Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Dedicated to helping families in need get closer to these ideals, The Agency D.C. Metro team joined forces with Giveback Homes and Habitat for Humanity for their first annual Build Day on October 7th.
Half of the team went to the City of Takoma Park to prepare a property purchased by Habitat. The single-family home will be subdivided into a duplex for two families in need. This is the 101st home built by the organizations in the D.C. Metro area, which, along with the excitement of demolition, had the team especially eager to get to work.
Located within one mile of a future Purple Line station, the project will serve as an affordable housing model for the neighborhood and fill a significant gap in the market. Built from sustainable materials, the home follows guidelines set by the City’s climate emergency response framework, while creating a more equitable community helping families build generational wealth. In 2020 alone, our volunteers helped Giveback Homes and Habitat for Humanity save nearly $800,000 in labor costs and helped numerous families achieve the American dream of a place to call their own.
One of the people selected is becoming a homeowner after renting in the area for 20 years. “I can only imagine how much our lives will change,” she says.” My children will have enough space; I love my new backyard and look forward to seeing them playing out there. I just want to see the excitement on their faces.” The other home will go to a couple who immigrated to the U.S. from Ethiopia in 2007. “We know that homeownership will provide freedom and peace of mind that we never experienced renting.”
The other half of the volunteers spent the day at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a nonprofit retail outlet that sells household goods and furniture at deep discounts. By collecting and refurbishing donated items, they diverted reusable materials from the landfill and helped create a space where families, like the two above, can go to furnish their homes.
Want to get involved? Please donate and learn more about The Agency’s philanthropic initiatives at TheAgencyGives.com.
