The Master Builders Care Foundation and builder partners, Shea Homes of Redmond and CamWest Development of Kirkland, were recognized for excellence in community service within the homebuilding industry. The Care Foundation and each builder received Gold Nuggets for Community Spirit at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference’s annual Gold Nugget Luncheon on June 18.
The Master Builders Care Foundation and its builder partners were specifically honored for building two homeless shelters that were dedicated in 2008 – Housing at the Crossroads, Kensington Square (Shea Homes) in Bellevue and Vision House Children’s Village/Hedco Building (CamWest Development) in Renton.
Kensington Square is a four-unit building and two single-unit dwellings that provide transitional housing and support services for six homeless Eastside families for up to two years, or 5,280 bed nights each year.
“Housing at the Crossroads is an all volunteer organization that serves homeless, and volunteers from the homebuilding industry helped construct this project. That partnership is unique,” said Jay Schupack, executive director of the Master Builders Care Foundation. “Our trade partners really helped by providing both materials and labor.”
Vision House Children’s Village/Hedco Building has four housing units, one of which is wheelchair accessible. There is also an eight-car parking garage.
“People who find themselves homeless – for whatever reason – need a place to call home so they can put their lives back together,” said Schupack.
The Master Builders Care Foundation, through its HomeAid program, provided project oversight and coordinated the donation of materials to build and renovate multi-unit homes for the temporarily homeless.
The Master Builders Care Foundation has also built 275 wheelchair accessible ramps for low-income homeowners in its annual Rampathon event (32 ramps were constructed in 2009); completed 41 Painting a Better Tomorrow Projects where volunteers paint homeless shelters and other buildings that serve the low-income community; raised $50,000 for disaster repairs; completed 10 HomeAid projects that provide 57,000 bed nights annually; and it has raised and distributed $7.8 million in-kind and cash contributions to the community. For more information about CamWest Development, visit www.camwest.com or call 425-825-1955.
