This week’s devastating hurricane, rain, and floods in Texas and parts of Louisiana have left much of the area uninhabitable, and the home building industry has taken notice. Builders, manufacturers, and related groups have stepped up to help ease the burden on Harvey’s victims in various ways. Their donations include:
–Taylor Morrison donated a combined $250,000 to the American Red Cross Harvey Fund and to an internal Harvey Care Fund. Additional team member contributions to the employee Harvey Care Fund will be matched by the company to help provide relief and support to Taylor Morrison and Darling Homes staff displaced and impacted by the storm.
Company model homes in nearby communities have been repurposed to provide shelter, and some Taylor Morrison and Darling Homes team members are welcoming others into their own homes. “We say time and time again that we’re a family at Taylor Morrison, but to hear our Texas team members taking care of each other in this way reminds me just how true that sentiment is,” said CEO Sheryl Palmer.
–Lennar pledged at least $1 million to the United Way of Greater Houston Flood Relief Fund and said that the Lennar Foundation will match contributions made by its 9,000 associates nationwide.
“Our hearts go out to people in communities across the Houston area who have been impacted by the severe flooding from Hurricane Harvey,” said Stuart Miller, CEO of Lennar, one of Houston’s largest home builders.
–The International Code Council will match member, staff, and stakeholder donations up to $64,000 made during the next three weeks to the American Red Cross. The group is also establishing the Hurricane Harvey Code Heroes Housing Network to connect code officials and other code-related volunteers with available housing in the area.
Code Council staff also are working with FEMA, code officials and members in Texas, and other experts to provide support as needed and to begin the process of assessing damage, according to a release.
–The NAHB pledged to help its affiliates and offered this list of ways that the public can help. The group will be working closely with state and local home builder associations in the region to help them meet the needs of members who have been affected by the storm. NAHB will also provide resources to support members as they help families rebuild, according to a release.
Courtesy Friedrich
Friedrich employees donated A/C units to the Rockport, Texas, Volunteer Fire Department.
–San Antonio, Texas, manufacturer Friedrich donated 200 Chill room air conditioners worth an estimated $55,000 to Rockport, Texas, a town almost completely devastated by the storm. The units will be used by the Rockport Volunteer Fire Department, which is struggling to provide shelter for emergency responders in the area, including law enforcement officers, volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel and dispatchers, after many have lost their own homes and businesses.
–Window maker Andersen and the Andersen Corporate Foundation will provide $175,000 in monetary support and product donations to help communities impacted by the hurricane. Andersen will donate $100,000 of windows and doors to Houston Habitat for Humanity to help with rebuilding efforts and the Andersen Corporate Foundation will make a $50,000 donation and will match up to $25,000 in employee donations to the Red Cross.
–Employees at Aeroseal LLC aimed to raise $48,000 in 48 hours. Donations to go to American Red Cross – Disaster Relief Fund. The company will match all donations until the goal is reached.
–Emser Tile arranged a company-wide donation program to support disaster relief in Houston and Southeast Texas. The program will include a significant corporate donation from Emser Tile and a match of all Emser Tile employee donations to the Red Cross. The Los Angeles-based tile and stone company operates four showrooms and a major distribution center in Houston, and employs over 200 associates in the area. A separate fund has also been organized to provide financial assistance to those Emser Tile employees directly impacted by the disaster.
–Simpson Strong-Tie donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. “The number of people affected by this disaster is profound and devastating. We are actively pursuing additional ways we can help locally,” said Simpson Strong-Tie CEO Karen Colonias. “We will keep the communities in Texas in our thoughts.”
How is your organization helping out? Let us know in the comments section below.
