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Builders Get Behind Habitat for Humanity, Local Charities
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Members of the Saline Home Builders Association in Benton, Ark. are among the many builders and associates across the country supporting Habitat for Humanity and local charities in their areas.
| For a good many builders and associates across the country, charity and helping with community and neighborhood projects are as integral to building new homes as are permits, 2x4s and drywall.
Whether individually or through their local home builders associations, NAHB members are helping with Habitat for Humanity builds and supporting HomeAid, Boys & Girls Clubs, hospitals, schools and other local charitable causes through generous donations of money, materials and volunteer labor.
In order to learn more about the extent of local support builders and the federation are giving to Habitat and their communities, NAHB recently conducted a survey of the philanthropic work done through HBAs. Of the 850 state and local HBAs affiliated with NAHB, 48 responded to a request for details on charitable donations provided to their local Habitat affiliate.
Partial Survey Results Indicate More Than $3.2 Million in Contributions
Because less than 6% of the HBAs responded, the findings merely skim the surface of community service projects performed annually by NAHB members and affiliates. The following are some of the highlights:
- HBAs donated more than $3.2 million in labor and materials to Habitat for Humanity projects.
- Nearly 160 homes have been built or finished.
- Roughly 1,700 HBA members and staff have volunteered with a Habitat project.
- Other charitable projects included:
“I can’t stress enough how HBAs should get involved with their local Habitat,” said Debbie Tidball, the former executive officer of the Saline Home Builders Association (SHBA) in Benton, Ark.
Tidball said SHBA members had a “blast” working with Habitat and were extremely pleased about doing something for the community — and working together. “Our members don’t usually get a chance to work with each other, and during a build you get that opportunity,” Tidball said. “When the project is finished, people always say, ‘I’ll be back next time.’”
The SHBA has participated in three home builds with Habitat and has plans to join in the Home Builders Blitz in June 2006, a national program that will pair Habitat affiliates with home builders to build 1,000 homes in one week.
NAHB Awards Recognize Philanthropic Work
To recognize the enormous philanthropic work of HBAs and members, NAHB and the National Housing Endowment, the philanthropic arm of NAHB, are sponsoring two awards programs that honor the generosity of the home building industry:
The National Housing Endowment Home Builders Care Project of the Year Award is open to home builder associations and councils affiliated with NAHB. The annual program recognizes an outstanding community service project developed and implemented by a local or state HBA or council affiliated with NAHB.
The National Housing Endowment Builder Achievement Award for Outstanding Community Service Award is open to builder, developer and remodeler members of NAHB and honors their exceptional philanthropic endeavors.
Complete award descriptions and entry forms for both competitions are available on the NAHB Web site at www.nahb.org.
For more information, e-mail Niki Clark, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8061.
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