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| HomeAid Hosts Record Number of Guests at 5th Annual Night at the Ballpark | |
| Supporters collect 300 backpacks for kids from local shelters | |
| HomeAid Northern Virginia treated a record number of kids and adults from 12 area shelters to a night of priceless family memories and fun, with nearly 300 guests attending the 5th Annual “Night at the Ballpark” on Friday, August 14. |  Ariana, Athena, and Aniya, along with their dad, Norman, show off their brand new backpacks. |
| It was by far the biggest and most well attended baseball event yet, and reactions from the hundreds of guests served as an important reminder that for those who struggle with so many major life obstacles on a daily basis, having the opportunity to spend quality time with your family can feel life-giving. | |
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While HomeAid is known for giving the the homeless a safe and stable place to live, we are equally passionate about giving families joy and renewing their spirits through events like “Night at the Ballpark” – joy that was on full display as a young HomeAid guest was invited to throw out the first pitch; kids were able to run the bases after the game; and everyone enjoyed free food, drinks, and t-shirts! All of it served to create memories that will last a lifetime, for families who rarely get the chance to put a fun night out at the top of their priority list. |
 The Potomac Nationals’ mascot greets baseball fans at Pfitzner Stadium. |
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And while the start of school may have felt a long way off on the beautiful and warm August evening, HomeAid’s Backpack Challenge ensured that every child attending from an area shelter was also given a new backpack: Nearly 300 were collected by The Bozzuto Group; Northern Virginia Building Industry Association Custom Builders Council; Mike and Rachel Sandkuhler; Thompson Greenspon; and Walsh, Colcci, Lubeley & Walsh, who all accepted HomeAid’s 2015 Backpack Challenge and helped “put big smiles on little faces.” HomeAid donated the extra backpacks to Volunteers of America Chesapeake. |
 Kids select new backpacks from hundreds collected during HomeAid’s Backpack Challenge. |
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Thank You! |
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Members of Girl Scout Troop 226, along with an employee and her daughter from Thompson Greenspon, for volunteering during the event to help kids pick out the perfect backpack and helping make the distribution go smoothly! |
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Thank you to Augustine Homes and Eastern Applicators, our “Night at the Ballpark” sponsors, and the many individual donors who made this event possible! |
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| Congratulations and special thanks to Thompson Greenspon, for winning first place in the #HANVBackpackChallenge by collecting more backpacks than any other organization! |
| NVBIA Members and Guests Warm Up for Game at Second Annual ‘Triple Play’ Tailgate |
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The Prince William Chapter of NVBIA hosted, for the second year running, a laid-back and festive Triple Play tailgate just inside the stadium gates for members, guests, and supporters of NVBIA and HomeAid. Many of the companies and individuals who participated in HomeAid’s Backpack Challenge were also in attendance, giving us a great way to say, “Thank you!” to those who helped to make the first day of school so much more special for our area’s most vulnerable children. Participants enjoyed a classic ballpark meal and plenty of time for informal networking before the game. |
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Many thanks to NVBIA for making HomeAid the beneficiary of this fun event. It was a great night with great friends and colleagues! |
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| HomeAid, Kettler Complete Final Phase of Total Renovation at SERVE | |
| Project marks first time HomeAid has partnered with Kettler, a developer | |
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Excitement is buzzing at Northern Virginia Family Service’s (NVFS) SERVE shelter, as the finishing touches on the men’s, women’s, and staff bathroom renovations were completed last month. For NVFS staff, the $38,000 bathroom renovation made the SERVE facility feel truly “complete,” as the renovation complemented a previous, $950,000 expansion project that HomeAid and K. Hovnanian Homes built for SERVE in 2012. For the homeless men, women, and children living at the 92-bed facility, the sparkling and functional new bathrooms are a welcome improvement to their daily lives. |
 Bright, clean, and fully renovated bathrooms await SERVE residents. |
| “Kettler and their trade partners were an absolute joy to work with,” said Gwen McQueeney, deputy director of shelter and rapid rehousing for NVFS. “They became so personally invested in this project, and they made it clear from the start that they wanted these bathrooms to be perfect.” | |
| “This project brought our building full circle,” said McQueeney. “Through HomeAid, and these two recent projects, we now have the most efficient, most beautiful, and largest shelter in Northern Virginia. The bar has been raised so much higher, and that feeling makes an impact on our residents: By living in an environment that they’re proud of, they’re inspired to be more proactive and look at their lives in a new way. We don’t even know how to express our thanks … it’s a huge project in so many unseen ways.” | |
| For first-time Builder Captain Kettler, the project was also a positive experience, with incredible participation from everyone involved. | |
 Roomy shower stalls with storage are a welcome change for all of the shelter residents. |
“We had staff from our Corporate and Management groups pitching in,” added Richard Kieler, Kettler’s vice president of commercial and land construction, “and it gave us a great opportunity to volunteer together on a common project. Recruiting trade partners was also incredibly gratifying, with everyone stepping up and helping make this project run smoothly and on time. It helped engage our own team and helped build community—both important goals for us.” |
| The SERVE project was the first time that HomeAid Northern Virginia has partnered with a developer, and working with Kettler was particularly rewarding; Kieler and his wife had served as volunteers at SERVE before Kettler ever agreed to serve as Builder Captain on the project, giving Kieler unique, personal experience with the facility and its residents. |
| Thanks to Builder Captain, Kettler, and to all of the following trade partners for investing in SERVE and its residents! | |
| Beitzell Fence Breeden Mechanical Central Wholesalers Construction Applicators Daco Electrical Hoyos Cleaning John Darvish Construction |
Manders Decorating Co. Partitions Plus Ryan Homes Sherwin Williams TM O’Donnell Wilmar |
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HomeAid’s success is built on successful partnerships, and Builder Captains depend on those same strong—and proven—partnerships when it comes time to recruit trade partners for a HomeAid project. So when Kettler’s Richard Kieler needed a preferred subcontractor to help with the bulk of the demo through finishing work on three bathrooms at Northern Virginia Family Service’s SERVE shelter, he knew just who to call: Brian Dewey of Manders Decorating. “We’ve worked with Manders for a long time,” Kieler explained, “and they’re always so responsive. For this project, they helped remodel the men’s, women’s, and staff bathrooms, including demo, framing, drywall, ceramic tiling, painting, and installing storage. They stepped up to the plate and were, as always, great partners.” Just as the project was the first time Kettler had led a HomeAid project, the SERVE project was the first time Manders had worked with HomeAid. “Kettler introduced us to HomeAid, and it was an easy ‘yes,’” explained Dewey. “Kettler has been a tremendous client for years, and we jumped at the opportunity to help them. I was really impressed by all that HomeAid does for the community, and we were glad to do this.” Manders has a tradition of philanthropic efforts, working with other shelter charities as well as with a school near their headquarters in suburban Maryland. |
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| HomeAid Housing Forum Examines Partnerships, Continuum of Care | |
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| A full house of more than 50 leaders and staff, representing 30 Northern Virginia non-profit and public sector housing organizations, attended HomeAid’s Housing Forum, “Collective Impact & Meaningful Partnerships: How to Build a Strong Continuum” on August 20. The popular forums have become our region’s most unique and valuable opportunity to gather community leaders, partners, and staff under one roof to network; talk about the challenges we all face; and learn best practices from featured case studies. | |
| Brian Davidson, vice president of Van Metre Homes and HomeAid president, and Stephanie Berkowitz, senior vice president of Northern Virginia Family Service and HomeAid board member, kicked off the half-day forum, before turning the program over to presentations that centered around four primary topics—healthcare, hunger, employment, and hypothermia. Attendees next discussed how to meet each of the four challenges through the lens of improving continuum of care by measuring impact; strengthening and expanding partnerships across sectors, particularly as Housing First continues to play out; breaking down barriers by working across jurisdictional lines; and collaborating, all with the goal of providing more holistic services to clients through the power of partnerships. | |
| “I appreciated the focus on a theme that was applicable across agency type and that was regional in nature,” said one attendee, while others stated, “The collaborative nature of this forum was incredible. The venue was excellent, as was the openness to truly give each person opportunities to share and question.” | |
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The 2015 forum was extremely well received, with 100 percent of those surveyed saying networking opportunities, the information provided, and the overall program were valuable or very valuable, with attendees adding, “The networking and collaboration conversation were excellent … it was great to have such a diverse group in one room … I was incredibly excited to be invited and pleased to be a part of such an elite group of professionals.” |
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For a full list of speakers and the event agenda, please visit the Housing Forum page of our website. |
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As a direct result of suggestions made during the 2015 Housing Forum, HomeAid Executive Director Christy Eaton will be meeting with the chairs of a new NVBIA committee, Women in the Building Industry (WBI), to discuss strategies for introducing more women and girls to the building industry as a possible career option. The topic was raised during the Forum when Jen Stein, with NVFS, and Mica Varga, with Brickman Valley Crest, challenged the group to partner with local businesses to create employment options. Afterwards, participants explored how HomeAid could serve as a channel for connecting women to job opportunities in our partner service providers’ programs. WBI was formed this spring and is co-chaired by Alicia Skoug, Drees Homes; Heather Haynes-Long, Angler Environmental; and Soledad Portilla, Stanley Martin Homes. The group seeks to increase the number of women working in the residential real estate industry, and establish a woman-focused group so that members can regularly gather for education and training, community service, and networking. |
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| HomeAid Interns: Where Are They Now? | |
| HomeAid Northern Virginia opens doors, and whether it’s for a formerly homeless single mom or for a young college student looking for meaningful work experience through an internship, the result is the same: HomeAid changes lives by giving people opportunity. | |
| For the past six years, HomeAid has provided 45 students (and counting!) with on-the-job experience in the areas of programs, communications, fundraising, marketing, and events, and our internship program has launched many of our former interns on to impressive careers at organizations including: | |
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| An internship at HomeAid means far more than administrative work; all of our interns become valued members of our busy staff throughout their time with us. | |
| Learn how a few of our recent interns have used their on-the-job training at HomeAid as a springboard to their full-time careers! | |
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| Rachel Bredthauer, a student at Radford University who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in recreation, parks, and tourism with a concentration in special events and tourism, has joined HomeAid’s staff as our event coordinator intern. |  Rachel Bredthauer |
| “I pursued this internship because I’m interesting in learning all aspects of event planning,” Bredthauer explained, “and with the number of fundraising and community events HANV organizes, it’s a great fit. I’ve also lived in Northern Virginia my entire life, and after reading about HANV how they have helped my local community over the past 15 years, I knew it would be awesome to be a part of such an organization. | |
| “I’m learning a lot about what it takes to organize an event administratively,” she added, “as well as market events effectively. I’ve been really surprised to realize how many incredibly small details go into every event—at school, there is only so much that instructors can teach you, so being a part of the planning process is a great opportunity. I’m really looking forward to attending the events I’m working on, so I can see everything fall into place!” | |
| HomeAid Northern Virginia has regular openings for interns in a variety of positions. Job descriptions can be found online. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to info@homeaidncr.org. | |
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| …to our recent donors. Names in orange donated $5,000 or more. | |
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Individuals Greg Carter Companies Architectural Ceramics |
Home-Kim Contractors |
*Monetary contributions, July 15-August 14, 2015
READ: 5th Annual Night at the Ballpark, SERVE Project in Final Phase of Renovation, Housing Forum, HomeAid Interns: Where are they now?, Welcome to Our New Intern, Thank You to Our Recent Donors
