BUILDING A COMMUNITY
Building a community
September 18, 2009 - Sept. 18, 2009 - During the week of August 31, nine APi Group companies within the Twin Cities came together for a Habitat for Humanity Build Week.
Seventy-five employees participated in the Build Week, working daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Town Center Gardens in Ramsey, Minn.
Each day, volunteers were split into four to five crews and assigned to various projects with one of the daily crew leaders. The entire group was supervised by Adam Sease from APi Construction and Brian Erickson from APi Group.
“The energy, enthusiasm and positive attitude made the week a great success,” Erickson said. “I believe that everyone who worked on the project was able to stretch their own boundaries and could feel good that we accomplished quite a bit and helped the community.”
The Build Week was an opportunity for employees to help in the community and provide a means to network within other local APi companies.
“We had a lot of laughs,” said Huck Finn from APi Construction Co.
“Our small group included employees from a half-dozen APi Group companies; and best of all, we're proud to be members of a company that is willing to help families in the Twin Cities,” he said.
The Build Week volunteers included employees from APi Construction, APi Distribution, APi Electric, APi Group, APi National Service Group, Doody Mechanical, Garage Door Store, LeJeune Structural Steel, Twin City Garage Door, and Viking Automatic Sprinkler.
“We [Gia and I] were prepared for a challenge in gaining project support from company presidents, due to recent cutbacks and economic hardship,” said Shannon Swanson from APi Group. “What we got was overwhelming support and enthusiasm. It was awesome. They were on board one hundred percent.”
The volunteers hung drywall, installed cabinets, painted doors and trim, laid vinyl and laminated flooring, installed window screens, shelves, fire extinguishers and more.
“What an incredibly rewarding experience, being able to donate our skills and time to such a great cause,” said Sarah Polovitz from APi National Service Group. “The Habitat for Humanity supervisors enhanced our experience by educating us on eye-opening statistics that our community members face on a daily basis.”
Volunteers will be invited to the Dedications Ceremony once the homes are complete and the families are ready to move in.
It will bring the experience full circle, as volunteers will have an opportunity to see the finished project and meet the families impacted by their efforts. The ceremony will take place in early 2010.
This was the first time that APi Group worked on a building project with Habitat. Many APi offices make charitable contributions to their communities through build projects, financial sponsorship and fundraising events. It is a culture of generosity that will continue through future events and donations, as APi companies believe in giving back to the communities in which we live and do business.
About the Build Project and Habitat for Humanity
The Town Center Gardens project in Ramsey, Minnesota consists of 24 townhomes in three separate buildings. The total cost of development is $3.2 million and the entire project will be complete in January 2010.
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) broke ground on the first building in 2007, and more than 6,000 volunteers have worked on it since. The goal of this project was to build eight homes each year and complete the project within three years. APi and its local companies worked on the third and final eight-plex in the area.
The TCHFH market rate homes are made affordable through the zero percent mortgages it issues to homeowners. Selected homeowners are required to put in 400-600 hours of sweat equity on theirs or other Habitat homes.
For every family it serves through its Homebuyer program, it must turn ten eligible families away. Each year more than 600 eligible families apply and only 50 families with the highest need are selected.
With housing secure, families are then free to concentrate on parenting, employment, education and community involvement.
While the national foreclosure rate is nearly 12 percent, the foreclosure rate on Habitat homes is about one percent. Habitat for Humanity gives families educational tools for successful home ownership.
The TCHFH is supported by nearly 300 corporations and engages over 20,000 volunteers annually. Worldwide, Habitat has built more than 300,000 homes since its start in 1976.
For more information, visit www.habitat.org.
Seventy-five employees participated in the Build Week, working daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Town Center Gardens in Ramsey, Minn.
Each day, volunteers were split into four to five crews and assigned to various projects with one of the daily crew leaders. The entire group was supervised by Adam Sease from APi Construction and Brian Erickson from APi Group.
“The energy, enthusiasm and positive attitude made the week a great success,” Erickson said. “I believe that everyone who worked on the project was able to stretch their own boundaries and could feel good that we accomplished quite a bit and helped the community.”
The Build Week was an opportunity for employees to help in the community and provide a means to network within other local APi companies.
“We had a lot of laughs,” said Huck Finn from APi Construction Co.
“Our small group included employees from a half-dozen APi Group companies; and best of all, we're proud to be members of a company that is willing to help families in the Twin Cities,” he said.
The Build Week volunteers included employees from APi Construction, APi Distribution, APi Electric, APi Group, APi National Service Group, Doody Mechanical, Garage Door Store, LeJeune Structural Steel, Twin City Garage Door, and Viking Automatic Sprinkler.
“We [Gia and I] were prepared for a challenge in gaining project support from company presidents, due to recent cutbacks and economic hardship,” said Shannon Swanson from APi Group. “What we got was overwhelming support and enthusiasm. It was awesome. They were on board one hundred percent.”
The volunteers hung drywall, installed cabinets, painted doors and trim, laid vinyl and laminated flooring, installed window screens, shelves, fire extinguishers and more.
“What an incredibly rewarding experience, being able to donate our skills and time to such a great cause,” said Sarah Polovitz from APi National Service Group. “The Habitat for Humanity supervisors enhanced our experience by educating us on eye-opening statistics that our community members face on a daily basis.”
Volunteers will be invited to the Dedications Ceremony once the homes are complete and the families are ready to move in.
It will bring the experience full circle, as volunteers will have an opportunity to see the finished project and meet the families impacted by their efforts. The ceremony will take place in early 2010.
This was the first time that APi Group worked on a building project with Habitat. Many APi offices make charitable contributions to their communities through build projects, financial sponsorship and fundraising events. It is a culture of generosity that will continue through future events and donations, as APi companies believe in giving back to the communities in which we live and do business.
About the Build Project and Habitat for Humanity
The Town Center Gardens project in Ramsey, Minnesota consists of 24 townhomes in three separate buildings. The total cost of development is $3.2 million and the entire project will be complete in January 2010.
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) broke ground on the first building in 2007, and more than 6,000 volunteers have worked on it since. The goal of this project was to build eight homes each year and complete the project within three years. APi and its local companies worked on the third and final eight-plex in the area.
The TCHFH market rate homes are made affordable through the zero percent mortgages it issues to homeowners. Selected homeowners are required to put in 400-600 hours of sweat equity on theirs or other Habitat homes.
For every family it serves through its Homebuyer program, it must turn ten eligible families away. Each year more than 600 eligible families apply and only 50 families with the highest need are selected.
With housing secure, families are then free to concentrate on parenting, employment, education and community involvement.
While the national foreclosure rate is nearly 12 percent, the foreclosure rate on Habitat homes is about one percent. Habitat for Humanity gives families educational tools for successful home ownership.
The TCHFH is supported by nearly 300 corporations and engages over 20,000 volunteers annually. Worldwide, Habitat has built more than 300,000 homes since its start in 1976.
For more information, visit www.habitat.org.
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