianna Blaylock!
WBI Collects Diapers
A shout out to NVBIA’s Women in the Building Industry (WBI), who collected over 3,500 diapers and wipes for the Builders for Babies drive at their annual Winery Networking Event at Paradise Springs Winery in June. WBI has been a longtime supporter, frequently collecting home essentials, grocery gift cards, and diapers for our drives, and we’re so appreciative of their support. Thank you!
Upcoming Events
Arts in the Park
August 5, 2023 10:30 AM
Wolf Trap
1645 Trap Road
Vienna, VA 22182
This is event is for our nonprofit partners. Please contact Julianna Blaylock to reserve tickets for staff and clients.
HomeAid Golf Tournament
September 15, 2023
7:00 AM Registration 8:00 AM shotgun start
Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club
41601 Raspberry Dr.
Leesburg, VA. 20176
The post Building Hope Newsletter, July appeared first on HomeAid National Capital Region.