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Karissa Willette
Public Affairs Manager, BIASC
kwillette@biasc.org
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Building Association of Southern California and HomeAid Orange County
Celebrate “30 Years of Building the Way Home” by Giving Thanks
IRVINE, Calif. – November 26, 2019 – The Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC) and HomeAid Orange County are celebrating the “30 Years of Building the Way Home” in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the non-profit’s founding in 1989. The organizations marked that milestone with celebrations and special events throughout the year including HomeAid Orange County’s 30th Anniversary Gala Gala held at the Hotel Irvine in Irvine, California, and the annual HomeAid Orange County Thanksgiving Basket Drive.
The HomeAid 30th Anniversary Gala held on September 14, 2019 was designed to increase awareness of the critical issue of homelessness, as well as to honor the builders, donors, volunteers and others who are helping to address it. The gala was attended by 420 guests, with $390,000 raised in support of HomeAid programs. Speakers included a single mother accompanied by her three children who lived in the HomeAid Orange County Family CareCenter, in addition to two other people who have called housing developed by HomeAid Orange County their home.
This year’s annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive collected over 458 Thanksgiving Dinner Baskets and 207 gift cards for families to buy turkeys this Thanksgiving. Additionally, nearly 10,000 remaining canned food items will be donated to the Orange County Food Panty. Along with the HomeAid Orange County team, volunteers from UPS, TRI Pointe Group and TriPointe Homes SoCal, GSMC, and the local troops from the Girl Scouts of Orange County aided with assembling the baskets. Donations from Taylor Morrison Southern California, Impac Mortgage, City Ventures, and other community groups made the drive a great success.
Since its founding in 1989 by leaders of BIASC Orange County, the organization has been at the forefront of addressing the basic need of shelter by collaborating with service providers to develop 66 housing projects that have transformed the lives of more than 65,000 individuals experiencing homelessness. Those projects have spanned emergency shelters, bridge housing and permanent supportive housing.
“We believe that a home is the foundation for the quality of life we all want for our communities,” noted BIASC CEO Jeff Montejano. “Our proud partnership with HomeAid exemplifies that commitment to helping those in need gain the stability and security they seek for themselves and their families.”
On a national basis, HomeAid has built more than 550 shelter projects valued at more than $230 million, of which nearly 50 percent was donated in-kind by the building industry. These shelters provide more than 10,500 beds per night nationwide with each bed serving an average of three people per year.
To learn more about HomeAid Orange County, visit www.homeaidoc.org. For information on the Building Industry Association of Southern California, go to members.biasc.org.
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About HomeAid Orange County
HomeAid Orange County was created in 1989 by the Building Industry Association of Southern California, Orange County Chapter. HomeAid is the only community based organization that has successfully completed 63 building and renovating development projects throughout Orange County, as well as across the entire homeless Continuum of Care spectrum, providing facilities that range from emergency shelters, to transitional/bridge housing, to permanent supportive housing. These projects have successfully transformed over 65,000 lives in this time.
About BIASC
The Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC) is the voice of the region’s building industry, with four chapters offering localized services to building professionals from Ventura to the southern tip of Orange County. Throughout its 90-year history, the association has served its builder and associate members by anticipating, protecting and promoting their common interests through its many programs, services, councils and committees. members.biasc.org