Last month felt like one big celebration, with a summer BBQ that brought 250+ of us together, face-to-face, followed by a sold-out golf tournament co-hosted by Toll Brothers and Darvish Companies. Together, the events brought in over $160,000 and gave all of us – staff, family, supporters, partners – much-needed time together to reconnect and toast the joys of being off of Zoom calls. It felt incredibly refreshing and exciting – even magical – to be together. People, after all, are the essence of HomeAid. But it’s through that lens that reminds me how important it is to take a step back and really consider – in the midst of all that light and love – that there are countless people in the region who are still struggling. There are people who continue to experience homelessness, while temperatures skyrocket; kids who are home with abusers; individuals who – while they may have gotten another month’s reprieve from eviction moratoriums – know that they won’t be able to make rent next month. It’s these community members for whom we work so hard, raising money, renovating buildings, and helping advance supportive programming and services. It’s their faces that I envisioned as we cut green ribbons on the six projects already completed this year. They’re on my mind as we continue shepherding forward the seven projects currently under construction or nearing completion. And, as you’ll read in this issue of Building Hope, they’re the inspiration behind two of our newest renovation projects in Winchester: a Salvation Army emergency shelter and a CCAP food pantry and clothing outlet, both of which still need Builder Captains.

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After the year we’ve had, we deserved a gorgeous night for HomeAid Northern Virginia’s 12th Annual Builders & Friends BBQ, and Mother Nature delivered! On a beautiful evening at a shady, lakeside venue in June, more than 250 partners, supporters, and guests turned out for a fabulously fun time of friendship, light-hearted games of cornhole, raffle prizes, an open bar with craft beer and seasonal cocktails, live music, and a delicious dinner of all-you-can-eat boxed BBQ.

We also announced and recognized our 2021 Trade Partner of the Year: Falcon Heating & Air Conditioning, an HVAC and plumbing contractor that has worked with us since 2010. Over the years, Falcon has taken part in 17 construction projects and invested more than $60,000 in labor and materials – as well as provided an additional $57,000 in sponsorships and other financial support – to help us carry our mission forward.

The company and staff will be formally recognized at our (in-person!) 20th Annual Gala & Auction on November 13 at Lansdowne Resort and Spa, but in keeping with our tradition of using the BBQ to recognize the companies who have so generously contributed to HomeAid projects, we were proud to announce our selection for Trade Partner of the Year honors at the BBQ.

“HomeAid Northern Virginia’s BBQ has established itself as one of our industry’s best networking events, and this year was especially celebratory as we all ‘emerged’ from a difficult 15 months spent apart from so many colleagues,” said HomeAid Northern Virginia President John Buhl. “It was also an important opportunity to recognize all who have made our work of ending homelessness in Northern Virginia possible over the last 20 years. I was grateful to be able to offer my personal thanks, recognition, and appreciation to all in attendance for their generosity of time, resources, labor, materials, and supplies – often giving more than once in a single year – to complete projects that help get people out of crisis and into safe housing and programs. As a board member, I know that it is only with the generosity of our trade partners, suppliers, and manufacturers that we’re able to complete so many projects for organizations who need the help.” 

Enormous thanks to our many sponsors, to the National Botanic Garden Foundation in South Riding for the beautiful lakeside space, to Doug Wall and the Liberty Street Band for providing live entertainment, and to the many volunteers who made it all possible! Together, we raised just over $63,000 for HomeAid’s mission, and we are so grateful for the support!

Couldn’t make it this year? Be sure to check out our online photo album of this year’s BBQ![image_with_animation image_url=”24121″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%” img_link=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/homeaidnova/albums/72157718427506311″%5D%5Bimage_with_animation image_url=”24184″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%” img_link=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/homeaidnova/albums/72157718427506311″%5D%5Bimage_with_animation image_url=”24185″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%” img_link=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/homeaidnova/albums/72157718427506311″%5D%5Bdivider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”accent-color”][image_with_animation image_url=”24178″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_blank” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%” img_link=”https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?msa=0&hl=en&t=m&ll=38.86751300000004%2C-77.233887&spn=0.374235%2C0.583649&z=10&mid=1YntKsU_9vLv2jo4-XMEu6asrKcE”%5D%5Bdivider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”accent-color”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”accent-color”][divider line_type=”No Line”]

In 2020, HomeAid Northern Virginia expanded into a new region, taking on our first project in Winchester, Va., where we completed a $105,000 renovation of Winchester Rescue Mission – our 150th project! Word of our organization and mission spread, and we have two more applicants from Winchester – all we need now are Builder Captains to lead each project.

[divider line_type=”No Line”][image_with_animation image_url=”24202″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”]The Salvation Army of Winchester, needs four dorm units renovated in their co-ed shelter with new flooring, updated bathrooms, paint, ceiling tiles, and lighting. The emergency temporary shelter is open 24 hours a day year-round, with an on-site kitchen; dining facility that can accommodate 64 people at a time; and a social area with television, reading materials, and games for children. The goal at the shelter is to help each person become self-sufficient and able to use the tools that the Salvation Army provides through case management.[image_with_animation image_url=”24201″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”]The Congregational Community Action Program (CCAP), Inc. needs two adjacent buildings renovated. One building serves as the organization’s “Clothing House,” providing free clothing for all ages, genders, and sizes, including linens, blankets, diapers, and even a “pink room” with resources for breast cancer patients and survivors. The second building houses CCAP’s food pantry, which also includes pet food, household products, and hygiene products. Both buildings need fairly extensive work to expand storage, improve lighting, and add office space, as well as repaint and install new flooring.

[divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”accent-color”][image_with_animation image_url=”24176″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”]In late June, HomeAid Northern Virginia was the sole beneficiary of a third-party charity golf tournament hosted by Toll Brothers and Darvish Companies, and the result was breathtaking – tens of thousands of dollars raised to support our mission, with all of the funds going toward renovating and building homes and programmatic facilities that serve those experiencing homelessness. Capped with the camaraderie and networking that always evolve from a well-run golf tournament, we feel like we are running out of ways to say “thank you” to our benefactors … but, thank you!

“Third-party events have a huge, positive impact,” said HomeAid Northern Virginia Executive Director and CEO Kristyn Burr. “Since they’re planned and organized by the host organizations, they take an enormous burden off of our small staff while simultaneously expanding our capacity. The events give us the ability to spread awareness about our mission and local homelessness to an entirely new group of people who we may not otherwise reach. And, they help us raise an enormous amount of funding to carry out our mission. We are so grateful to Toll Brothers, Darvish, and the many other organizations who have selected HomeAid as a beneficiary of their events. Your support makes our work possible.”

Find out how YOU and YOUR organization can host an event for HomeAid Northern Virginia!

Check out the PHOTOS from the event.

Special thanks to our friends for making this tournament such a success!
Dani Brewer, Toll Brothers
Angela Broy, Toll Brothers
Scott Canan, Toll Brothers
John Darvish, Darvish Companies
Melissa Dorsey, Darvish Companies
Kim Gillespie, Toll Brothers
Nikki McMillan, Toll Brothers
Ashley Samoranski, Toll Brothers

[divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”accent-color”][image_with_animation image_url=”24208″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” img_link_target=”_blank” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%” img_link=”https://homeaidncr.org/impact/shelter-projects/”%5D%5Bdivider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”accent-color”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”accent-color”]To date, HomeAid Northern Virginia has celebrated the completion of 160 projects for 50 local non-profits, representing $19 million invested and saving our partner organizations nearly $13 million in labor, time, materials, and expertise. We’ve changed over 195,000 lives for the better, by giving a diverse mix of people within the homeless population – including survivors of domestic violence, people with disabilities, those suffering from chronic physical or mental health issues, and children and teens experiencing homelessness – a safe, stable place to call home. But we don’t stop at shelter alone; with the help of our partners and supporters, we have also turned our attention and resources to renovating food pantries, thrift stores that serve and benefit our non-profit partners, and buildings used for after-school and senior programming. We have delivered playhouses to the backyards of renovated homes, provided tickets to sporting events, and created family memory-making events. Because we know that a life well lived means more than having a place to lay our heads.[divider line_type=”No Line”][image_with_animation image_url=”24214″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”accent-color”]HomeAid Northern Virginia has hired two new team members – Courtney Bishop, communications and marketing director, and Georgeanne Harter, program assistant, both of whom started on June 21. We are so glad to welcome them to our team and, as Virginia begins to re-open after our long COVID lockdown, we look forward to you meeting them. In the meantime, learn a bit about their backgrounds and hopes, and please join us in welcoming them to our HomeAid family.

Courtney Bishop, Communications and Marketing Director
Courtney comes to us from a national construction association, where she served as the program director and directed, oversaw, and managed the foundation’s scholarship, awards, and research programs. She also managed the promotion and marketing of the programs, as well as overall brand through newsletters, website, social media, publications, and other outlets. She has prior work experience with other nonprofits in the area, including a homeless shelter in Northern Virginia and has volunteered with many organizations throughout the Washington, DC, region.

Q: What attracted you to HomeAid Northern Virginia?

A: I knew of HomeAid because they had just wrapped up a project at a homeless shelter I started working at back in 2012. Volunteers and guests would always comment on how clean and nice the shelter was, and I remember thinking to myself ‘Why wouldn’t it be?’ People often assume shelters are run down and dirty (sometimes they are due to lack of funding), but HomeAid steps in to fill a real void and fund projects that grant partners and government agencies simply aren’t financing. They are doing all this while also changing the public’s mind about how those experiencing homelessness  should live; everyone deserves to live in a place where water isn’t leaking from the ceiling, floors aren’t buckling, and stairs are safe to walk up. HomeAid understands in order for life-changing programs to happen, there has to be a clean and safe building, and they’re willing to provide the services needed to meet those needs. That really appeals to me.

Q. What are you most excited about in your new position?

A. I’m excited to highlight the work HomeAid is doing in our region. Most grants and government funding are set aside for direct service initiatives (literacy, workforce, childcare, etc.),but people often forget that the buildings where the programs are happening are vital to the success of these non-profits. HomeAid is completing major build projects in nine counties across Northern Virginia, and I’m thrilled to be able to help continue to bring to light the lasting impact these projects have on our neighbors and community.

Georgeanne Harter, Program Assistant
Georgeanne, formerly the program assistant of member services for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), comes to HomeAid with experience in internal communications and member services and support, including conference planning and oversite. Georgeanne is a 2019 graduate of George Mason University with a degree in integrative studies and a concentration in advertising.

Q: What attracted you to HomeAid Northern Virginia?

A: I found out about the position from someone very close to me who knows me very well. HomeAid has such a beautiful mission, and I feel strongly that I will fit right in and be passionate about the work. It will be a fantastic place for me to learn more about perspective and seeing the world through a different lens.

Q. What are you most excited about in your new position?

A. Getting the opportunity to work with this team, as well as meeting other individuals and partners who share the same vision. Up until now, I have been really happy with learning how to live in the adulting world post-graduation. Following graduation, I obtained and worked my first “big girl job” during COVID-19 in the non-profit sector, which didn’t exactly align with what I studied. However, it has been wonderful learning many different things from all of my colleagues, and I hope to continue that here at HomeAid Northern Virginia.[divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”accent-color”]Arts in the Park
Attention Case Managers and Executive Directors: Have you requested tickets for HomeAid Northern Virginia’s 1st Annual Arts in the Park at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center? The show is sold out, so tickets are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, so please let Cilda Pretorius (703-953-3525) know how many tickets your organization will need for staff and families. We will enjoy “Snow White,” performed by Maryland Youth Ballet students, on Saturday, July 31, with gates opening at 10am and the show beginning at 11am. All persons, regardless of age, must have a ticket for ticketed performances at the Filene Center.

Can you help us make this event a success? Your sponsorship will help send staff and families from local shelters to the event, as well as help us provide gift cards to each family for school supplies for the upcoming year – and you will receive recognition on our event signage and on our webpage. Please contact Executive Director and CEO Kristyn Burr for more information at 571.283.6320.

Backpack Drive
We are once again giving new, full-size backpacks to every child who attends our Arts in the Park Event at Wolf Trap, and we need your help. Please contact HomeAid to let us know if your organization would like to participate in a Backpack Drive, or if you would like to send donations directly to our office using our Amazon wish list.
All backpacks will need to be collected by July 23.

Thank You
Thank you, John Buhl and Buhl Electric, for your incredibly generous gift of a night out for our staff, families, friends, and supporters at Nationals Park. We loved taking in a Nats game from the corporate Box Suite, catching up with each other, and being at a sporting event live and in-person again! Re-emerging after a year-plus of pandemic lockdown has never felt so good!

40 Under 40!
Congratulations to HomeAid Northern Virginia Board member Lauren Vanni Kinard, president of First Excel Title, who has been recognized by the Washington Business Journal on their annual “Top 40 Under 40” list. This list features business owners, CEOs, nonprofit executives, attorneys, and other corporate leaders, who will all be recognized with an awards ceremony on July 15. Way to go, Lauren![divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”accent-color”]

7th Annual HomeAid Golf Tournament – Friday, September 17, 2021, Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club, Leesburg, VA Registration is open

*Save The Date* 20th Annual HomeAid Gala & Auction – Saturday, November 13, 2021, Lansdowne Resort & Spa, Leesburg, VA

In this newsletter:

Executive Director & CEO Corner
Falcon Heating & Air Conditioning Named HomeAid Trade Partner of the Year at 2021 Builders & Friends BBQ
Builder Captains Needed for Two Winchester Projects
Toll Brothers/Darvish Companies Charity Golf Tournament Yields Tens of Thousands for HomeAid
20 Years. 20 Ways of Making a Difference
Welcome to the HomeAid Team