Giving back to the community. It never goes out of style.
Leslie Strittmatter,
Publisher
I couldn't let 2011 come to an end without taking a minute to praise and thank the homebuilders in the D.C. area, along with their vendors and trade partners. It’s no secret that we face tough times. That being said, the homebuilding industry continues to do more than its share to improve the lives of those less fortunate in our area.
HomeAid Northern Virginia’s mission is to build and maintain dignified housing so that homeless families and individuals can rebuild their lives. By building and renovating homeless shelters, transitional houses, medical clinics and counseling centers, they help homeless people gain stability and put a roof over their heads. Many thanks to 2011’s Builder Captains: Toll Brothers, Beazer Homes, Stanley Martin Homes, Winchester Homes, Miller & Smith, K. Hovnanian, Augustine Homes, BOWA Builders, CarrHomes, Lincoln Property Company and Ryland Homes – and to the 100’s of trade partners that make these projects possible.
Women Giving Back (WGB) was founded by a group of building industry sales and marketing professionals and supplements the work of HomeAid NoVA. WGB helps transitionally homeless women and children get on their feet and enter the workplace. Women from 100 shelters and programs shop for professional clothing for themselves and clothing of all kinds for their children for FREE at WGB – The Store. It’s open the 2nd Saturday of each month and has distributed over 50,000 items of clothing since 2007.
In Maryland and D.C., it’s Home Builders Care Foundation (HBCF). They have a similar mission, to complete shelter-related construction projects by utilizing the building industry’s skills and by working collaboratively with existing community service and care providers. Since their inception, HBCF has made significant in-kind contributions of more than $10,000,000 worth of materials and labor to projects assisting the homeless and others at risk. Thanks to Miller & Smith, Wells Fargo Mortgage, MDC Services, Sunrise Home Builders, Winchester Homes, Newland Communities and Mid-Atlantic Builders, to name a few for their contributions this year.
To learn how you can get involved with these amazing organizations, and to see a complete list of their builder and vendor partners, visit their websites:
• HomeAid Northern Virginia
• Women Giving Back
• Home Builders Care Foundation
Thank you to an industry that I’ve been fortunate to be a part of for close to 30 years.
Leslie Strittmatter
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