Home Building Foundation outreach to local construction programs will blossom this spring

BY TERESA SPANGLER, HBF STAFF

HBF reached out to the more than 30 high school construction programs at the beginning of the school year. We now have a growing list of the programs poised to complete valued work for our nonprofit shelter providers.

The students at Reynolds Learning Academy are currently finishing up a tool shed that we will add to the gardens at Home Plate. The students finished wonderful cedar planting boxes for the Beaverton drop-in center, which are ready for planting. HBF will be helping the students perform at a high level by providing their Trades program new tools.

At Yamhill Carlton, we are donating kits so the students can build bee houses for the men who live at the nearby Blanchet House Farm. This rural facility provides men in recovery the opportunity to take care of farm animals, and work in a woodshop.

Students at Merlo High have finished some terrific playhouses, which will be featured at the upcoming HBA Spring Home and Garden show. They will also build picnic tables for pod shelter villages this spring. Grant High students will build tables as well, continuing our successful pilot of the “Picnic Table Project” last year. A grant from the National Association of Home Builders, Bank of America, and International Wood

Products helped us provide materials so Sam Barlow High in Gresham, Reynolds Learning Academy, and Constructing Hope could build sturdy cedar tables, which are now in use at three Portland housing villages.

Amity High’s construction teacher John Sterns toured the grounds of our project for Yamhill Community Action Partnership’s Harvest House. His students will come to the site this spring and help with the fencing, and build a covered outdoor pavilion. A grant from Fireside Home Solutions will help make this project a reality.

Glencoe High’s Todd Patterson came out to see the opportunities at Project Homeless

Thank you from HBF Executive Director

Thank you to the 2022 HBF Board of Directors, and a special thank you to Jason Waugh, owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices NW Real Estate, for his leadership for the last two years. We have had some challenging times, but HBF has continued to thrive and make a difference for the most vulnerable in our community. We also say a heartfelt goodbye to several board members; Tim Nacrelli with Zepak who has faithfully served on the HBF Board since 2011, Darci Fredricks, owner of California Closets, who served as President in 2019-2020, and Jeremy

Connect in Hillsboro. His students will help build a shed, and work on the grounds of the project as a part of their senior capstone project. Students at St. Helens High will help build a shed, and we are in talks with the construction programs at Tigard, Tualatin, Gresham, and Sam Barlow High for further involvement.

And our friends at Constructing Hope will be looking sharp this coming year. Just before Christmas, HBF dropped off some beautiful new saws and other tools, using a grant from the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund.

Comiskey who served two terms on the board. Thank you all for your dedication and commitment. We would like to welcome Taylor Pawley with Rick’s Custom Fencing, and Mark Bierwagen, owner of Stone Creek Homes, as new board members for 2023. We will be in good hands under the leadership of long-time HBA member, Brian Schmidt, owner of Brian Schmidt Builder who will serve a two-year term as HBF Board President.

Foundation Hero - Kelly Cowan

Name: Kelly Cowan

Company & Title: Clean it up Mark. President

Tell us about yourself (What you do, how you got started in the business, etc.): We are a construction clean up and recycling company. I came to work for Mark McGregor to learn the business and eventually purchase it from him.

How did you get involved in the HBF? What keeps you involved? Clean it up Mark has been involved with the HBF since its beginning. The foundation is always working on a great cause and we are happy to help where we can.

What is a fun fact about you that not everyone knows? I have a group of friends that run adventure races and this year we are going to get our Spartan Trifecta.

What is your favorite hobby?

I enjoy going golfing with our weekend group.

Thanks again for being our “Hero”, we appreciate you!