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| HomeAid, Stanley Martin Homes to Break Ground on Biggest Project of Year | |||||
| HomeAid Northern Virginia, Builder Captain Stanley Martin Homes and trade partners are set to break ground this spring on what will be our largest project of the year, a 5,000 square foot home in Bristow, Va., for Youth for Tomorrow’s (YFT) Residential Treatment Services. |
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| The estimated $500,000 project will allow YFT to expand on-campus residential services for up to 36 more girls every year, including those aged 11 to 17 who have been victims of domestic sex trafficking. | |||||
| “We are profoundly grateful that HomeAid has stepped forward to help us meet the increased demand from girls in Northern Virginia who are seeking our comprehensive services,” said Dr. Gary Jones, CEO of Youth for Tomorrow. “We are only one of two facilities in the Mid-Atlantic region, and the only one in the Commonwealth, that offers personalized therapy, family counseling, individual counseling, and special education services from a nationally accredited secondary school. This is a timely partnership, as we are short on bed space, and this expansion will allow us to help many more girls in crisis.” | |||||
| The project is HomeAid’s first partnership with YFT, and we expect to dedicate the new home before the year’s end. Thank you, Stanley Martin Homes and the Trade Partner Council! |  |
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| BOWA, HomeAid Complete Townhome Renovation for Cornerstones | ||||||
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HomeAid Northern Virginia and BOWA put the finishing touches on a $62,000 project for Cornerstones in January, allowing a single mom and her two young children to move out of a shelter and into an updated and beautiful home. BOWA, a three-time Builder Captain, and its 14 trade partners donated 91 percent of their labor and materials. | ||||
| The renovations included: new flooring and carpet throughout; interior paint; new fixtures in a powder room and a completely renovated full bathroom; new granite countertops and new kitchen appliances; updated kitchen cabinetry; upgraded electrical components; and power-washing outside. | ||||||
| John Murray, vice president of production with BOWA, said of the experience, “Working with HomeAid is always a great way to give back, and since renovating and improving homes is our expertise, it feels good to do projects like this with our suppliers and trade partners. We loved working with Cornerstones to make a great home for a family.” | ||||||
| “The investment in the property is invaluable,” said Nicole de Lima Morris, senior asset manager for Housing and Community Development for Cornerstones. “Our housing stock is aging, and having significant, donated work like this allows us to save reserves and put additional funds into social service programs for the family.” | ||||||
| “The savings from previous HomeAid projects even allowed us to roll out our new HOUSE [Housing OpportUnities Strengthen Everyone] Resident Incentive Program, which this mom is enrolled in,” she added. “It will allow her to receive monetary incentives—which we put into trust savings accounts—for good housekeeping, timely rent payments, completing financial education trainings and other milestone achievements. She’ll see a financial mentor and attend financial classes every month, too.” |  |
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| “It’s hard to put into words how much HomeAid and its partners can help, but seeing this family in a beautiful home that was renovated thanks to HomeAid, and benefitting from a program we were able to start thanks to HomeAid, is just huge,” she said. | ||||||
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Thanks to Builder Captain BOWA and to all of the following trade partners for completing the Cornerstones project! |
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| TRADE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT |
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Cornerstones was the third project that Builder Captain BOWA has led, and John Murray, vice president of production, said that one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience is realizing how willing trade partners are to take on the effort, no questions asked. Ferguson Enterprises, which provided plumbing and appliances for the project, was one such example. “Ferguson went out of their way to donate in full or sell at a fraction of the cost everything they installed in this home,” Murray said. “They really stepped up to the plate and dug deep. It’s always a pleasure working with them.” Stacey Hatchell, in residential builder sales for Ferguson, was pleased to donate materials from virtually every segment of the company’s business for this project. “It’s a given that we want to pay it forward like this, but it’s also an important ‘yes’ for us because we value our work with BOWA and want it to be a partnership—not just a transaction. This was an opportunity to partner with our builder for a good cause, and it allowed us to help them help someone else. We didn’t interact with the end client, so while we may have been a little removed from the process, that didn’t matter; what matters is being a partner in the community and to our builders. We were grateful to be asked and were thrilled to help.” Ferguson Enterprises is the largest distributor of residential and commercial plumbing supplies, and one of the largest distributors of HVAC and waterworks in the U.S. |
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| Women Giving Back Featured on ABC News | |
| Award-winning journalist Leon Harris, who anchors two evening newscasts for ABC7/WJLA-TV, featured Women Giving Back (WGB) and The Store on his popular “Harris’ Heroes” news segment on January 21. The weekly special, where he profiles adults helping kids or kids helping their peers in the D.C. area, was filmed at The WGB Store, allowing him the opportunity to talk with volunteers, as well as with women from area shelters as they shopped for free clothing and accessories. |  ABC’s Leon Harris with WGB volunteers. |
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Jenny Garcia—a single mom of seven, a five-year customer of The Store, and a volunteer—told Harris, “Volunteering is a way for me to say thank you. They want me to get a new start, keep me going, [help me feel] that I deserve the clothing that is here. You’re not going to shop here and say, ‘I couldn’t find anything’ … because you’re going home with bags of clothes.” And when another shopper, nearly overwhelmed with emotion, told Harris that her experience at The Store “is transformative … you’re able to be equal with other people outside,” he immediately gave her an encouraging hug. “We want women to feel that this is a dignified experience,” WGB Founder Terri Stagi said, “and they do … they walk out with their head held a little bit higher. Shopping here is a bright spot in their lives.” WGB, which distributed 66,600 free articles of clothing to 1,300 women and 2,600 children from area shelters in 2014, is always in need of donations, particularly clothing for teenage boys. Contact us to find out how you can help. |
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| HomeAid in the News | |
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Through print and broadcast, HomeAid is continuing its efforts to educate the public about homelessness in Northern Virginia, as well as how the organization and its partners are working to reduce it. An op-ed written by HomeAid Northern Virginia (HANV) Executive Director Christy Eaton was featured in The Fairfax Times and in the Sun Gazette on December 19. “Tackling Homelessness, One Family at a Time” focuses on the lack of affordable housing in the Greater Washington, D.C., area and how HomeAid helps families build hope for the future. On NBC Comcast’s “Newsmakers” segment, Yolanda Vazquez also spoke with Eaton about making safe and stable environments for the homeless by having homebuilders give back to the communities in which they are already building. |
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| Welcome, Emily Nekesa, Shelter Project Intern | |
 Emily Nekesa |
Emily Nekesa, a senior majoring in real estate management at Birmingham City University (UK), has joined HomeAid’s busy staff as the shelter care projects intern. Emily sought out the internship because she was looking for an organization with purpose-driven opportunities that are related to her own interests and goals. |
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“I come from Uganda (Africa),” she said, “and my dream goal is to get equipped with knowledge on how to support homeless people by bringing them out of homelessness and providing educational, recreational, and creative opportunities for them. I hope to do it by working along with others who share the same vision, and HomeAid’s mission is aligned with my vision and dream for the future. I see this as a perfect opportunity.” HomeAid Northern Virginia has regular openings for interns in a variety of positions. Job descriptions can be found online. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to info@homeaidncr.org. |
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READ: Stanley Martin Homes Breaks Ground on Youth for Tomorrow Project, Cornerstones Renovation, WGB Featured on ABC7/WJLA, HomeAid in the News, Welcome, Emily Nekesa
