Our newsletter looks a little different, doesn’t it? And if you go online and check out our new website, you’ll see a whole new look there, too. Our logo has changed. Our name is different! That’s because we’ve launched a reinvigorated brand after 21 years of growth. Now known as HomeAid National Capital Region, our new name better reflects the geographical area we serve, as we expand into DC and further into western and southern counties in Virginia.
We updated our color palette, typography, logo, and icon, working to modernize our look and improve our brand recognition. Our commitment to building and renovating nonprofits will remain the priority, as we continue to be a vital force in creating safe and dignified housing and programmatic facilities for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Beyond construction, we’ve taken a bigger role in community engagement and education to support nonprofits in unique ways that bridge the gap and provide critical services to the people they serve.
As we head into our next 20 years, inclusiveness, collaboration, and integrity will be at the forefront of our work, ensuring we can continue to create transformations with our partners and the clients they serve. We hope you’ll spend some time exploring our new website, following us on social media, and continuing to play a role in our important work. We cannot do it without you!
With gratitude,
Our new name – HomeAid National Capital Region – reflects our much larger service area, and we’re excited to now announce our first project in Washington, DC, with St. Stephen and the Incarnation Church in Columbia Heights! The church’s ministry, “Loaves and Fishes”, has been serving hot meals every Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holiday – when most of DC’s free food programs are closed – for more than 50 years to 15,000 individuals a year. More recently, the program has begun hosting a food pantry every Saturday and has coordinated occasional vaccination clinics for clients, including flu and COVID vaccines.
The church also houses a nonprofit called Thrive DC, which since 1979 has been providing a comprehensive range of stabilizing supportive services to people experiencing housing instability, food insecurity, and economic crisis and is now the sole provider of homeless services for Ward One and much of the surrounding area.
Working with Builder Captain Don Knutson of Knutson Companies – who served as the Builder Captain on HomeAid Northern Virginia’s very first project at Second Story, formerly known as Alternative House, in 2001 – we’ll focus our efforts on the facility that houses Loaves and Fishes and Thrive DC, including renovating the dining room and kitchen, restrooms, hallways, laundry room, food pantry and stairwells, and storage facilities which will include adding new shelving as well as replacing flooring and repainting.
Stay tuned for more details on this exciting new project in DC!
Our sold-out Golf Tournament brought 150+ golfers, sponsors, and supporters to Raspberry Falls, where they together raised over $100,000 to support our mission. With four completed construction projects this year and nine more in the works, as well as multiple community engagement programs that provide additional resources to those in need, this level of fundraising has never been so important. Thank you to all who participated, and big congratulations to the following golfers:
1st Place (54):
Mark Jansen
Bruce Walter
Anhony Digiorgio
Bruce Rahmani
2nd Place (55 Back 9, Tie Break 26):
Jon Hand
Regis Arnold
Mike Sandkuhler
3rd Place (55)
Chris Hicks
Mike Strasburg
Scott Bartley
Mitch Preiss
Looking to volunteer or participate in a collection drive for the winter holidays? We’ve got you covered! HomeAid National Capital Region will be hosting a Holiday Home Essentials Drive, and we encourage you to check out our nonprofit partners’ Amazon Wish Lists. All household essentials purchased off the lists – such as kitchen items, sheets, blankets, pillows, bathroom accessories, towels, laundry baskets, and cleaning supplies – will be shipped directly to our headquarters, where we’ll assemble “Welcome Home” baskets for delivery to our nonprofit service providers.
With a click of a button you can help make a positive difference in someone’s life through our Holiday Home Essentials Drive!
There’s just one more month until we gather for our biggest fundraiser of the year – our Gala & Auction on November 12 – where hundreds of supporters show their commitment to helping build a future without homelessness and see for themselves the impact we’re making together for our nonprofit partners. It’s also our chance to auction an always-remarkable collection of silent and live auction items – there’s something for everyone and every budget. We’re still adding to this year’s auction catalog, but some fan favorites are sure to include:
Other highlights of the evening will include networking with industry leaders, live music, casino games, signature drinks, a seated dinner, Presidents’ Circle awards, and inspiration from the nonprofits we serve. Last year, our Gala and Auction raised $400,000 for HomeAid. What can we achieve together this year? Join us by registering today!
Want to make a night out of it? We’ve reserved a block of rooms at Lansdowne Resort & Spa; make your reservation.
We’ve changed our name to better reflect our geographical service area, we’ve redesigned our logo, and we’ve completely updated our website (have you taken a look?). And we did it in six short months, thanks in large part to Bruce Borcz, founding partner of AdsIntelligence Marketing, and his team for helping guide us through the process! Bruce, who characterizes his firm as a real estate ad agency given his four decades of focus on the homebuilding and development industries, is the recipient of NVBIA’s 2018 Hall of Fame GALA Award for his contribution to real estate marketing – and we’re grateful for his partnership as we launch our new digital brand strategy.
Q: What led you to say ‘yes!’ to helping HomeAid with its new website?
A: It was a collaborative effort, spurred by a call from Russ Rosenberger, president of Madison Homes, when he reached out to ask if I’d be interested in helping HomeAid update their website. I’ve enjoyed a career-long relationship with Russ and with Debbie Rosenstein, CEO of NVBIA, and I was happy to say yes. HomeAid America was refreshing its brand, HomeAid Northern Virginia was expanding its territory, and its website and hosting platform were outdated. It was a perfect opportunity to make this change, and things moved quickly – Russ connected me with Kristyn in March, we had our first kick-off meeting in April, and we launched in September.
Q: What did your team prioritize when it came to designing HomeAid’s new site?
A: The user experience was a priority; a website is an organization’s primary branding tool since we all live so much more in a digital, online world. When someone sees your website, they’re seeing you, so you better be sure to illustrate what you stand for. Whatever tool you use to tell your story, your words and graphics must resonate with your target audience – their reaction and what they feel is essentially your brand. With HomeAid, we needed to make their mission clear and accessible, showcased on the homepage. People are impatient – if they don’t find exactly what they’re looking for in a few seconds, they’ll back right out. Easy navigation is critical, along with the story of what HomeAid does; how they do it; and how people like us can help them, the nonprofits, and the people they serve.
Maintaining a great website is as important as launching one, too: We worked hard to better organize it, clean it up by reducing some content, and make it flow more logically, so that it’s easier for both the page visitor and the page manager. User experience is paramount.
Q: What do you love about your career?
A: We get to create brands and help advance the whole look and feel of a company. We have 25 people on staff, including eight designers, as well as a team of digital marketing managers who tweak digital platforms to get the word out effectively and efficiently – all for an industry that is a constant fluctuating mix of price, product, and location. It’s a fun story to tell, with an always evolving mix of ways to tell that story.
Golfing for Good
Thank you to K. Hovnanian Homes and PulteGroup for selecting HomeAid National Capital Region as the beneficiary of your golf tournaments, together raising an incredible $117,000 for our mission!
Play with Purpose
Last month, Van Metre Homes hosted a benefit cornhole tournament that brought in $30,000 for HomeAid! We so appreciate getting to know so many of your supporters and educating them about our mission.
Law Rocks
A big round of applause to Larry and the Land Lawyers, from Walsh, Colucci Lubeley & Walsh, who wowed the crowd at Law Rocks at the 9:30 Club on September 22! The band’s performance helped raise awareness and money for HomeAid. Bonus: They also took home the Judge’s Choice Award!
HomeAid Gala and Auction
Saturday, November 12, 2022 6:30 PM
Lansdowne Resort and Spa
NVBIA Oktobrfest
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Crafthouse Fairfax
NVBIA Women in the Building Industry
Friday, December 9, 2022 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Reston Craft House
