Tag: Prince George’s County

Caruso Homes Helps Renovate Family Shelter Home to Aid Victims of Domestic Violence

November 20, 2018

On October 6, 2018, the St. Matthews Housing Corporation, a nonprofit organization in Prince George’s County, cut the ribbon on its second family shelter home!

ribbion cutting 10-6-18_The Bowie-based nonprofit has been able to expand their transitional housing and support program with help from Prince George’s County,  Home Builders Care and specifically, Caruso Homes.

Over the summer, a team from Caruso Homes completed major renovation work at a 1960s style home that was purchased as an estate sale with a Domestic Violence Grant Award from the County. The newly renovated home will allow St. Matthews to shelter and serve 3 more families in crisis. The case management services provided at the new home will ensure all members of the household are having their needs met and are working toward permanent stability.

Thank you Caruso Homes and congratulations St. Matthews!

New HBCF Projects Underway

May 3, 2018

The year 2018 is off to a great start for #HomeBuildersCare – All around Maryland!

The following charity build projects have recently started this spring – with more in our pipeline –

St. Matthews Housing Corporation – Prince George’s County
We are taking on the extensive renovation of a single family home in Bowie – new bathrooms, kitchen, HVAC and whole house flooring. The updated home will become part of St. Matthew’s transitional program for families in crisis and in need of safe shelter while they work towards stability. Thanks to Caruso Homes for taking lead! This is our second project for St. Matthews.

Marian House – Baltimore City
Work has begun on the total gut rehab of a large former rectory that will become an 8 bedroom transitional housing facility for homeless women with children. A second project involving renovations at a former convent that houses 14 women plus staff will begin once the rectory project is complete. For 30 years, Marian House has offered comprehensive services to women who have suffered from trauma, abuse, addiction, and other challenges that left them homeless and unemployed. HBCF is working to provide over $100,000 worth of assistance to this vital expansion project in the city.

Anne Arundel Food and Resource Bank
Thanks to MBIA members based in Anne Arundel County – Lang and Company and Chesapeake Plumbing & Heating Inc., the busy nonprofit is receiving a handful of improvements to help better serve the county’s low-income residents with much needed food, furniture and other essential basic necessities. While not a true “shelter-related” project, The resource bank is an important resource for residents in many non-profit housing programs throughout the county.

Ulman Cancer Fund House – Baltimore City
New housing for 9 cancer patients and their caregivers is going up near Johns Hopkins Hospital! The new House will serve as a supportive home away from home for patients receiving long-term treatment. Thanks to MBIA’s FIL Committee, Kitchen & Bath Creations and Appliance Distributors Unlimited for their contributions. The new UCF House is due to open in 2018.

Open Arms Housing – Washington DC
At the Dunbar Apartments, which is home to 16 formerly homeless women, HBCF is in the process of providing new appliances and flooring to accessible units in need to some refurbishment. The building opened in 2009 with HBCF helping  on the building’s initial development. The Dunbar was once a vacant and abandoned property but is now active on O Street NW. As Open Arms has expanded operations,  HBCF has offered key assistance to the growing housing program over the past ten years.

Housing Unlimited- Montgomery County
Upgrades at a Rockville group home for special needs individuals are in the works! With 72 homes, Housing Unlimited provides affordable, independent housing for adults in mental health recovery. HBCF assistance over the years has helped make the homes affordable to maintain for the nonprofit. Our collaborating partnership with Housing Unlimited stretches nearly 20 years.

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A Home Builders Care Project is a great opportunity for MBIA members to give back to others in need.  Every HBCF project is different. But our Project Perfect Wish List consists of the following:

  • An industry professional to help develop the project scope and outreach to potential resources
  • A builder captain to coordinate and supervise onsite work 
  • In-kind material donations and discounts
Our mission is to help. Care to join us?  Just email build@hbcf.org or call Foundation Director Patti Kane at 301-776-6212 for more information.

Prince George’s County Council issues Proclamation for Home Builders Care

February 23, 2017

On Tuesday February 21, 2017, the Home Builders Care Foundation (HBCF) was honored with a Proclamation by the Prince George’s County Council.  The honor was presented by Councilman Todd M. Turner (District 4).

Home Builders Care Foundation is the official charity of the Maryland Building Industry Association (MBIA).

HBCF was recognized for its recent work with the St. Matthew’s Housing Corporation and Champ House Recovery.

As a result of these two shelter-related projects, approximately 20 at-risk individuals and family members are being safely sheltered and cared for in housing facilities renovated by #homebuilderscare.

Special thanks is owed to Caruso Homes and Bozzuto Homes for their assistance with these two important projects.  Mr. Jeff Caruso as well as MBIA’s Vice President for Government Affairs Marcus Jackson were on hand to accept the award.

Watch a video of the presentation:

Champ House Recovery Get Help from Bozzuto Homes and DeVere Insulation

February 15, 2017

 Do you remember last spring when HBCF and Brothers Services Company replaced the roof at ChampHouse Recovery in Bowie?   Well, we are happy to report that one good deed has led to many others.

Almost one year later, a lot has been happening at Champ House under that new roof. Drywall has been repaired, new windows have been installed and the deck has been replaced – to name a few. But some of the most recent activity happened a few weeks ago thanks to the support of HBCF board member Tom Baum, President of BozzutoHomes and Jeff Cellio, Warranty Services Manager with Bozzuto Homes.

It all started with a follow-up site visit last fall to help Champ House prioritize their list of needed repairs following the roof. Champ House was in the early stages of a capital campaign and needed a professional to help determine what property improvements should be targeted with the anticipated funding.

After making his assessment, Jeff Cellio returned with other Bozzuto team members and they proceeded to adopt some of the work themselves.

So in early January, the Bozzuto team began work to transform the garage into a rec room for the 15 men in residence. They took out the existing garage door and substituted it with new framing, siding, a sliding glass door and 2 windows.

A week later, DeVere Insulation crews arrived to install a donation of insulation for the basement, the garage areas, as well as the meeting room and lower house.

Tom Baum shared more good news with HBCF. “Jeff and Greg have shown some real initiative with helping out Champ House and have gotten Devere Insulation on board to reinsulate the house free of charge. Beyond the roof work that was done previously, getting the insulation installed was a critical next step in the process of getting the place up to a habitable condition. What a great gesture by the DeVere folks.”

Champ House is a transitional therapeutic housing program for men who admittedly suffer from addiction to drugs and alcohol. It serves as a sober living house for patients leaving a rehabilitation program who are not quite ready to begin living on their own again.

Jeff Cellio commented on the project, “It is absolutely our pleasure to help out with such a dynamic program. The impact that the Champ House has on these resident’s lives is profound; we are honored to be a small part of such a life-changing process. DeVere Insulation shares Bozzuto’s Core Value of Concern for the Communities we Touch, and we are extremely lucky to have trade partners who are so willing to give of their time and resources.” 

Caruso Homes Leads Charity Build in Bowie

November 18, 2015



Over the next few weeks, a Prince George’s County housing program facility that supports low-income families transitioning to stability is being retrofitting with a new energy-efficient two-zone HVAC system and other upgrades thanks to local builder Caruso Homes and the Home Builders Care Foundation (HBCF), the 501 (c) (3) non-profit charity affiliated with the Maryland Building Industry Association (MBIA).
St. Matthew’s HousingCorporation (SMHC) is a non-profit, independent project providing rent-supported housing to low-to-moderate income families and individuals. The corporation was founded in 1990 under the sponsorship of St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church (UMC) in Bowie and presently operates and oversees Alpha House, a four-bedroom single family house in Old Town Bowie. SMHC program participants are selected in consultation with local shelters and agencies. The average stay at Alpha House is 18-24 months.
Gary Allen, President of St. Matthews Housing Corporation explains the need for the upgrades. “Several significant improvements were needed in order to help us sustain our program. Over the 25 years we have been using Alpha House, resources have been directed to program services and thus the facility has suffered. We needed to address the repairs and replacements in order to effectively and economically continue.”

Originally constructed in 1963, Alpha House still has many of its original elements, including its very old oil-fired boiler. A team of MBIA member companies is lending its expertise to upgrade the property, with local home builder Caruso Homes of Crofton serving as Builder Captain.  MBIA member Newport Partners of Davidsonville conducted an energy audit on the home just prior to renovation, and a new two-zone electric heat pump system is being installed by the Temple Hills-based McCrea Heating and Air. Additionally, windows will be replaced and insulation blown-in to R-30 minimum to help make the home more energy efficient and less costly for SMHC to operate. Other task items include installing a new front sidewalk and replacing flooring throughout the home. The total project value is roughly $30,000.

When Jeff Caruso, CEO of Caruso Homes heard about the project, he stepped up to help. “We have been long-time supporters of Home Builders Care and are proud to contribute our construction expertise to the renovation and help make a difference for families in need. It’s a model way for builders to give back to our communities.”
The Reverend Daniel Mejia of St. Matthews UMC is appreciative of the assistance. “St Matthew’s is very thankful for this new partnership that breathes new life to the Alpha House. Our hope and prayer is that these repairs will allow us to serve for many more years to come the homeless population in our midst.”
Prince George’sCounty Councilmember Todd M. Turner (D – District 4), whose constituent area includes Bowie, says this project is great news for residents. “I am pleased to offer grateful acknowledgement of the support Caruso Homes and the Home Builders Care Foundation have provided to the homeless working poor in Prince George’s County.   This unique public-private partnership to renovate the St. Matthew’s Housing Corporation Alpha House delivers state-of-the-art building systems for housing of one of our most vulnerable populations in the County.”
Liza Bowles, President of Home Builders Care and Newport Partners commented, “The Home Builders Care program is all about working with community nonprofits to meet the challenges of caring for our neighbors in need. Helping St Matthews retrofit their facility is a great example of our mission in action.”


The project is expected to be completed by mid-December with an open house and ribbon-cutting event to be planned before year-end.