On Friday, October 2, HBA Cares board members and staff, Emerging Leaders, and community members joined together to clean up the creek along Sinton Trail.  53 bags of trash were collected during the morning and afternoon cleaning sessions.  This year we had the Litter Letter "E" to fill as well to spell RESILIENT.  This artistic display of trash can be seen near America the Beautiful Park downtown.

HBA Cares board members Rachelle Strom, Tiffany Canady, Jill Lais, Laura Rill and Crystal Corbat helped spread the word about who HBA Cares is at the HBA’s Breakfast with the Builders event on February 12 at Chapel Hills Mall. More than 600 Realtors came to the event, and many stopped by the HBA Cares booth to learn about the organization’s mission and current projects and to write messages on Valentines to families transitioning out of homelessness at Dream Centers and Family Promise.

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Over 75 people attended the 2nd annual HBA Cares Hill Climb BBQ on June 13, 2019!  Daredevil George Hess of Vantage Homes donated the body of his car to HBA Cares, and thanks to Mr. Hess's generosity, HBA Cares was able to raise over $17,000 in sponsorships through this fundraiser.  These funds will be used for transitional and accessible housing projects in the Colorado Springs area.  The June 13 BBQ was a real success, with food sponsored by Builders FirstSource, drinks sponsored by RW Specialties, and great music from the local band Ashtonz.  HBA Cares would like to thank all of the 2019 Hill Climb Sponsors: Fireplace Warehouse; Alpine Lumber Company; Timberline Landscaping; the CSHBA; Floor Craft; La Plata; Bank of Colorado; Solid Rock Custom Homes; GE Johnson Construction Company; SANDIA; Tint Technologies; Timbers Diversified Wood Products; Builders First Source; Moisture Shield/BlueLinx; PenTrust; Land Title; Classic Homes; Foxworth Galbraith; Norbord; Vantage Homes; RW Specialties; Boise Cascade; and Fidelity National Title Company.  HBA Cares would also like to thank Budget Sign, photographer Gene Gustafson of Prestige Photography by Gene, and George Hess of Vantage Homes.

On March 29, 2019 HBA Cares faced off against local first responders and raised $4,500 for SHIELD 616!  Three full sets of protective armor were purchased for Colorado Springs police officers with the funds raised from the event.  HBA Cares is proud to support the people who protect us everyday.  HBA Cares would like to thank Red Leg Brewing Company, Pepsi, Builders FirstSource, the City of Colorado Springs, and Red-Eye Photography for sponsoring this event and making it possible.

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Check out pictures from the game here, courtesy of Red-Eye Photography. 

On Saturday, April 27, 2019, HBA Cares teamed up with Covington Homes and other HBA members and trades people to landscape the 2019 St. Jude Dream Home.  Volunteers successfully landscaped the front and back yards in one day!  Volunteers shoveled landscaping rock, laid down sod, planted bushes, laid down landscaping fabric, and shoveled dirt.  The gorgeous 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom, 3,700 square foot Dream Home is coming closer and closer to the June 14 give away date, when the lucky winner will be announced on KKTV 11 News.  Purchase your Dream Home ticket for only $100 here.  100% of ticket sales will go directly to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 

HBA Cares will have an informational booth at the 2019 HBA March Home Show. The Home Show will take place at the Chapel Hills Mall Event Center located at 1680 Briargate Blvd (located on the north side of Chapel Hills Mall between Sears and Burlington Coat Factory). Show dates and times are:

Friday, 3/15: 3 - 7 PM

Saturday, 3/16: 10 AM - 6 PM

Sunday, 3/17: 11 AM - 5 PM

Come peruse the tables and see what might come in use for your next home project or remodel. While you are there, please stop by the HBA Cares info booth to show your support and hear about our latest projects and events. You can also show your support by purchasing a coffee at the coffee cart on Saturday from 10 AM - 12 PM; coffee drinks will be $5 each, and $2.50 from each drink sold will go to HBA Cares. A big thank you to Land Title for sponsoring this coffee cart!

HBA Cares board members Rachelle Strom, Luke Bleichrodt, Jim McCrary, and Tyler S.C. Stevens helped spread the word about who HBA Cares is at the HBA’s Breakfast with the Builders event on January 29 at Chapel Hills Mall.

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More than 500 Realtors came to the event, and many stopped by the HBA Cares booth to learn about the organization’s mission and current projects. The Dream Centers construction and the Family Promise mobile home renovation projects were among some of the key topics of conversation. HBA Cares gave out informational flyers at the booth, and Realtors could spin the prize wheel to win a small prize.  A “50/50” raffle was also held, which raised $185 for HBA Cares. Winner Kimberly Amis of Cutting Edge Realty took home $90 in cash as her part of the prize.

This year has been an exciting year for HBA Cares!  In addition to renewing its logo, mission and website, HBA Cares has also undertaken a good number of projects and events.  Read More

On Thursday, December 13, country music fans came together at SCP Hotel for a benefit concert in support for HBA Cares.  A total of $10,384 was raised during the evening, which was sponsored by Oakwood Homes and iHeart Radio.  Approximately 100 people attended the event.  The funds will assist HBA Cares in Furthering its mission to support transitional and accessible housing and other community projects. 

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If you couldn't be there in person, take a look at this great highlight video! 

(Password: Oakwood2019)

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Thank you to everyone who donated auction items: iHeart Radio, local artist Tracy Miller, SCP Hotel, Fidelity National Title Company, and Robbins Roofing.  100% of the proceeds of the auction items will go to HBA Cares. 

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A special thank you to individual donors: Challenger Homes, Bobby Frazee, Jeff Dwire, The Dream Team, Todd Spencer, Wildcat Construction, Springs Custom Plumbing, Shirlee Dobbs, Arlun, Inc., and Majda Held.  Thank you also to Roger Miller and Jessica Scott of Oakwood Homes for their fundraising and organizational help, and to all attendees who donated at the door.  

HBA Cares collected $4,060 from raffle ticket sales and donations at the Annual HBA Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 5 at Great Wolf Lodge.  HBA Cares board members were on hand to sell raffle tickets in support of the HBA's philanthropic arm.  Doug Fritts of Builders FirstSource was the lucky winner.  The recipient of $2,000, Doug generously donated $1,500 of his winnings back to HBA Cares.  

On October 22, HBA Cares presented Family Life Services (FLS) with a donation of $1,000, and the El Paso County Roofing Contractors Association (EPCRCA) presented a matching donation.  The combined contribution of $2,000 will help fund roofing repairs to the main Family Life Services building, as well as to some of the surrounding housing facilities. 

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Located in Colorado Springs, the mission of Family Life Services is to facilitate life transformation of struggling single moms and their children through faith-based community.  HBA Cares looks forward to its continued partnership with FLS. 

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HBA Cares would like to acknowledge board member Mike Finkbiner of Robbins Roofing, as well as John Bryant of Reliable Roofing Systems, for their assistance in coordinating this joint contribution.  

Do you have a desire to positively impact our great city through philanthropic projects and events?  Consider serving on the HBA Cares Board of Directors!  HBA Cares is the philanthropic arm of the Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs, which partners with other local nonprofits to support transitional and accessible housing projects in the community. 

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HBA Cares Board elections are coming up in November.  Applications for joining the Board are due by October 31, 2018 at 5 PM.  Please contact Katherine at katherine@cshba.com or 719-592-1800 for more information.

HBA builder member Aspen View Homes completed their Extreme Dream 10-day build! The new Family Life Center is one of two Dream Centers renovation projects supported by HBA Cares this year.

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The Family Life Center will provide common spaces for Mary’s Home residents to gather. Mary’s Home provides housing and support to single mothers transitioning out of homelessness.

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The Ribbon cutting for the new building took place on Monday, October 15. HBA Cares plans to begin construction of an adjacent building - the Family Services Center - within the next month.

Last Friday about 25 volunteers from the HBA and HBA Cares rolled up their sleeves to help remove over 40 bags of trash from Fountain Watershed as part of Creek Week.  The Creek Crew cleaned up Sinton Trail between Holland Park and M. Chestnut Street in Colorado Springs. 

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Creek Week began in 2014 as a way to encourage citizens to help remove litter and debris from our land and waters, raise awareness of watershed health, and to foster a sense of community.  Since then, Creek Week has grown into an annual event that continues to provide an opportunity for communities to give back, to enjoy the parks and trails they are cleaning, and to understand their place in the Fountain Creek Watershed.  

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To join the HBA's crew next year, contact Katherine Croft at katherine@cshba.com.

HBA Cares sponsored the "Happy Gilmore Tee Box" at the HBA All Members Cup, held September 14 at Pine Creek Golf Course.  The tee box event raised $585 in donations from golfers. 

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Inspired by the movie Happy Gilmore, the fundraiser allowed golfers to try their hand at hitting whiffle balls with hockey sticks to win a pair of tickets to the HBA Holiday Party for the longest drive.  Congratulations to winner Jason Lalime from Builders FirstSource for his impressive feat! 

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In addition to the tee box event, golfers could make general donations to HBA Cares in exchange for a mulligan at hole #14 or the option of teeing off from the 150-yard marker.  Thanks to everyone who took part in this fun event in support of HBA Cares! 

Through the generosity of George Hess of Vantage Homes and the Wannabe Racing Team, HBA Cares was able to raise funds through sponsorships of  Hess's race car in this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 24.  Hess finished with a time of 11:49.71 in his first "Race to the Clouds," but the real win was his donation of the entire $10,000 that was raised to support future community projects through HBA Cares. 

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One of those projects is for Family Promise, whose mission is to provide comprehensive wrap-around services to empower families to go from shelter residency to homeownership.  The donation will also support HBA Cares as they work with Dream Centers on their upcoming "Extreme Dream" project.  Dream Centers provides health and hope for people working to rebuild their dreams. 

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HBA Cares is grateful to the donors, sponsors, and supporters that make carrying out their mission possible. 

About 75 members and community partners stopped by the HBA office on June 14 for barbecue, beverages, music, and games as part of a fundraising rally for HBA Cares.  The special guest of the evening was a green Porche 911, donated by Vantage Homes's George Hess for the upcoming Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.  Sponsor logos were placed on the car that will "race to the clouds" on June 24.  The event raised about $10,000 in donations and sponsorships, 100% of which will go to support upcoming HBA Cares community projects.  Thank you to all of our generous supporters! 

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Car & Trailer Sponsors: 

George Hess & Vantage Homes, DuPont/RW Specialist, Alpine Construction Services, HBA Parade of Homes, GE Johnson Construction, Careers in Construction, Land Title Guarantee CO., La Plata Communities, PenTrust Mortgage Group, Timbers Diversified, Builders FirstSource, Boise Cascade, Classic Homes, Fidelity National Title Company, AMG Manufacturing/Moisture Shield, Floor Craft, Norbord, SANDIA, The Homebound Team

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Food Sponsor: Builders FirstSource

Drink Sponsor: Mike Finkbiner, HBA Cares

Music Sponsor: Tiffany Canady, HBA Cares

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Other Acknowledgements:

SANDIA (HBA Cares logo design)

Amy Cox, Blu Owl Photography (photography)

Tayco Screen Printing (t-shirts)

Amark Budget Signs (decals)

After a month-long effort this past April, HBA Cares and project partner GE Johnson Construction exceeded the goal to collect 48,000 lbs of donations for local food banks across the Rocky Mountain Region.  This monumental endeavor was supported by 31 collection sites, white help from 55 partner companies.  Donations were given to 7 non-profit organizations who help feed hunger in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and California.  Together, we collected 87,352 lbs of food - roughly enough to feed over 125 people, three meals a day, for an entire year! 

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Locally, we collected 23,638 total pounds of food for Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado, surpassing our goal of 16,500 lbs.  Care and Share Food Bank exists to ensure that the one in eight Southern Coloradans at risk of hunger have access to enough healthy and nutritious food to thrive.  We know that children without adequate access to food cannot develop successfully, families cannot plan for their future, and seniors find it more difficult to remain independent. 

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The generous support of HBA members helps make it possible for HBA Cares to carry out its mission.  We sincerely thank everyone who donated!

HBA Cares joined the Covington Homes team and other volunteers on Saturday, April 28 at the site of the St. Jude Dream Home to help with a landscaping project - the final phase before the grand opening.  The crew finished installing the landscaping in just three hours. 

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This is the third Dream Home that HBA member Covington Homes has built on behalf of St. Jude Children's Hospital.  St. Jude helps save children's lives by giving children the ability to win the fight against childhood cancer - and families do not have to worry about one single bill. 

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This project was another great example of HBA Cares engaging resources of the housing and building industry to assist with community projects.