Care Day at SafeHouse Outreach
Atlanta – March 3, 2022 – HomeAid Atlanta, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people experiencing or at risk of homelessness build new lives through construction, community engagement, and education, recently brightened up SafeHouse Outreach with a new coat of paint and new lighting. The work was the focus of a HomeAid Care Day, a volunteer workday providing free facility maintenance, upgrades, and repairs for organizations that serve families and individuals experiencing homelessness. SafeHouse Outreach (SafeHouse), located in downtown Atlanta, aims to transition people from homelessness to a point of stability and independent living.
As part of the February 26 Care Day, volunteers from Vincent Longo Custom Builders and Whitefield Academy, along with several community members, painted SafeHouse’s mission teams dormitory. This space houses out-of-town groups providing assistance with SafeHouse’s work-based projects and relational ministry projects. Sherwin-Williams donated all of the paint for the project. This donation combined with the labor of volunteers provided a savings of nearly $4,000 for SafeHouse.
“We appreciated every artist channeling their inner Picasso to bring new life to this facility with a fresh coat of paint,” said Vince Longo of Vincent Longo Custom Builders, who encouraged his staff and network of friends to spend the day with HomeAid at SafeHouse. Longo and his friends from Whitefield Academy have worked at SafeHouse a few times over the years. In late 2016, Longo and the Whitefield Men’s Fraternity volunteered at SafeHouse over three Saturdays, totaling close to 300 volunteer hours, to complete demolition work at a SafeHouse apartment building slated for renovation. In late 2017, Longo and his team led a total renovation of SafeHouse’s restroom facilities.
“We were so excited to have our friends from HomeAid Atlanta, Vincent Longo Custom Builders, and Whitefield Academy back on our campus helping us get ready to host groups again. In our effort to provide a quality and dignified service experience to people experiencing homelessness, we must do the same for our volunteers and mission teams. We haven’t been able to utilize the bunk rooms for volunteers for over two years due to the pandemic. We’re hosting our first outreach group on March 6, so this generous donation of painting and new lighting came just in time,” said Josh Bray, SafeHouse Executive Director.
HomeAid Atlanta is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001, with a mission to help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness build new lives through construction, community engagement, and education. HomeAid builds, renovates, and maintains facilities for nonprofits serving people experiencing homelessness. HomeAid has completed over 170 construction projects at locations for victims of domestic violence, teen mothers, veterans and more, utilizing connections with building industry professionals and community organizations. HomeAid also provides essential items like diapers, wipes, and hygiene products to those affected by homelessness. HomeAid is the designated charity of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. Learn more at www.homeaidatlanta.org.