HomeAid, Drees Homes Change Three More Lives for NVFS

Drees-before-kitchen There’s one less homeless family in Prince William County, thanks to the restoration of a house owned by Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) that a single mom and her two children now call home. The $30,000 project was recently completed by Builder Captain Drees Homes, 15 trade partners and HomeAid Northern Virginia.

Major updates to the 30-year old home included a full roof replacement; an entirely renovated and updated kitchen with new appliances, cabinetry, flooring and countertops; two updated bathrooms; all new flooring except in two rooms; interior painting throughout; and some lighting and electrical work. Crews also pressure washed and re-stained the deck, repaired gutters and touched up the exterior.

Drees-after-kitchen “A nice house makes everyone feel better, and it can be a huge motivator for our clients,” said Andrea Zych, MPA, director of housing for NVFS. “We want to provide to our residents a home that we would be proud to call our own, and this circa 1981 house was sorely outdated. We needed to make major upgrades not just for appearance’s sake but so that we could ensure the longevity of the house.”

While our clients stay only a maximum of two years,” she added, “these HomeAid projects ensure longer, more dependable lifespans for our homes, which, in turn, allows us to serve even more families for decades to come. And, by improving the efficiencies of the home, we’ll now be able to put that funding toward programs and services rather than toward utility bills. We simply don’t have the capital to take on big projects like these, and we’re so grateful for organizations like HomeAid.”

Drees-after-floors This was the first time Drees Homes served as a Builder Captain, and it’s an experience that Division President Skip Causey said exceeded all of their expectations.

“We’ve been looking to do something like this for a long time, and because there wasn’t a lot of structural work with this project, it was a perfect one to ‘cut our teeth’ on. It was also incredibly rewarding to realize how easy it is to find trade partners willing to do the work,” Causey said. “Some of my staff were going to help out with painting, but then the painter offered to do the whole house for free. We offered labor, but they took care of that too. Everyone has gone above and beyond. It’s been incredible, and it’s such a good feeling, knowing that we helped out a mom and her kids get back on their feet.”

Thanks to Builder Captain Drees Homes and to all of the trade partners for the Northern Virginia Family Service project!
AAPR Cleaning AR-JON Portable Toilets Atlantic Building Supply Atlas Capital Carpets Century Stairs Construction Applicators General Electric		Granite Source Hybla Valley Nursery Kellogg Nicholas Trucking RC Hawkins Summit/Allied Building Products Timberlake

Trade Partner Spotlight: Construction Applicators LLC

The Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) shelter care project was the first for Builder Captain Drees Homes, and Division President Skip Causey said that one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience was seeing how willing trade partners were to step up and take on the effort, no questions asked.

Construction Applicators LLC, which installed all of the drywall, stripped wallpaper and repainted the entire house, was one such example. “Contract Manager Gregg Frazier said ‘yes’ right away,” Causey added. “He asked me what was needed and then we pretty much got out of his way so he could get the job done. They really went above and beyond the call of duty.”

When asked why Construction Applicators was so willing to pitch in, Frazier explained, “The cause speaks for itself. HomeAid gives us a chance to give back to the community in which we build, and it allows us to help our builders do something that they want to do. We’ve worked on several HomeAid projects, and anytime we can lend our labor and services for a project like this, we’ll absolutely do it.”

Based in Gaithersburg, Md., Construction Applicators specializes in the new home residential market and was founded in 2007. Call 301.355.5183 for more information.