This Saturday, we’ll be welcoming 300 of our supporters to the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles, as we welcome them to our biggest fundraiser of the year – our Secret Garden Gala & Auction. This year has been filled with uncertainty and challenges that have touched everyone in some way. As we’ve all worked to navigate changing times and unexpected hardships we have seen our supporters and donors stand alongside us to help sustain our mission.
The funds we raise on Saturday are always important, but this year particularly so: Our nonprofit partners are under tremendous pressure, needs are rising, and people of all ages and backgrounds need our help. In answer to their calls, we’ve completed 15 turnovers this year alone, valued at $93,000 and have 10 renovation projects in development or under construction. The projects range from $65,000 renovations to $3.5 million new build efforts, representing 55,000 square feet. And by year end, we’ll have completed five projects.
That kind of reach is a stark reminder that this Gala is so much more than a party – it’s a path forward for people who need us and a way for them to find dignity and safety through a stable home. We’re working in communities that might not be top of mind when one thinks about hardship, but where there are pockets of generational poverty, such as in Middleburg, Leesburg, and Warrenton. In suburbs, such as Arlington and Fairfax, affordable housing is getting squeezed tight, and organizations like ours are critical for closing the gaps between what our nonprofit partners can afford and what realities demand.
Even though there is so much uncertainty in the world, HomeAid remains committed to continuing to serve women and children, adults with developmental disabilities, survivors of domestic abuse, families transitioning out of homelessness, and low- and lower- income individuals and families. In the coming year, we’ll be creating a secure and efficient space for a Mobile Outreach Center to distribute food and supplies. We’ll also be working on transitional housing and permanent supportive housing, as well as working to create affordable housing for home ownership. All of these projects will help build pathways to hope, independence, safety, and stability.
Thank you for being a part of the solution. I’m so glad you’re here, and I can’t wait to see you on Saturday!
With gratitude,
The holidays are coming, and as you prepare for our seasons of gratitude and giving, please add HomeAid’s Home Essentials Drive to your list of ways to make an impact! While our renovation projects focus on providing safe and dignified housing for those experiencing homelessness, there is always a need once projects are completed to set up new spaces with essential household items that make a home.
That’s where you can come in: Visit our Home Essentials Wish Lists on both Wal-Mart and Amazon, which will be “live” through the end of the year, and consider purchasing household basics for our completed projects’ new residents. You’ll find priority items such as pillows, hangers, silverware and brooms. (One note, we have a very large collection of bath towels, so that is one item you won’t find on our wish lists this year!) All household essentials will be shipped directly to our office, where the items will be organized and picked up by our nonprofit partners serving families and individuals moving out of homelessness and into housing.
In addition to outfitting the properties we’ve helped renovate this year, we will also continue working with the Lamb Center, a shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness in Fairfax, VA, that also helps transition people into housing.
“Thanks to our partnership with HomeAid, The Lamb Center is able to provide our clients with essential household items as they move into their new housing,” Ashley Smith Senior Housing Case Manager said. “After experiencing homelessness or crisis, purchasing even basic necessities can be an overwhelming expense. HomeAid’s Home Essentials program lifts that burden, allowing families to focus on rebuilding their lives. Having an apartment furnished with new small appliances, bedding, and other home items helps our clients regain a sense of stability, comfort, and self-worth.”
Have questions about how to get involved? Please contact Erica Simpson.
HomeAid National Capital Region, Builder Captain Miller & Smith, and 15 trade partners have kicked off the renovation of a four-bedroom, three-bathroom townhome in partnership with Good Shepherd Housing, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing long-term housing for families transitioning out of homelessness.
The team will work to transform the space to better serve future residents and accommodate larger families with the addition of a fifth bedroom, as well as install luxury vinyl plank flooring throughout the top two floors to ensure safety, cleanliness, and durability. The kitchen will be updated with new appliances to ensure reliability and ease of use, and the entire interior will be freshly painted. Additionally, all three bathrooms will be renovated with new vanities and updated light fixtures to bring comfort, style, and improved usability to the space.
For 50 years, Good Shepherd has helped low-income families and individuals by providing affordable, stable housing and individualized case management that helps them address structural barriers to long-term housing, such as poor credit histories, challenging rental histories, little or no savings, and low incomes. More than 80 percent of households they serve are families with children, and they provide housing and other services for more than 1,000 working-class families each year. Thank you to Miller & Smith and our Trade Partners, for being part of the solution!
Third-party fundraising events come in a variety of forms, and this past quarter has been an enormously impactful one: Since September, four separate third-party events, all of which benefited HomeAid National Capital Region, raised over $351,000 to support our mission of rebuilding lives.
The unrestricted funds raised by these events help sustain our organization in multiple ways, including supporting our construction programs so that we can continue investing in the shelters, food pantries, housing providers, and other programmatic facilities that are directly supporting those who need a hand up. The events also help significantly more people learn about HomeAid and understand our work, leading to a growing base of supporters.
Many thanks in particular to Pulte Homes, K. Hovnanian Homes, and Toll Brothers, all of which hosted golf tournaments and chose us as their beneficiary. Their dedication to our mission and commitment to supporting our growth and impact in the community is nothing short of tremendous.
Also in September, the 10th Annual Law Rocks Washington DC kicked off its Fall 2025 tour, raising $149,000 before a sold-out show benefiting a variety of charitable organizations, HomeAid included. Law Rocks highlights the musical talents of local legal professionals and brings the legal community together for a “battle of the bands,” and we were once again delighted to be chosen as a beneficiary and share Law Rocks’ goal of bringing attention and funding to deserving local nonprofits.
Third-party fundraisers have become a significant part of our budget and are a critical strategy for mobilizing volunteers, focusing attention on our efforts in the community, and helping us take action as we advance our mission. Thank you to the organizations who chose us, and to the countless volunteers, golfers, musicians, sponsors, and attendees who organize, host, and support the events.
Toll Brothers has been a major supporter of HomeAid for many years, with representation on our Board of Directors and strong involvement and support of our events and with our renovation projects. Bryant Cruzado, area production manager with Toll Brothers, is also now serving on our Board, spearheaded the company’s recent golf tournament that benefitted HomeAid – and raised $150,000! – and is leading our Reeves Farmhouse renovation project as Builder Captain. What keeps Bryant going? Let’s find out!
Q: What have you found so inspirational about working with and serving HomeAid?
A: Toll Brothers has a big culture of giving back, so whenever we want to do a project or help a nonprofit, there’s never any pushback. Management always says, ‘of course.’ Personally, I’ve been doing these projects for about 20 years, and I’ve found it such a great way to use my experience as a builder while also giving back to the community. HomeAid is a great vehicle for doing it; I believe in its mission, and it allows me to use the talents and skills that I’ve developed over the years alongside Toll Brothers.
Serving on the Board has also been such a great way to have a seat at the table, learn firsthand how helpful and important third-party fundraisers are, and see how funds are allocated. Understanding and guiding the financial footprint to determine how best to serve the community through HomeAid’s projects is a really big honor and well worth the time.
Q: Your golf tournament raised a significant amount of funding for HomeAid. To what do you attribute that kind of support?
A: People love golf. But beyond that, the success of our tournament speaks volumes about Toll Brothers’ trade partner relationships and how important it is to build and support those partnerships. I believe our trade partners are the best in the industry, and when HomeAid is the beneficiary, it’s a great combination. Many of our trade partners are also represented on the HomeAid Board, making our work together and support for HomeAid even easier.
Hosting a tournament is certainly a lot of work, and it’s not easy … but it gets better over time, as does the management and administrative part of it. More importantly, the satisfaction we gain from raising so much money for a cause we believe in can’t be overstated.
Q: The Reeves Farmhouse is a unique project, combining historic preservation and renovation. What are you most excited about in terms of this project?
A: It’s such an out-of-the-box project for HomeAid, and this is the first one I’ve worked on that combines so many skillsets. The historical aspect of it is challenging, but getting to the finish line will mean that so many will have a place to call home – and that’s always worth it to me. We want to give them something special, and this house will certainly be special.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Recently at NVBIA”s Great American Living Awards Gary, Chandler was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award! Kudos to Gary, a member of HomeAid’s Board of Directors since 2017; our board president in 2019; division president for K. Hovnanian Homes’ Mid-Atlantic Region and nine-time Builder Captain for our renovation projects; and host to an annual third-party event benefitting HomeAid. We’re so glad to see your commitment recognized, and we’re grateful for all you’ve done – and continue to do – for the communities where we live and work.
During the event HomeAid was also awarded a $2,500 check from NVBIA in appreciation of our work throughout the region.
In the News
We were honored to be featured in Builder & Developer Magazine’s October issue (pg. 54), showcasing our ongoing partnership with Second Story, providing safe housing and supportive services for young mothers and their children experiencing or at risk of homelessness. At HomeAid, we believe every person deserves dignity, safety, and a chance to thrive—and it starts with a stable home. Thank you, Builder & Developer, for helping more readers learn about HomeAid’s work!
Thank You Future Leaders
Thank you to NVBIA’s Future Leaders of the Building Industry for hosting Oktoberfest last month and collecting gift cards for HomeAid’s nonprofit partners. Donating gift cards is an effective way to provide immediate assistance to those in need because they are easy to use and simple for nonprofits to distribute to their clients. While experiencing homelessness, people have very few choices. Almost everything they receive is donated, whether it’s the food they eat or the clothes they wear. Gift cards give people the choice and flexibility to purchase exactly what they need: minutes on a phone, bottled water, hand warmers, or groceries. Together the group collected $2,270 in online donations and gift cards.
HomeAid Secret Garden Silent Auction & Gala
Saturday, November 15, 2025
6:30 p.m. silent auction & reception, 8:15 p.m. dinner & program
Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles
14750 Conference Center Dr.
Chantilly, VA 20151
HomeAid Home Essential Drive
Collection Starts Now through December 21, 2025
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