Our 2021 Community Builder Award Winners

Tri Pointe Homes​

Augustine Plumbing
Barger Agency / Delta Faucets
EAI – Environmental Alternatives
Emerson Electric
Masterbrand Cabinets
NJ Construction
Whirlpool
Terra Stoneworks 

John M. DeZinno

Home Builders Care is the Maryland Building Industry Association's (MBIA) official charity and its principal way for BUILDERS to GIVE BACK.  
 
In order to help others in need of shelter and support, the Home Builders Care program depends on you and members of the association – the dedicated builders, suppliers, contractors, and professionals of MBIA – who are willing to step up and help out on projects by sharing their expertise.  Our annual community service awards recognized building industry members who have gone above and beyond for Home Builders Care.

 This year’s Community Builder Award winners are the team from Tri Pointe Homes for the multiple kitchen renovation project at the Cordell Place Apartments.

For the past twelve years, Cordell Place, an ordinary building in downtown Bethesda, has been the site of a model permanent supportive housing program of the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless. The building’s residents are all formerly chronically homeless individuals, many of whom had been living on the streets for years. 

Cordell Place once was a four-story office building.  Today, Cordell houses 32 furnished studio apartments, each with a private half-bath. Four (4) large full-sized kitchens, one on each floor, are shared by 8 residents.
 
These heavily-used communal kitchens desperately needed a renovation.  

In early 2020, the property was toured by Tri Pointe’s VP of Purchasing Mike Karns (past President of HBCF) who took the volunteer opportunity back to his company and his team decided to take it on and pay it forward.  They began reaching out to their suppliers and subcontractors and quickly lined up commitments for in-kind donations.  Then before any scheduling was able to take place - the world changed due to Covid restrictions, manufacturing and supply chain issues and the idea of business as usual went out the window.

But through all the chaos, Tri Pointe and their dedicated subs and suppliers held fast to their commitments to help the residents and staff at Cordell Place, who were nothing but patient and hopeful that the project would eventually get done. Which it did in early 2021. 

The total retail value of the four-kitchen renovation project was about $75,000 and we are thrilled to report that 97% of all project costs were covered by Tri Pointe Homes and their trade partners – helping Coalition Homes save their critical resources on direct care for residents.  

When we notified Tri Pointe about their award, they insisted on sharing the honors with those subs and suppliers who held fast to their commitments to help – for well over a year – and a challenging one at best. 

Thank you to the following companies who contributed to the project:

1. Augustine Plumbing
2. Barger Agency / Delta Faucets
3. EAI – Environmental Alternatives
4. Emerson Electric
5. Masterbrand Cabinets
6. NJ Construction
7. Whirlpool
8. Terra Stoneworks  

Our Directors Award is presented in recognition of vision and leadership in advocating for HBCF within the building community and championing HBCF causes.   

This year’s winner is someone who has been one of the leading champions for Home Builders Care over the past two years. And he is none other than our recent past-president John DeZinno, Senior Vice-President of Howard Bank - now First National Bank (FNB).

John took the helm of Home Builders Care in January 2020 – spending pretty much all of his time leading our organization through a pandemic and some of the most challenging years for all of us.  It hasn’t been business as usual.  But during this time:

• He oversaw our most successful fundraising events ever.   
• He provided guidance on how to donate grants to frontline nonprofit organizations, allowing these groups to continue their missions in the darkest of times.
• He has continued to achieve program goals despite the pandemic postponing many projects in our pipeline. 
• He has been a guiding voice representing our organization at numerous MBIA Chapter and Council meetings and
• He constantly was pushing our Foundation's working committees to do more and think of others in need.  

Thank you all for your outstanding hands-on charitable efforts that make a difference in the lives of others in need.
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The cooperation, dedication and spirit of our 2021 Community Service Award Winner is an excellent example of why the Home Builders Care program is successful in helping improve the lives of at-risk individuals and families in our communities.

Congratulations and thank you to all our winners!