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| HomeAid Partners with Alexandria City, Alexandria Women’s Shelter for First Time | |
| United Way and Van Metre Foundation help fund the project | |
| For women and children fleeing domestic violence, the safe haven found at Alexandria Women’s Shelter is a needed respite, but HomeAid Northern Virginia, long-time Builder Captain Brookfield Homes, and shelter staff are soon embarking on a large renovation project that will help make the five-bedroom, two-bath shelter even more welcoming. |  |
| The project has support from a wide range of stakeholders, with the United Way and the Van Metre Foundation each providing $10,000. This also marks the first time HomeAid has ever partnered with the City of Alexandria, as well as with the Women’s Shelter. | |
| “Our residents are in crisis,” said Debra Evans, division chief of Alexandria City’s Sexual Assault Center & Domestic Violence Program, “and the changes that Brookfield and HomeAid are planning will go a long way in helping our residents feel in command of their surroundings through improved organization and storage systems, and will make the shelter feel more welcoming and ‘homey’ through a variety of cosmetic improvements and structural updates. The last thing we want is for our facility to feel institutional for people who have left such bad situations, and we’re so grateful for this project – it will be enormously important to those we serve.” | |
| Due to the complexities of the project – including the fact that the property was originally going to be occupied throughout the renovation – the work of Brookfield and its trade partners is especially appreciated. | |
| “This project will be a lot of work, and although we’ve since learned that the property will be vacant, we were prepared to do what it took to ensure everyone’s anonymity and safety,” said Skip Daugherty, director of customer service for Brookfield. “We work in the Northern Virginia area all the time, people support us, and we want to give back. It’s a privilege – not a duty – to help. We feel privileged to do this.” | |
| Other major modifications to the shelter include safety upgrades, including new door locks and a closed circuit television system for the front and back entrances. The project is expected to be completed by summer’s end. | |
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| HomeAid, CarrHomes Near Completion on Cornerstones Project | |
| HomeAid and its partners love to over-deliver, and Cornerstones and Builder Captain CarrHomes got an unexpected surprise this week when one of Trade Partner Reico’s distributors donated a granite countertop for the kitchen instead of the planned-for Corian, and GE offered to replace the range hood with a new microwave. |  |
| “We didn’t ask for either the granite or the microwave, but we love these kinds of surprises,” said Tim Schiesl, Carr’s customer service manager. “We’re now coordinating the cabinets and flooring with these new, upgraded design elements. Working with HomeAid is always a pleasure—we do a project a year—and this year, everyone donated 100 percent so that Cornerstones’ cost will be zero. It’s a great feeling to give back in such a big way.” | |
| Cornerstones purchased the three bedroom, 1.5 bath townhome in 2013, and this project, Cornerstones’ Senior Asset Manager Nicole Morris said, will allow the organization to redirect the full value of the project toward supportive services—such as employment placement, childcare, and trust accounts—for the family who will be moving in directly from their shelter. | |
| In addition to the completely renovated kitchen, Carr and its trade partners will also make cosmetic and electrical improvements and upgrades throughout the rest of the home. The project is expected to be finished by the end of August. | |
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| Treat a Family, Make Priceless Memories | |
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| Just one more week until HomeAid’s 5th Annual “Night at the Ballpark” on Friday, August 14, when we’ll send more than 300 (and counting!) parents and kids from local shelters to watch the Potomac Nationals take on the Wilmington Blue Rocks at Pfitzner Stadium. But we can’t do this without your support: We’ve had an overwhelming response from shelter partners requesting tickets this year, so please help us meet the demand and treat even more families to an unforgettable night out with your tax-deductible $100 donation! | |
| Just $100 is all it takes to send a family of four to the game and give them the rare opportunity to enjoy a night out together, as well as free concession vouchers, goody bags for the adults, and backpacks for kids in anticipation of the start of school. Kids will even have a chance to run the bases and have their picture taken with Mascot Uncle Slam. One lucky attendee will throw out the first pitch! Make a dream a reality for a child who might not otherwise get the chance to enjoy one of summer’s most enjoyable rituals—a night at the ballpark—by donating today! | |
| Thank you, Augustine Homes, for your critically important sponsorship and support of this event! |
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| Call for Bath-Themed Welcome Home Baskets | |
| If you love to dress up a home, now is your chance! Drees Homes will soon be renovating 12 bathrooms for Transitional Housing BARN in Prince William County, and HomeAid is collecting “Welcome Home Baskets” of bathroom accessories in anticipation of the project’s completion later this summer. Needed items for each of the bathrooms include: shower curtain, liner, hooks and rod; bath towels, washcloths and hand towels; bath mats; hanging shower caddy; wastebasket; and vanity-top accessories such as a soap dispenser, toothbrush caddy, and tissue holder. |  |
| All bathrooms are completely separate, so coordinating colors between all 12 is not necessary, and toiletries are not needed. | |
| HomeAid hopes to collect 12 baskets by September. For more information or to arrange a basket donation, please contact Christy Eaton. | |
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| …to our recent donors. Names in orange donated $5,000 or more. | |
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Individuals Howard Katz Companies A Bane Solutions |
J2 Engineers, Inc. |
*Monetary contributions June 15 – July 14, 2015. Also included are donors that were inadvertently omitted from the July issue of Building Hope. We regret the error.
READ: HomeAid Partners with City of Alexandria, Cornerstones Project Nears Completion, Treat a Family to a Night at the Ballpark, Welcome Baskets Needed, Thank You to Our Recent Donors
