HomeAid, M/I Homes and 18 trade partners completed work on the renovation of a condominium in Northern Virginia this week, giving new hope and a safe environment to a young mother and her child who are survivors of domestic violence. The condo, owned by Homestretch, will also give the mother the level of security and stability she needs in order to bring a second child from China, the family’s home country. The mother and her second child were separated at birth four years ago.

“Having stability is so critical to this family,” said Rachel Helferd, housing coordinator at Homestretch. “The mom is skilled and practiced in the field of accounting, but she hasn’t been able to focus on her career. By being part of Homestretch’s program, and in our secure home, she’ll now be able to work with our employment counselor to secure full-time employment, increase her income, and get on the path to self-sufficiency. We’ll also be able to help her with any further educational goals and give her children access to our developmental and socialization programs for kids, including summer camp.”

The $37,000 project included a kitchen renovation with new flooring, cabinets, appliances, granite countertop, sink, faucet and lights; new interior carpet throughout; an updated laundry room; a bathroom renovation featuring a new tub/shower, toilet, vanity, mirror, flooring, and plumbing and lighting fixtures; interior paint throughout; and updated electrical throughout the home.

“This project was an especially gratifying one for us,” said Eric Ferreira, vice president of construction for M/I Homes, “because we knew we would be helping a family so immediately.

Our whole team got involved; instead of having our monthly production staff meeting at our office, we went to the condo instead and did all the demo ourselves. It was a great way for our team to take part in something so gratifying.”