Our annual Builders & Friends BBQ is just a month away, and I’m filled with gratitude as I reflect on what this gathering represents. Year after year, our donors and supporters have not only contributed to our mission but have built meaningful relationships with one another—creating a strong, supportive network within our industry. There’s something truly special about the camaraderie at this event, and I always look forward to witnessing it.
This year, our time together feels especially important. As our region faces rising job losses, cuts to affordable housing funding, the threat to terminate grants that uphold the Fair Housing Act, and a huge reduction in staff at the HUD office who oversee essential housing programs, we are reminded of the urgent need for unity and support. These changes will undoubtedly increase burdens on families and deeply impact our communities.
And yet, thanks to your partnership, we remain a source of hope. Together, we continue to create spaces where individuals and families can thrive—places that are welcoming, inclusive, and rooted in community.
Since last year’s BBQ, we’ve completed nine Construction and Turnover projects across seven different cities and counties in Northern Virginia. Four were renovation projects led by regional and national homebuilders, while five were turnover projects led by HomeAid alongside our incredible flooring and painting partners. In total, we’ve together donated 95 percent of the combined projects’ costs – saving our nonprofit partners about $360,000 over the last year. These nine projects are currently serving nearly 50 individuals, with many more set to benefit for years to come.
I am so proud of what we have achieved and what we strive to do going forward, knowing that through your generous support, HomeAid can invest directly in our projects, sustain our mission, and partner so effectively with Builder Captains and trades on such a large scale. I can’t wait to see you at the BBQ and thank you in person for being such an essential part of our story and the stories of those we serve!
With gratitude,
HomeAid National Capital Region is in the early planning stages of renovating and updating two Fairfax, VA, properties owned by Langley Residential Support Services, and we are looking for a Builder Captain interested in leading both projects! Langley operates six group homes serving more than 40 adults with developmental disabilities through residential and community support programs.
Life in a Langley home mirrors life in the homes of most adults, and HomeAid is looking forward finding a Builder Captain to help make improvements to two properties furthering enabling residents to live as so many of us do – by coming home from work or their day outside the home, preparing dinner, going to basketball practice or book club, watching a favorite TV show, preparing for the next day, and getting ready for bed.
Interested in learning more about the projects and scope of work? Please contact CEO Kristyn Burr for further information.
HomeAid is launching our annual Builders for Babies program on Mother’s Day (May 11), and our 2025 goal is bold and unprecedented: one million diapers and wipes collected by Father’s Day (June 15). Can we count on you to help us meet this critical goal?
We’re going for the biggest collection in our history because the need has never been more urgent, and every dollar raised and every diaper donated represents dignity, comfort, and care for a child in need. So, let’s get started!
Purchase Diapers Online: Helping is as easy as clicking a button! If you’re busy and don’t have time to organize and host a collection this year, we have made it extra easy: Visit our website, click how many cases you would like to donate, enter your credit card information, and you’re done.
Host a Collection: Hosting a diaper drive is the perfect way for your company or group to come together and give back. Let us know you’re hosting a drive, arrange a time to pick up a collection box at our office, and then ask everyone you know to donate to your drive! We have even created a Tool Kit with quick and easy tips to make your drive a success. Please email Tammy Glasser to get started.
Volunteer to Drive! We’re looking for volunteers who have access to large company trucks, vans, or trailers and can help deliver bulk quantities of diapers and wipes. 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.
Are you a nonprofit interested in being included in our diapers and wipes distribution network? Please contact Tammy Glasser.
Our annual Builders & Friends BBQ is next month: Have you purchased your tickets yet? HomeAid’s BBQ brings together our region’s top builders, trade partners, and other industry leaders, and you won’t want to miss it! We’ll gather on June 26, 2025, from 3:30-6:30pm at the National Botanic Garden in South Riding, VA, where we’ll celebrate our collaborative and mission-building work and enjoy delicious food from Mission BBQ, craft beer, cornhole games, ice cream from C&C Frozen Treats, and live music from the Liberty Street Band.
Individual tickets are $75, and sponsorship opportunities are also available. Find out more and make your plans today!
Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor Buhl Electric Co., Inc., and the nearly 20 additional sponsors helping make this year’s Builders & Friends BBQ a success.
As our Builders for Babies diaper & wipes collection effort launches this month, we sat down with Matt Holbrook, regional partner at St. John Properties, which last year donated critically needed warehouse space to store the hundreds of thousands of diapers and wipes we collected, along with drivers and forklift support. The company is prepared to do it all again this year, making our goal of collecting one million diapers and wipes possible! Learn more about this gamechanger of a company and how support for HomeAid’s mission can come in a variety of ways.
Q: What inspired you to help our Builders for Babies drive in such a unique way?
A: Our culture is all about making impact by being a good corporate citizen. We strive to do it by volunteering and giving back to communities in which we have a presence. Builders for Babies is a great opportunity for us to come together with others in our industry to combat the pressing needs of families facing diaper insecurity.
Q: If another company was considering getting involved with HomeAid, what would you tell them about your experience working with our team?
A: We love serving with Builders for Babies. It’s a great opportunity to think outside ourselves and the busyness and stresses of our work environments to rally around a great cause. There is so much need all around us, and it’s a privilege to be a part of addressing some of those needs. We get to use our resources for supporting folks in our neighborhoods by loading up one of our warehouse spaces, coordinating the logistics of loading delivery vehicles, and making deliveries of these much-needed supplies. Builders for Babies is also great for team building and connecting with other committed people in our industry.
Q: What have you learned about homelessness in the region through your involvement?
A: That diaper costs can exceed $1,000 per child annually! We view the diaper drive as a way to help bridge this gap and directly support families at risk of homelessness. Last year, I was part of the delivery team for the ALIVE! Food Hub. The amazing staff there showed us around the facility and explained their mission to care for members of their community who needed extra help to care for their families. We got to experience the network of people in action caring for those in need and making a positive impact. The need is great and the hearts of those who serve are even bigger.
Q: Tell us more about St. John Properties: What is your expertise, and what do you love most about your career?
A: Founded in 1971, St. John Properties, Inc., is one of the nation’s largest privately held commercial real estate firms. We’re committed to customer service, “green” building, and workplace culture. Our Virginia/Central MD office has a portfolio of more than three million square feet of flex/R&D, office, warehouse, and retail space and serves more than 250 clients. I am a native Northern Virginian, and I love having the ability to use my resources to collaborate on local initiatives that uplift us all. Every day, I’m energized by opportunities to partner with inspiring groups like HomeAid—helping to create safe, stable homes for those in need—which not only strengthens our region but also fuels our passion and purpose.
Welcome Vanessa
Please join us in welcoming Event Coordinator Vanessa Scherstrom, who has joined our team with 20 years of experience in small nonprofits. During her career, she became a jack-of-all-trades – particularly in project management, human resources, marketing, event planning, training, and database management – and, over time, a master of administrative/operational efficiency and technical editing. She has sought out nonprofit organizations that serve the local community and admires those who devote their lives to charity.
Spring Golf Tournament
Top of Virginia Building Association (TVBA) is hosting its Spring Golf Tournament today at the scenic Shenandoah Valley Golf Club. It’s a great day for networking, friendly competition, and supporting the local building industry. HomeAid is proud to be part of the event—our CEO, Kristyn Burr, will be out on the course, so don’t miss the chance to say hello. She’d love to share how HomeAid is working to build and renovate housing for those experiencing homelessness in our communities. Let’s tee up some meaningful conversations while enjoying a great day on the green!
NVBIA Future Leaders Care Day
A big thank you to NVBIA’s Future Leaders for rolling up their sleeves and making a difference at our Care Day on May 1! Thirty dedicated volunteers spent the day tackling yard work at Cornerstones’ affordable housing properties in the Reston/Herndon area—trimming, planting, mulching, and clearing outdoor spaces. Their efforts helped create safe, welcoming environments just in time for residents to enjoy the warmer weather and connect with their community outdoors. Care Days like this show the power of teamwork and giving back in action. If you’d like to find out more about Care Days, please contact Tammy Glasser.
Builders for Babies Diaper Drive
Mother’s Day (May 11) through Father’s Day (June 15), 2025
Diaper and Wipe Deliver Day June 20, 2025
Builders & Friends BBQ
Thursday, June 26, 2024, 3:30-6:30 pm
National Botanic Garden
26320 Ticonderoga Road
South Riding, VA, 20152
