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Arbor South Honored for Doing Good South of the Border
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At work: "Mission to Mexico" volunteers build a single-family home in Mexico during the 2005 spring break from school. | Arbor South Architecture/Construction, a builder and architectural firm based in Eugene, Ore., was honored by the National Housing Endowment — the philanthropic arm of NAHB — for its annual “Mission to Mexico” in which 125 volunteers go to Mexico to help build needed facilities such as small housing, medical clinics and churches.
For its efforts, Arbor South Architecture/Construction was awarded the 2006 Honorable Mention National Housing Endowment Builder Achievement Award for Outstanding Community Service — which includes a $1,000 donation to be directed to the charity of its choice — during the 2007 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla.
Arbor South Architecture/Construction is giving the donation to St. Vincent De Paul of Lane County, an international organization that provides food, clothing, shelter and other forms of assistance to people in need.
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At play: Daniel Hill, in yellow hat, leads the volunteers in song at the end of a long day. | Daniel Hill, an architect, senior principal and co-founder of Arbor South Architecture/Construction began “Mission to Mexico” more than 18 years ago. What began with 14 people and several trucks filled with tools and material now has grown to 125 people and several tractor-trailer trucks loaded with building supplies. Though the years, volunteers have built more than 60 small single-family homes, a clinic, an orphanage and several churches.
Most of the volunteers on the project are high school and college students, most of whom have never held a hammer. But Hill recruits the help of several local builders who travel with him to Mexico. In addition, he gives his employees the option of taking time off from work so they can join him. Most take him up on the offer.
“It’s a life-changing experience for the people who go,” said Hill, who encourages professionals in the industry to always give back. “Give because your heart is in the right place, and be passionate about what you’re giving to.”
Hill is “an individual who keeps the positive energy high while always raising the bar a little higher,” said Ed McMahon, president of the Lane County Home Builders Association.
“The National Housing Endowment is proud to honor the tremendous charity of Arbor South Architecture/Construction and of Daniel Hill,” said Gary Garczynski, endowment chairman and 2002 NAHB president. “This company’s leadership is not only a source of inspiration to our membership and industry, it’s an inspiration for the next generation of home builders, too — those high school and college students who travel with Daniel to Mexico each year. The program clearly shows these young people that home builders not only build homes, they build communities.”
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A grateful family: Hill, in orange shirt, hands over the house keys of the new home built by "Mission to Mexico" volunteers. |
 Twelve Others Honored With Builder Achievement Awards at IBS
Twelve other builders were honored with gold, silver, bronze and honorable mention Builder Achievement awards during the presentation at the builders’ show.
For the complete list of the winners and a description of their projects, click here.
The awards were established through a grant to the endowment by Isaac Heimbinder, chairman of Potomac, Md.-based BuildTopia, a provider of Web-based construction management software for home builders.
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