HomeAid Inland Empire Commits $40,000 For U.S. VETS Project With Funding From Lennar Charity, Bank of America and BIA

    RIVERSIDE, CA, June 11, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- HomeAid Inland Empire (HAIE) recently committed $40,000 to the United States Veterans Initiative (U.S. VETS) to continue renovation work on the U.S. VETS facility that temporary houses homeless veterans at March ARB in Riverside.

The financial support for the U.S. VETS phase two renovation project included a $25,000 grant from the Lennar Charitable Housing Foundation (LCHF), $10,000 through HomeAid America from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, and $5,000 from the Riverside County Building Industry Association (BIA) in conjunction with HomeAid Inland Empire, the non-profit charity of the BIA.

"Home Aid Inland Empire is pleased to have been able to secure this critical funding that will allow us to continue the much-needed renovation work at the U.S. VETS March ARB facility," commented HAIE Executive Director Ray Osborne, in announcing the funding support for the project.

Osborne also announced that a $6,000 grant from the Masco Foundation through HomeAid America has just been received to provide additional shelter development funds for this important renovation project to provide help to homeless veterans in the Inland Empire.

As a result of HomeAid's fundraising efforts, work has been started on the renovation of at least 16 more apartments, housing up to 44 emergency and transitional living beds, at the U.S. VETS facility. HomeAid Inland Empire recently completed renovation work on 12 apartments at the March ARB location that provided 24 transitional beds for homeless veterans to utilize as they work to rebuild their lives and achieve self sufficiency through the U.S. VETS VIP and CHAMPS housing, counseling and job training programs.

HomeAid Inland Empire raised more than $37,000 in funding and obtained over $50,000 in in-kind donations of labor and materials from the building industry and Home Depot to complete the phase one renovation work at the U.S. VETS facility.

"U.S. VETS is thankful for the outstanding work that HomeAid is continuing to do for our organization to help us provide a comfortable and safe place for the veteran clients we serve at this facility," commented U.S. VETS CEO Stephen Peck. "We are looking forward to continuing to work with HomeAid Inland Empire in the months ahead to make additional improvements to the facility," he added.

The Lennar Charitable Housing Foundation (LCHF) has provided two grants totaling $50,000 to provide a major portion of the funding for the multi-phased U.S. VETS renovation project.

"Lennar and the Lennar Charitable Housing Foundation are proud to be partners with HomeAid Inland Empire and U.S. VETS on this very worthwhile project to assistant homeless veterans who richly deserve our respect and support," commented Mark Torres, Inland.LA Division President for Lennar. "The LCHF charity grant program would not exist if it wasn't for the generosity of our homebuyers who have donated to the program, and we are sincerely appreciative for their continuing support," he added.

Bank of America also continued to strengthen its partnership with HAIE and HomeAid America by providing the local chapter with a $10,000 grant for the second renovation phase at the U.S. VETS facility.

"Bank of America partners with community revitalization leaders such as HomeAid to provide critically-needed shelter and social services," said Al Arguello, Bank of America Inland Empire Market President. "We appreciate the outstanding work that HomeAid Inland Empire is doing to serve the housing needs of homeless men, women and children in Riverside and San Bernardino counties," he added.

The Riverside Chapter of the Southern California Building Industry Association (BIA ) is continuing to providing funding as well as membership volunteer support to HomeAid Inland Empire on this renovation project.

General contractor Fred Agudelo, a BIA member, working at the direction of HomeAid Inland Empire, will again be the Builder Captain and Project Manager to supervise the phase two renovation work at the U.S. VETS facility. Agudelo will continue to train and utilize several veterans who reside at the March ARB location to do the renovation work to upgrade and upgrade the apartment units, including drywall repair and painting, as well as flooring and tile installation as part of the U.S. VETS ongoing job training program at the facility.

"HomeAid Inland Empire has been our non-profit charity for the past 25 years, and we are proud of the work they have done on behalf of our industry over the years to help deal with the serious issue of homelessness in our community," commented Riverside County Chapter BIA CEO Bill Blankenship. "Our efforts through HomeAid have resulted in the completion of 32 homeless shelter facilities, housing 833 beds, valued at more than $17.1 million, with over $6.4 million in funding and donations of in-kind labor and materials coming from the Inland Empire building industry," he noted.

For more information about HomeAid Inland contact HAIE Executive Director Ray Osborne at [email protected] or visit the organization's website at homeaidie.org to volunteer or make a donation.

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