RENO C-CORE MEMBERS, COACHES AID NEVADA VETERAN

Marine Sergeant Dylan Gray knows the definition of a hero. Ask him, and you’ll hear him cite the hundreds of volunteers who participated in the construction of his new home. Ask those volunteers, however, and each of them will recognize Sgt. Gray as theirs. 


Sgt. Gray returned to his home in Nevada without legs after his deployment in Iraq, the result of an injury received when his Humvee drove over the pressure plate of an IED. Husband and father of three small children, he and his family are living in a two story home in the rural town of Wellington, nearly 2 hours south of Reno. Confined to the first floor of this home because of his injuries, Sgt. Gray had difficulty caring for his family and participating in the daily life we all take for granted.


The Builders Association of Northern Nevada (BANN), affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders, and an intermediary partner of the C-CORE (Construction Coaching Opportunities to Reach Employment) program, saw that assisting Sgt. Gray and his family was right up its alley. C-CORE is an innovative mentoring and coaching program that partners mentors (coaches) and students aged 16-18 (members) for a year, encouraging them to explore industry careers, set life goals, and participate in community service projects that reinforce their connections to their local community and to others. 


Partnering with Homes for Our Troops, a nationally recognized charitable organization that builds adapted homes for disabled veterans, BANN helped to secure land, contractors, subcontractors and materials to build “A Home for Sgt. Gray”. Embraced by the community and by the industry, hundreds of volunteer laborers and tradesman participated in a community “Build Brigade” weekend in mid-March that took the home from a slab to a completely framed, roofed and sheathed structure in just three days.


C-CORE members and coaches hauled building materials, cleaned up and recycled surplus building debris, served food as part of the “chow line”, and even built a dog house for the Gray family pooches. The participation of the C-CORE volunteers freed up valuable skilled labor that was needed to meet the ambitious 3-day building schedule. 


C-CORE members represented a broad spectrum of volunteers, and hailed from a number of Northern Nevada schools and referral sources. Without the enthusiastic participation of C-CORE, a home for Sgt. Gray would still be a dream. Because of the involvement of the Reno C-CORE volunteers, the Gray family will be enjoying a home for a true Nevada hero by early summer.

BANN helps build a new home for a disabled veteran

Hundreds of volunteers will converge in Wellington Nevada tomorrow as the Builders Association of Northern Nevada (The Builders) and Homes For Our Troops come together to build Marine Sgt. Dylan Gray a new, specially adapted home at no cost to him. Sgt. Gray lost both of his legs in Iraq and is not able to get around his current home to help his wife care for their three small children.

“I’m overwhelmed by the generosity and support of the community, even in such difficult financial times,” said Teri Scharosch, director of operations at The Builders. “A vast majority of the building materials, supplies and hours of labor have been donated by companies right here, in Northern Nevada.”

The three-day “Build Brigade” will begin with a brief ceremony tomorrow at 8:30 am. The group of volunteers hope to take the home from bare foundation to a weather tight home by Sunday.

Giving back to the community

It's a wonderful time of the year, the holiday season. People seem more relaxed and think more of others. We seem to be more willing to donate food and gifts or volunteer to give back to the community -- more so than any other time of the year. Why not volunteer all year long?

Here at The Builders Association of Northern Nevada, we're committed to giving back all year long. We have a philanthropic arm, the Builders Association Charity, which supports local families in need. We have a new construction career focused youth mentoring program called C-CORE. And perhaps our largest recent endeavor, we've joined forces with Homes For Our Troops to build a new accessible home for a disabled Nevada Veteran, Sgt. Gray.

Call us at (775) 329-4611 or visit us online to find out how you can contribute to these wonderful projects.

Get involved with The Builders and you'll fulfill two needs at once; you'll be supporting an industry vital to our local economy and you'll be supporting your community through out the year.

Over $1.8 million in weatherization projects will begin July 1st

Starting July 1st, more than $1.8 million in funds will be available for the Low Income Weatherization Program in Washoe County. This program will upgrade and retrofit qualified homes to save money and energy. According to the State of Nevada Housing Division, more than 300 homes in Washoe County will receive the improvements saving 270,326 kilowatt hours of electricity and 25,207 therms of natural gas annually.

Hopefully this program, and others like it, will not only help us become a ‘greener’ planet but will create jobs and get our economy back on the road to recovery!

More information on the weatherization is available on the State of Nevada website.

What are your thoughts? We’d love your comments or stories about other programs like these!