By Vina Ortiz, Talent Strategy Manager
Blog
Accruent Completes Panel Build with Habitat for Humanity
What are Accruent employees up to when they're not in the office? Learn how one group got together to build all the walls of a home for a charitable cause.
As part of our accruentCARES charitable giving and volunteer service program, 65 of our employees ditched their desks last Thursday morning to help build all of the interior and exterior walls for a Habitat for Humanity home. This was Accruent’s second time teaming up with Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County, and Habitat’s first ever panel build event on-site with a corporate partner.
“We feel very fortunate to be in a position to give back to our community and give employees the opportunity to do the same,” said Mark Friedman, CEO of Accruent, “Habitat for Humanity is a great cause that’s making a real difference and we’re glad to be supporting them.”
| Accruent's panel build event included: |
|---|
| 65 employees |
| 5,000 nails |
| 400 2x4 studs |
| 40 sheets of OSB |
That morning, our accruentCARES crew and many regular Habitat for Humanity volunteers and representatives met with Brittany Ausborn, mother of two, to get her future home started in the Accruent parking lot. After breakfast and introductions, volunteers were split into groups led by seasoned Habitat volunteers. For four hours, the air was filled with the sound of hammers hitting nails and cheers as each panel was completed.
We had such a positive response to the Habitat event during our 2015 Community Volunteer Week in June that we knew we had to continue our partnership with Habitat, especially with the ties to Accruent’s industry of real estate and facilities! This was the Williamson County Habitat group’s first panel build event, and they did a wonderful job organizing and keeping all our teams moving as best they could.
Once the frame was up, we celebrated with a group picture and a musical conga line around and inside the house. Then, as a Habitat tradition, every person who helped that day had the opportunity to write a message and sign the frame to wish Brittany and her family well in their future new home.
The frame of Brittany's home will be installed at its final address in Taylor, Texas on December 5th, which Accruent employees are encouraged to continue volunteering with if they would like to see the home taken from start to finish.
“The timing was right for Accruent to take on the first (panel build) effort – willingness, ability to support the financial requirement, and the space,” said Nicole Vommaro, Resource Development Director, Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County.
| Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County facts: |
| About 1,000 volunteers help each year |
| It takes approximately 2,200 volunteer hours to build a house |
| An average of 5 houses are built each year, as wll as 1-2 rehab homes and 14 repairs on existing houses |
Habitat “partner families” are chosen based on their need for housing, ability to pay the 20-year mortgage and willingness to partner with the organization. Partner families attend Habitat-sponsored training on financial wellness, home care and other practical topics in preparation for the responsibility of home ownership. Brittany's house will be the 67th house built in Williamson County by Habitat for Humanity.
About Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County (HFHWC):
Founded in 1999, Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County (HFHWC), a non-profit Christian ministry, brings communities and people together to create and sustain home ownership opportunities in Williamson County. Habitat has worked with more than 15,000 volunteers and community supporters to help 78 families become homeowners and 16 families sustain home ownership through the home repair program. Families selected for Habitat homeownership, invest 300 – 500 hours of ‘sweat equity’ to help build their own home, which they purchase via a zero-interest mortgage, and help build the homes of others in the program. For more information, visit www.williamsonhabitat.org
