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Community Involvement
Worth Noting…
By: Joseph A. Narkiewicz
Executive Vice President
A Different View of the TBBA
During the past few months, the TBBA has had to deal with several contentious issues: the EPC, inclusionary zoning, and comprehensive planning, to name a few. Some of the discussions in the public arena got pretty heated as all sides were passionate about their positions. Members should note that the TBBA is involved in community activities that have far more positive results.
Last year, the TBBA joined the ranks of Home Aid America by forming Home Aid Tampa Bay, a charitable organization that helps to provide transitional housing and housing for the homeless. The commitment to Home Aid Tampa Bay is to one project each year that would result in some type of shelter for the homeless. Working through its members with donations and discounts, a builder sponsor would agree to be the builder captain for a project and supervise its construction.
The TBBA’s Sales and Marketing Council (SMC) has stepped forward and has adopted Home Aid Tampa Bay as its official charity program. The SMC will be assisting with: promoting the various projects; educating TBBA members about the projects; soliciting donations of materials and supplies, serving as a liaison between the charity, the TBBA Board of Directors, and TBBA members; identifying and assist in screening future Home Aid Tampa Bay projects. The SMC has a history of highly successful projects and we expect that their help with Home Aid Tampa Bay will be most beneficial to the charities.
In its first year, the TBBA committed to participate in two separate projects. The first project is to build a small project consisting of 12 townhomes and a community clubhouse. Working through Metropolitan Ministries, the project would serve as transitional housing for single mothers who have completed rehabilitation for substance abuse. Lennar Homes serves as the team captain to build the townhomes and the local chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) will be constructing the community center. Completion of construction is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2008.
A second project, The Sallie House, involves assisting the Salvation Army to build a home as temporary housing for abused or neglected children. The group care setting for the children is temporary, until more permanent, family-style care can be arranged. The Salvation Army is the host for the project and the team captain is Core Construction. The home will consist of almost 11,000 sq. ft. and will include complete facilities for caring for abused children. Construction will begin in early 2008 and should be completed by December of 2008.
Meanwhile, the TBBA had agreed to assist in the development of the new Children’s Museum that will be built in downtown Tampa. Tampa Bay is one of the few metro areas in the country that does not have a fully-operational Children’s Museum. The project is just getting started and will be located on land donated by the City of Tampa as a part of the former Curtis-Hixon Hall site. The TBBA and the building industry will have a presence in the museum through permanent, interactive displays that will acquaint the children with the various aspects of building and development.
All of this is in addition to The TBBA’s ongoing commitment to the Future Builders of America (FBA), Project CRAFT, and Project TRADE. The FBA provides projects and activities for high school students that have an interest in the areas of construction There are already six FBA chapters in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties with more in the planning stage. Each chapter is sponsored by a TBBA member. The program was established by the Florida Home Builders Association and there are currently 60 chapters throughout the state, and it’s just getting started.
Under the auspices of the Home Builders Institute of the National Association of Home Builders, Project CRAFT continues to provide adjudicated and at-risk youth with career path alternatives in the field of construction. Project TRADE, on the other hand, works through the Pinellas County judicial system and offers training in electrical trades and building maintenance for rehabilitating women prisoners. It is the first such project in the nation.
The TBBA members also participate in Rebuilding Together, a volunteer group that repairs homes for people of limited resources. The people who are helped are often elderly and/or disabled persons who have little or no family support system. The TBBA is one of the founding organizations that established the local chapter almost eight years ago.
The TBBA members, individually and corporately, support a countless number of other charity programs, holding fund-raisers themselves or participating in other fund-rising activities. Millions of dollars are raised each year through the efforts and generosity of TBBA members.
All of these programs serve the entire community and enhance the quality of life for all of its citizens.
