Page 17 - FEB 2019 proof 4 - The Castle Pines Connection

Li festyle17
Making a house feel like home: Home Builders Foundation
The belief that nonpro t organizations strengthen our community, combined with faith in our readership and humanity in general that we all have talents to share, The Castle Pines Connection is committed to featuring a di erent local nonpro t each month. This month we highlight Home Builders Foundation.
By Elise Brassell; photos courtesy of Home Builders Foundation
When people have accidents, illness or other events happen in their lives that suddenly leave them physically disabled, it can make the everyday task of moving throughout the home di cult. Imagine trying to use your kitchen from a wheelchair, or come into the house from the garage if you can no longer navigate stairs.
That’s where the Home Builders Foundation (HBF) comes in. The HBF is a nonpro t organization that modi es homes to make them accessible so that individuals living with a disability can live safe, independent lives once again. Through partners in the homebuilding industry that contribute thousands of dollars of in-kind donations
of material, labor and project management, HBF provides home modi cations – at
no cost – for individuals with physical disabilities.
Since its founding in 1993, the organization has helped remodel homes for nearly 1,600 individuals with disabilities, including a Castle Rock resident who needed help to use her kitchen after su ering paralysis from the waist down and on one side due to stroke. According to Lauren Knudsen, community development director of HBF, the client
is an “active member of her community who spreads her love through cooking and baking, but after the side paralysis, she could no longer access her kitchen.” HBF stepped in and not only made her home safe and fully accessible with a barrier-free bathroom, two ramps and new ooring, but also o ered the ability to continue to give to her community by fully remodeling her kitchen.
Some HBF volunteers decide to give back for the long-term, including John Hovde, board member for HBF and 16-year Castle
Pines resident. “About 10 years ago I
was asked if I could help the HBF with
a bathroom remodel for a recipient with multiple sclerosis. It seemed like a great way to use my expertise as a builder and to leverage relationships with suppliers to give back to the community,” Hovde said.
HBF is always in need of skilled labor and individuals to help with fundraising needs. The organization’s next fundraising event, called Pucks for Possibilities, will be held on February 27 and will feature builders and associates facing o in an afternoon exhibition hockey game and cheering on the Colorado Avalanche as they take on the Vancouver Canucks.
For more information on HBF, visit hbfdenver.org.
Castle Pines resident John Hovde (left) and Bryan G. celebrate the new accessibility of Bryan’s Stapleton home.
Home Builders Foundation can make everyday tasks, such as coming into a home from the garage, a little easier with a few modi cations.
We invite readers to send suggestions for nonpro t organizations to feature. Email editor@castlepinesconnection.com.
We look forward to learning more and sharing information about nonpro ts in our community throughout the year.
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Did You Know?
The Connection is direct mailed free of charge to homes and businesses in the 80108 ZIP code. Even though the communities do not all have “Castle Pines” in their names, we consider the entire 80108 ZIP code to be Castle Pines. Our readers shop at the same local grocery store(s) and
their kids attend the same community schools.