Signature Companies Named 2016 Trade Partner of the Year

Congratulations to Signature Companies, which was honored by HomeAid Northern Virginia as the 2016 Trade Partner of the Year! HomeAid announced the award during its 7^th Annual Builders & Friends BBQ on June 23, with HomeAid President Greg Carter stating, “Signature Companies is always willing to step up and pitch in, regularly – over the long term – and provide tremendous assistance with our projects that serve our region’s homeless communities. Signature and its team exemplify what it means to be dedicated, driven, and committed to helping our local community by using its expertise to improve housing facilities for the most vulnerable among us.”

Signature Companies—a supplier of kitchen/bath cabinetry and manufacturer of stairways, railings, built-in cabinetry and countertops—has participated in 10 HomeAid Northern Virginia projects and has donated labor and materials worth more than $70,000.

“We enjoy partnering with HomeAid and the Builder Captains,” said John Lombardozzi, president and owner of Signature Companies. “Lending our expertise and resources to these projects is good for the community, our company, and our employees, and we are honored to be chosen for this award. It’s an opportunity to collaborate with local nonprofit housing and homeless organizations to help make a positive and lasting impact on our community and on people’s lives … there is no greater responsibility to assist and serve those who are in need.”

Builders FirstSource sponsored the 2016 Trade Partner of the Year Award, and HomeAid Northern Virginia will officially present the award to Signature Companies at HomeAid’s 15^th Annual Gala & Auction on November 5 at the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles.

More BBQ photos are now online!

Getting to “Yes”: Why Leading a HomeAid Project Means Getting Back More than You Give

When Toll Brothers agreed to serve as Builder Captain on a 5,000 square-foot, $650,000 home on the Bristow, Va., campus of Youth For Tomorrow (YFT), it wasn’t the first time the homebuilder had partnered with HomeAid Northern Virginia. It is, however, the biggest project they’ve led to date, and once complete, the home will offer safety and stability to up to 36 more girls every year, who are pregnant, young mothers, homeless, runaways, or survivors of sex trafficking. The large new home will also include a three-bedroom, attached apartment to accommodate a “house parent,” who will be responsible for the daily care and safety of the 11- to 17-year-old girls.

“This will be the third HomeAid project we’ve led as the Builder Captain,” explained Toll Brothers Regional President Bill Gilligan, “and we view it as our chance to make a difference for many young lives and demonstrate that we don’t just build houses and communities; we have a responsibility to give back to the community at large. It’s a good feeling, knowing that we can help provide opportunity for those who need it by giving them a safe place to call home.”

“This house will provide desperately needed stability to the girls who will initially live here, not to mention the many others who will follow in the years to come,” he added. “With that safe, comfortable environment comes the ability to better obtain an education and reach self-sufficiency. It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to provide that level of support to these girls, merely by doing what we do every day for our clients.”

Dr. Gary L. Jones, Ph.D., CEO of Youth For Tomorrow, agreed, pointing out, “This home will give 36 more girls a new life that they never dreamed could be theirs, and we look forward to watching them mature into young women who, upon program completion, move on to reunification with their families, attend college or vocational school, join the work force, or join the Armed Forces. All of these individual opportunities will be achievable because of the foresight and community outreach provided by HomeAid Northern Virginia and partners like Toll Brothers.”

Toll Brothers, HomeAid Northern Virginia, and 56 trade partners expect to have the home for largely completed by October 2016, with dedication taking place before the year’s end.

When Toll Brothers stepped up as Builder Captain for a new, 5,000 square foot home for Youth For Tomorrow, they did it knowing that they’d have the backing and support of HomeAid Northern Virginia and dozens of trade partners. One of the biggest cogs in that building machine, said Jordan Hartigan, senior project manager for Toll Brothers, is Builders FirstSource.

“Builders FirstSource is a huge contributor to this project,” he added, “providing the majority of the framing material and installation, the lumber, floor joists, roof trusses, interior doors, and accessories. They’re doing it all at a dramatically reduced rate, and they’ve been ‘in’ since the start. They jumped on board immediately, helping us with the estimating, and they’ve already delivered the lumber. They’re the very definition of a turnkey company—always ready to roll—and it feels great to work with a company that’s such a proven partner.”

Juston Sizemore, market manager for Builders FirstSource, and HomeAid Board member, explained that saying, “Yes!” to the project was easy, as HomeAid’s and Toll’s missions align so well with the company’s mission and market segment.

“Projects like these dovetail so naturally with what we do every day, and the timeline for Youth For Tomorrow was particularly appealing to us,” he explained, “because we manufacture and supply building components in controlled environments, before delivery, which makes it very easy for us to accelerate the timeline. Being timely is our expertise, and in this case it will mean getting those girls into their new home as soon as possible. We’re honored to help.”

Builders FirstSource is a leading supplier of structural building materials and services to homebuilders and remodelers, currently operating 55 distribution centers and 55 manufacturing facilities in nine states.

Builder Captains Needed!

Serving as a Builder Captain doesn’t just change the lives of homeless individuals and families—it also changes the lives of those who volunteer on a project.

And, it’s not difficult, as Toll Brothers Regional President Bill Gilligan noted when he said, “HomeAid is a tremendous asset and provides seamless coordination for us as a Builder Captain, from the early planning stages all the way through to completion. HomeAid has an outstanding track record of identifying worthwhile causes for the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association to support, and the partnership between HomeAid and Toll Brothers—as well as the dozens of other Builder Captains who have volunteered over the last 15 years—is a natural one.”

Learn how it feels to get back more than you give! Builder Captains are needed for projects of varying scope in Annandale, Fairfax, Lorton, and Woodbridge. For more information, contact Kristyn Burr at 571.283.6300.

Find out why Ryan Herring, a trade partner with Capital Mechanical, views working with HomeAid as a way to save lives … and what it meant for Mike Sandkuhler, a HomeAid board member and NVBIA’s president, to serve as a Builder Captain for the first time with Christopher Companies.

August 19, 2016
7:05 p.m.
Pfitzner Stadium, Woodbridge, Va.

HomeAid Northern Virginia is again sending 300 children and families from local homeless shelters to enjoy a Night at the Ballpark, and your sponsorship or $100 donation is all it takes to treat a family of four to the game and make indelible family memories!

“All of our clients have very limited incomes, and they rarely have the opportunity to enjoy a night out at a ballgame with friends and family on a summer night,” said Anna Smith, director of development for Pathway Homes, Inc. “It’s affirming to not only be able to attend a game, but also to be able to treat a family member. For many, the lack of income—and, for some, symptoms of mental illness—lead to isolation, and activities like the HomeAid baseball game help mitigate those feelings of loneliness and accelerate recovery.”

In addition to tickets to the game, HomeAid will provide concession vouchers and t-shirts to all of its guests; coordinate pictures with the Potomac National’s mascot, Uncle Slam; and kids will get to pick out a new backpack for the new school year, thanks to the participants of our Backpack Challenge. One lucky participant will also get to throw out the first pitch, and all kids can run the bases after the game!

“HomeAid’s Night at the Ballpark is a fun, stress-free family night for parents to share with their children,” added Betsy Damitz, the children’s resource and operations coordinator for Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services, “and the children can let off some energy in the after-game activities as well. This event goes so far in giving parents the gift of time, and helping them instill the importance of family time with their children.”

For more information about how YOU can make special memories for a family of four, contact Christy (Eaton) Zeitz at 571.283.6320.

 “The HomeAid baseball game was a blast! My mom had so much fun—it was like taking her back to her younger years. I grew up in a baseball family, where we all played, umpired, and went to almost every Detroit Tigers game, so it was awesome to see my mom having such a good time. The kids loved taking part in the American tradition of a Friday night baseball game with hot dogs and chips, and they both participated in the after-game activities and running the bases. The entire family had such a great time, and we really thank you, HomeAid!”

~Amanda, a parent participant in HomeAid’s 5^th Annual Night at the Ballpark, 2015   

Making a Difference, In Your Own Way

Some of our supporters have never swung a hammer, raised a roof, poured concrete, or installed tile. Instead, they’re making a difference in the lives of Northern Virginian’s homeless by volunteering their talents in areas as varied as cooking, photography, organization, and tutoring, through HomeAid’s “Helping Hands” program.

The Helping Hands program is also known for its “Fill the Fridge” and “Welcome Home Basket” initiatives, which give supporters an easy way to donate grocery cards and household essentials—such as pots and pans, dishes, towels, and shower curtains—for recently completed HomeAid projects. But our Helping Hands program doesn’t stop there.

“Over the winter holidays, a professional photographer volunteered to take photos of moms and their children, so that they could have the gift of beautiful family portraits for themselves and other members of their families,” said Kristyn Burr, HomeAid’s program and operations manager. “Luxuries like professional-grade photos are out of reach for so many, but through this simple act of volunteerism, a community member made a huge difference in these families lives.”  

Similarly, anyone with the time and talents to help teach life skills and strategies—whether that’s cooking, saving at the grocery store, space organization, or creating and sticking to a budget—can be paired with a small group of homeless clients who are seeking to better their circumstance and become more productive citizens in our community. To find out more—or to offer your time and talent—please contact Kristyn Burr at 571.283.6300.

John Lombardozzi on Family Values and Going “All In” for HomeAid Projects

John Lombardozzi, president and owner of Signature Companies, has helped advance HomeAid Northern Virginia’s mission as a trade partner on 10 projects and counting. The company was recently named HomeAid’s 2016 Trade Partner of the Year. John shares his insights on family values and how they have helped shape the corporate culture at Signature Companies and driven their involvement in the community.

Q: How did Signature Companies first become involved with HomeAid? 

A: For the length of my tenure at Signature Companies – going on 25 years now – we’ve been involved with the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA). In this capacity, we were involved with HomeAid when it was formed as an NVBIA program, and we’ve maintained our involvement with HomeAid as it evolved to become a standalone organization 15 years ago. HomeAid projects have always been the right thing for us to be doing, then and now. We know that lending our expertise and resources to HomeAid projects is good for our community, our company, and our employees. From an industry point of view and a company culture point of view, we are fortunate to be able to participate in HomeAid projects year after year – 10 projects in total now, and we look forward to more.

Q: What drives your ongoing decision to partner with HomeAid for so long, and so often?

A: Signature Companies is a family-owned and a family-run company. My brother and adult children all have positions running our operations. So our work and our employees are literally an extension of our family. That sets the tone of our culture and our values: Taking care of our family and the people who work for us, and contributing to the community in which we all live and work. It means so much more when you give your time and resources locally; you get to see the impact you are making right here at home. Working with HomeAid has become a natural extension of our business culture, as we support their mission and efforts in the community.

Q: What is your secret to success over your 10 HomeAid projects?

A: We are “all in” on any of the projects in which we are asked to participate. We let it be known to our HomeAid Builder Captains, customers, and stakeholders that we are interested in being a part of projects to improve and invest in our local community. We put ourselves out there 100 percent. Our customers and the project Builder Captains know they can count on us. We recognize that it is a privilege to serve and a privilege to be asked to participate on a project, and we say, “Yes.” I’m proud of our consistent participation when HomeAid projects come along. This translates to the culture that we try to build at Signature Companies and the example we try to set for our employees about giving back to our community. Our 200+ employees all participate in these projects in one form in another, whether they are delivering or installing or manufacturing. Involvement in HomeAid projects enable us to not only send the right message to our employees about what our values are, but then live that message in practice.

Q: As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of HomeAid this year, what are your hopes for the future of HomeAid?

A: The past decade has been difficult for companies like ours—and other HomeAid trade partners and builders—going through a housing bubble and then a financial crisis. This wounded all of us. For those of us who were fortunate enough to make it through, we’re getting healthy again and it’s time to do more—more work with HomeAid and more to make a bigger community impact. There is no reason we should have homeless individuals and families in our community. We need to help provide for people in transition and who need temporary housing and support. That is exactly what our homebuilding industry should be doing, and HomeAid continues to help us find these specific and meaningful opportunities. Moving forward, I’d personally like to see us do more veteran-focused projects. There are tremendous needs to provide supportive housing to our veterans who have served and protected America, including a unique need to adapt housing to some of the disabilities that many returning veterans face. So looking at the future: let’s do more; let’s make a bigger impact working together. We look forward to playing a role in making this happen.

Megan Luckenbaugh, a rising junior at Gettysburg College, majoring in sociology, has joined HomeAid’s staff as our fundraising and events intern.

“I have a passion for helping the homeless and have always been interested in event planning,” she said, “so this internship really tied in to my two interests perfectly. I hope to learn how non-profits like HomeAid work on a day-to-day basis, and I want to gain experience in communications and with planning large-scale events. With several HomeAid events occurring in the summer, I’m excited to be here!”

For students looking for meaningful work experience, an internship with HomeAid can launch a career. HomeAid offers internships in a variety of positions; to apply, send a cover letter and resume to info@homeaidncr.org.