Residential Construction Community in Illinois Rebuilds Home for Family in Need

Severe weather across the country destroys homes in its path. Families not only lose their homes and their personal belongings; the entire community struggles to restore their livelihoods.

To help communities rebuild, NAHB established the Home Building Industry Disaster Relief Fund (HBIDRF) in 2005. The fund provides grants to local charities involved in rebuilding efforts affected by disaster.

In December 2019, an EF-3 storm tornado destroyed over 100 homes and businesses in Laurel, Miss. Given all of the challenges to recover from the natural disaster, Orland Park Christian Reformed Church in Orland Park, Ill., partnered with NAHB members Distinctive Home Builders and Cimarron Construction to apply for an HBIDRF grant.

Cimarron Construction, several members of the Southwest Suburban Home Builders Association, and members of the Orland Park Christian Reformed Church used the $20,000 grant to build a new home for Jerry and Barb Breeland whose Laurel home was destroyed by the tornado.

Over the course of four weeks at the beginning of 2022, 29 volunteers donated hundreds of hours to build the walls and roof structure, install windows, siding, ceilings and several interior finishes. The volunteers had a variety of residential construction backgrounds and experience.

“It was a privilege for our church volunteers to be able to build a home for Jerry and Bunny Breland, whose home was damaged by a tornado in 2019. We give God the glory for this opportunity,” said Dori Summers, Discipleship and Outreach Coordinator, Orland Park Christian Reformed Church.

To learn more about how your company can partner with a local charity and apply for an HBIDRF grant, visit the Home Building Industry Disaster Relief Fund page on nahb.org.