Illinois Home Builders Receive $25,000 Grant for Katrina Relief Efforts

Bloomington, IL, March 23, 2007 --(PR.com)-- The Home Builders Association (HBA) of Bloomington-Normal and the HBA of Illinois were awarded a $25,000 grant from the Home Building Industry Disaster Relief Fund (HBIDRF) for the Second Presbyterian Church for the purpose of supporting Illinois builders - Brady Homes and Sugar Creek Construction, who are volunteering to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“We are grateful the NAHB and the Disaster Relief Fund have enabled us to improve the quality of life for this Katrina victim,” said Jim Hayes of Brady Homes, also Past president of Bloomington-Normal HBA.

The HBA of Bloomington-Normal and the HBA of Illinois are coordinating with the Second Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Illinois and the New Covenant Church in Louisiana to help an elderly woman in LaCombe, LA who lost her home completely from the Katrina floods. Brady Homes and Sugar Creek Construction are volunteering their time and construction skills to travel to Louisiana and rebuild her home; this grant from the HBIDRF will provide funds to purchase the necessary building materials for this effort.

Established by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the gulf coast, the HBIDRF is helping to facilitate the rebuilding of communities affected by natural disasters. Its mission is to make funds available to other recognized charities aiming to meet primary needs such as shelter healthcare and education after a disaster. The fund also works with NAHB-affiliated home builder associations to provide grants that help local communities rebuild and recover from disasters.

“The home building industry is happy to support the great volunteer efforts led by Illinois builders,” said Bobby Rayburn, a home builder from Jackson, Miss. And past NAHB president who heads up NAHB’s disaster relief efforts. “This grant will help them continue their work, and reinforces the idea that builders build more than just houses. They build community.”

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