NAHB Members and HBAs Help Their Communities Respond to COVID-19

The home building industry has always shown up to help in times of need, so it's no surprise that NAHB members and HBAs across the country are reaching out to their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Florida, Adams Group, a member of the Charlotte-DeSoto Building Industry Association (CDBIA), created and donated 55 intubation boxes to area hospitals in Southwest Florida and near its manufacturing facility in Greenville, S.C., President and CEO Ethan Adams shared. The boxes were put to immediate use in the emergency room at Fawcett Memorial Hospital in Port Charlotte, the hospital’s director showed in a social media post. [caption id="attachment_17901" align="alignright" width="225"] Doctors from Fawcett Memorial Hospital in Port Charlotte, Fla., test intubation boxes donated by Adams Group.[/caption] Fellow CDBIA members DR Horton of Southwest Florida, donated 400 N95 masks, 500 safety goggles and six cases of gloves to a local hospital in Fort Myers, and B&I Contractors partnered with local construction and health companies to work on negative air units that will be used at the Gulf Coast Medical Center in Panama City and Health Park Medical Centers in Fort Myers. Local HBAs also are rallying members to help their local communities. Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky Executive Vice President Brian Miller said its social media request to donate N95 masks was shared more than 1,100 times and reached over 78,000 Facebook users. "This information, where we requested members to donate directly to local hospitals, spread like wildfire and we're pleased our members answered the call to action," Miller said. Karyl Bohnsack, executive officer of the Greater Iowa City Area Home Builders Association, said members immediately responded to shared videos on how to make surgical caps and masks for workers at community hospitals, and posts about specific items needed at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Greater Iowa City Area HBA members Tim Ruth and Kevin McCreedy of McCreedy-Ruth Construction donated 80 cases of water and other necessities to area non-profit Shelter House in Iowa City, while Tim's wife Mary Ruth worked with friends and family to sew 200 masks for workers at Reach Your Potential, a supported community living center and other programs for adults with developmental disabilities. Another local member, Amy Pretorius of Elevation Home Builders, said her background as a registered nurse led her do all she could to help, including donating all of her company's N95 masks to the University of Iowa and sewing or donating more than 50 more to the community. The Greater Orlando Builders Association is coordinating donations of masks and eye protection equipment, with two of its members serving as drop-off centers. The Fredericksburg Area Builders Association in Virginia collected and distributed more than 650 N95 masks to Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Stafford County first responders, the Virginia Department of Health’s Rappahannock Area Health District and Spotsylvania Medical Center. Share Your Stories These are just a few examples of the countless ways our members and HBAs are serving their communities. We'd like to continue highlighting these efforts around the country to provide a source of good news during this challenging time. If you or your HBA has been helping your community, please email your story to us at [email protected].