Press Releases

• Four Truckloads of Food Collected to Benefit HomeAid Northern California Shelters

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

  CONTACTS:
  Cheryl O'Connor | HomeAid Northern California | 925.768.0234 | coconnor@homeaidnc.org
  Gus Nodal | Infinite PR | 415.732.7825 | gnodal@infinitepr.com

  San Ramon, Calif. (November 18, 2011) – HomeAid Northern California is pleased to announce the success of the 10th Annual Food and Gift Drive sponsored by the Northern California chapter of the Building Industry Association's Professional Women in Building Council. The drive, held November 14 - 17th, garnered four truckloads – totaling thousands of pounds – of food and gifts to benefit a number of HomeAid Northern California shelters in recognition of Homelessness Awareness Week.

  HomeAid is one of the San Francisco Bay Area's most renowned providers of transitional housing for the temporarily homeless, and the donations will serve its Northern California shelters: Mission Solano of Fairfield, Shepherd's Gate of Livermore and Shelter, Inc. of Martinez.

  "We are incredibly grateful to the surrounding communities for their generous outpouring of donations, particularly during such a difficult economic time," said Cheryl O'Connor, Executive Director of HomeAid Northern California. "What we have collected at this year's drive will go a long way in helping those in need, and we offer our sincere thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers and donors."

  The value and impact HomeAid Northern California has had was especially evident at an event held at the conclusion of the drive on November 17th, during which two residents of the Mission Solano shelter moved volunteers to tears with stories of how the program saved their lives.

  HomeAid Northern California would like to thank the generous Food and Gift Drive sponsors: Hidden Villa Farms, Homesite Services, Hunt Hale Jones Architects, Diversified Marketing & Communications, Miller Starr Regalia, SSL Law Firm, Anderson Movers, Checkers Catering and the many building industry volunteers, including Nadia Costa, Dana Tsubota, Cyndi Fazzio, Steph Peek, Lisa Giffin, Lissa and Roger Severe and Terri Everhart, as well as Ponderosa Homes, Brookfield Homes, Toll Brothers, Shea Homes, Meritage Homes, DeNova Homes, Pulte Group.

  About Homeaid
  HomeAid Northern California is a 501c(3) non-profit organization founded in 1999 as the charitable arm of the Home Builders Association of Northern California. One of the region's most active homeless agencies, HomeAid has built shelters for the transitionally homeless in nearly every county in the San Francisco Bay Area in collaboration with the homebuilding industry and its vendors, partners and suppliers. In addition to providing a safe, comfortable home, the shelters typically offer counseling and job training as core components of their programs.

  HomeAid is currently building additions to the planned 34,000 sq. ft. Mission Solano Bridge to Life Center in Fairfield, CA, which currently has the capacity to house 122 residents. Once completed, the facility will house 162 residents, making it the second largest HomeAid shelter in the USA. Other projects in the works include construction of a new facility at Shepherd's Gate in Livermore, CA; renovation of the First Christian Church in downtown San Jose, CA to provide housing and job training through the Downtown Streets Team project; and renovation of a new Oakland, CA site for DreamCatcher, Alameda County's only emergency shelter for homeless teenagers. A complete list of current and completed shelters can be found here.

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  For more information about HomeAid, including its completed and pending shelter projects, visit www.homeaidnc.org. To arrange an interview please contact Cheryl O'Connor, 925.768.0234, coconnor@homeaidnc.org, or Gus Nodal at Infinite Public Relations, (415) 732-7825, gnodal@infinitepr.com.