As we enter the final week of our Builders for Babies Diaper Drive, I find myself reflecting on how far this program has come and how quickly it has grown. The first year we collected 30,000 diapers and wipes and six years later we are on track to distribute one million. This type of growth can be attributed to the growing need for diapers in our communities as well as the strength of HomeAid’s longstanding partnerships. We are constantly working to help advance our nonprofit partners’ missions and discover additional ways we can meet critical needs of the individuals and families they serve.
That collaborative spirit, in fact, is what kicked off our very first Builders for Babies diapers and wipes drive six years ago, when I learned from one of our nonprofit partners that one of their biggest unfilled gaps was the relentless need for diapers. Coupled with diapers’ high cost, it could literally be a make-or-break decision of purchasing diapers or making the rent that month.
Thanks to the support of companies like Stanley Martin Homes, Van Metre Homes and Beazer Homes each of whom stepped up and gave over $10,000 we are tackling this issue head on together. On a single day next week, our volunteers will deliver diapers to 45 nonprofits reaching from Richmond to rural Shenandoah and Warrenton, into our nation’s capital, and of course, throughout Northern Virginia. These organizations include food pantries to shelters, domestic violence facilities to transitional housing, free stores to early education centers. We’ll support nonprofits like Shelter House, one of the first charter shelters in Fairfax County, and Second Story, which last year housed eight mothers and their 11 children; provided supplies and counseling to 126 youth; and celebrated the 100% who exited to safe situations.
Some of the 45 nonprofits we’ll see next week we’ve known and served for two decades. Others, we’re just getting to know. But no matter the breadth and depth of our partnership, HomeAid is determined to continue to fill gaps wherever we find them – without any strings attached.
There are a staggering number of unhoused children in our region. Add to that the many families who are housed but living on the brink, struggling to afford even the most basic necessities, it becomes clear why we must grow our footprint and expand our reach to put this basic human need within reach for thousands of parents.
No other organization in our region is addressing diaper need at the scale that HomeAid is, and I’m grateful for all of you for recognizing its importance and answering our call.
With gratitude,
HomeAid’s Builders & Friends BBQ is June 26, 2025, from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the National Botanic Garden in South Riding, VA and we really hope you’ll be there. This event is more than just beer and BBQ, although we will have plenty of both, it’s a powerful example of how HomeAid brings together likeminded people to celebrate and reflect on all the work we have accomplished together over the last year. It provides our staff and Board of Directors the opportunity to personally thank our donors and supporters who help make our mission possible. It’s also a way for Builder Captains and Trade Partners to relax and have fun outside of the job site and continue to foster meaningful relationships within the building industry.
We hope you will join us for delicious food from Mission BBQ, craft beer from Old Bust Head Brewery, and ice cream from C&C Frozen Treats. We will also have live music from the Liberty Street Band and brand new cornhole boards designed and built by Signature Company.
Individual tickets are $75 and the money raised will support our mission and thereby serve individuals and families deeply affected by job losses, cuts to affordable housing funding, and threats to grants and programs that support food assistance, housing, and health care.
Find out more and get your tickets today!
Did you participate in a HomeAid project over the last year, as either a Builder Captain or trade partner? If so, you’re eligible for two FREE registrations! Contact Tammy Glasser for details.
HomeAid launched our Builders for Babies initiative on Mother’s Day (May 11), and we are making great progress toward our goal of one million diapers and wipes collected by Father’s Day (June 15). We’re not there yet and we hope that you can help get us to the finish line by purchasing a case or a pallet of diapers today – a monetary investment of any kind will make an incalculable difference for families in need.
Why does it matter so much? Children living in poor and low-income families are at greatest risk of suffering the effects of diaper need because many families can’t afford diapers. Currently, government investment in nutrition programs for young children help some, but no such investment is made to provide diapers and other basic needs required to build a strong foundation for healthy growth that enables children to reach their full potential. Daycares also require that parents provide diapers; if a family can’t do that, it means no daycare, no work, and no paycheck. Given the fact that newborns use up to 12 diapers per day, at a cost of over $100 per month per baby – it’s a cost many families struggle afford.
The good news is, HomeAid has made it very easy to give back and be a part of the solution:
Here’s how you can help:
• Purchase Diapers Online: Visit our website, click how many cases you would like to donate, enter your credit card information, and you’re done.
• Volunteer to Deliver Diapers: Do you have access to large company trucks, vans, or trailers? Volunteer drivers are needed on Friday, June 20, and will meet at our warehouse in Ashburn, VA, at 8:30 AM to deliver thousands of diapers and wipes to HomeAid nonprofit partners. If you can help, please contact Tammy Glasser.
We have 45 nonprofits who have requested diapers & wipes. Diaper need looks different for every nonprofit and this program helps meet those diverse needs whether it’s a newborn being cared for by a teen mom, a toddler in transitional housing, or a child living in a shelter. The impact is far-reaching, deeply personal, and a testament to what we can accomplish together.
Help us get to ONE MILLION! Your donation will make a huge difference for our tiniest community members!
We’ve hit the ground running in 2025, with major renovation and building projects underway and the completion of four Turnover Program homes, enabling nonprofits to get individuals and families safely moved in with minimal delay. Since the start of the year, we’ve repainted and replaced old carpet with durable and easy-to-clean luxury vinyl planking (LVP) at two homes owned by Shelter House in Annandale, a home owned by Pathway Homes in Lorton, and a home owned by Shelter House in Reston. Combined, these turnover projects represent a retail value of over $30,000 – 100% of which is funded by HomeAid!
In addition to helping our nonprofit partners house their clients quickly, our focus on painting and replacing flooring at no cost also ensures long-term savings for organizations as well as dignified and healthier spaces for the clients they serve. Carpet can trap pollutants like dust mites, pet dander, allergens, lead, mold spores, pesticides, dirt and dust. These pollutants may become airborne during vacuuming or even daily activities like walking on the carpet – and, since children spend time playing on the floor, they are more likely to be exposed. Additionally, replacing the carpet is not only expensive, but the chemicals and glues used in some new carpets, carpet pads, and adhesives can be harmful to people’s health too. In contrast, LVP flooring is waterproof and doesn’t scratch, indent, or stain easily, making it far friendlier to humans!
Nonprofits: Do you have a housing unit that needs new flooring and new paint before your next client moves in and calls it home? Complete the application here and return to Erica Simpson.
Atlas Plumbing, LLC, has partnered with HomeAid since 2010, completing 11 projects with us and ensuring that our nonprofit partners’ clients have updated, functional, and safe homes to meet their needs. We recently sat down with Tim Lear, vice president of Atlas, to learn a little bit more about why this company has chosen to continue saying, ‘Yes!’ to HomeAid.
Q: What inspires you to donate so much of your time and expertise to HomeAid and the people we serve?
A: We learned about HomeAid through one of our builder partners, and we’ve found it both a great cause and a way to give back to an industry that has given us so much.
Q: If another trade partner asked us about doing HomeAid projects, what would you tell them?
A: We’d enthusiastically recommend they jump in with both feet. Working with non-profits is easy, and they truly appreciate everything we do to help make the project a success. Getting manufacturers and suppliers to provide contributions is easy because HomeAid is well known in the industry and has a great reputation. It’s also nice to work with different groups of subcontractors and create solutions to any problem or issue that comes up.
Q: What do you love most about your career and working on HomeAid projects and working with other trades and builders?
A: The industry has changed so much in the 35 years I have been at Atlas Plumbing. HomeAid projects give us a chance to forget about the pressures of profitability and allow us to focus on helping people and giving back to the community. The projects are a challenge and the rewards aren’t monetary, but they are needed in the community. There is a sense of great satisfaction when they are completed.
Thank You Navy Federal Credit Union
A big thanks to the 22 volunteers from Navy Federal Credit Union, who participated in our Care Day last month and helped organize, price, and sort donations for House of Mercy’s thrift shop, as well as shelve donations in its food pantry. House of Mercy, a 501c3 based in Manassas, provides food and clothing every month to thousands of households; in January, for example, they collected more than 35,000 pounds of food and served 5,391 individuals.
John Marshall Bank Gives Back
Many thanks to the employees of John Marshall Bank, who volunteered during our May 30th Care Day at the ALIVE! Food Hub, which provides support to Alexandrians struggling with food insecurity and economic disparity. Seven volunteers conducted a deep clean of the storage and selection areas, organized donations, and shelved donations for a program that helps about 20,000 secure essential food and other basic needs each month.
Did You Know? According to the Independent Sector, the current estimated national value of each volunteer hour is $34.79. Thanks to the combined total of 91 hours donated, our 2025 Care Day volunteers have saved our nonprofit partners an estimated $52,000 in labor and volunteer time. Interesting in learning more about Care Days? Please contact Tammy Glasser.
HBAV Housing Award
We are honored to have been named the winner of the Home Builders Association of Virginia’s (HBAV) Best Humanitarian Member Project Award, in recognition of the renovation project for Operation Renewed Hope that HomeAid completed with Builder Captain, Christopher Companies last year. The annual awards serve to recognize and highlight HBAV members who exemplify leadership; engagement; and dedication to the success of the association, community, and Virginia’s Building Industry.
Registration is Open for HomeAid’s Golf Tournament
The HomeAid Golf Tournament sponsored by Darvish Companies will be Friday, September 19 at Raspberry Falls Golf Club, with a 7:00 a.m. registration and 8:00 a.m. shotgun start. This tournament always sells out fast, so make sure to register early!
Builders for Babies Diaper Drive
Mother’s Day (May 11) through Father’s Day (June 15), 2025
Diaper and Wipe Deliver Day Friday, June 20, 2025
Builders & Friends BBQ
Thursday, June 26, 2025, 3:30-6:30 pm
National Botanic Garden
26320 Ticonderoga Road
South Riding, VA, 20152
HomeAid Golf Tournament
Friday, September 19, 2025, 7:00 AM registration and 8:00 AM Shotgun Start
Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club
41601 Raspberry Drive
Leesburg, VA, 20176
