HomeAid Celebrates Completion of Sacramento Senior Safe House

Volunteers of America and HomeAid Sacramento to celebrate
completion of Sacramento Senior Safe House with July 23 Dedication.

Haven for abused, neglected and exploited seniors is first of its kind west of the Mississippi

(Sacramento, CA) Sacramento County Adult Protective Services Manager Elizabeth Foster-Ward calls them &ldquo the forgotten population.&rdquo As a society, we revere our elders, but yet many fall through the cracks, falling victim to family or caregivers ill-equipped or unwilling to care for this most-vulnerable of populations.

But now, thanks to HomeAid Sacramento, Lennar Homes, Mercy Housing and the North State Building Industry Association, Volunteers of America will now be able to offer a comfortable, safe and caring haven designed especially for the needs of abused and neglected seniors who find themselves in need of emergency shelter as they prepare to transition to more-appropriate living situations: the Sacramento Senior Safe House.

On July 23, 2009, representatives of the Sacramento Senior Safe House project leaders, as well as their invited guests, will celebrate the completion of this unique, six-bedroom residential shelter at a special dedication ceremony. The program will begin at 10 a.m. and take place at the newly built Sacramento Senior Safe House (*note: the location of the Sacramento Senior Safe House is confidential due to the nature of the facility).

Lennar Homes served as HomeAid&rsquo s pro-bono &ldquo Builder Captain &rdquo for this project, coordinating the construction of this critically needed facility.&ldquo We take our commitment to bettering the community we serve very seriously, &rdquo said Dale Billy, Lennar division president. &ldquo We are extremely proud of the Sacramento Senior Safe House and enjoyed being able to participate in such a worthwhile cause. Giving back to our community through programs like HomeAid is just one of the very many ways we demonstrate our dedication to helping the people we serve. &rdquo This will be the fifth project collaboration between Lennar and HomeAid in the Sacramento area.

Mercy Housing purchased the SSSH property over ten years ago and has managed the planning and land development of this project during that time. Mercy staff oversaw the architecture, engineering and design processes that culminated in securing building permits. In addition to donating its time and resources, Mercy has also applied for and received large several grants that have funded the construction of this project.

HomeAid Sacramento, through the generosity of the Lennar Charitable Housing Foundation, as well as its in-kind donors from the North State Building Industry Association, provided more than 50 percent of the remaining construction costs.

Volunteers of America – in partnership with the Sacramento Senior Safe House board of directors – will operate the home 24 hours a-day, seven days a week. Referrals for the seniors who will reside at the safe house, will come from Sacramento County’s Adult Protective Services division.

The 4,783-square-foot residential facility provides a safe place for abused and neglected seniors 62 and older to receive as many as 90 days of shelter. The Sacramento Senior Safe House, the first facility of its kind west of the Mississippi River, is distinguished from other emergency shelter options by its home-like environment. These special touches include: senior-created original art on the walls, brightly painted accent walls in each bedroom, and volunteer-stitched handmade quilts for each bed.

&ldquo It brings me to tears to realize that this is finally happening, &rdquo said founder Maxine Milner Krugman, a Sacramento County senior citizens advocate who has been lobbying for a senior safe house for a decade. &ldquo I have seen horrifying things, cases that just broke my heart. &rdquo

&rdquo I just felt something needed to be done, &rdquo said Krugman, a former chair of the county’s Adult and Aging Commission.

With thanks to Milner Krugman and her vision, and the donations of many, seniors will now have a safe house in Sacramento.


About HomeAid
HomeAid Sacramento, the charitable arm of the North State Building Industry Association, seeks to build and maintain dignified housing were homeless families and individuals can rebuild their lives. This charity has successfully matched local service providers in need of refurbishing, expanding or building new shelters with homebuilders able to fill that need since 1996. It's builders doing what they do best, building. HomeAid graciously acknowledges its major donors: Lennar Charitable Housing Foundation, Dennis Calmes & Jeani Buckmaster, Harry C. & Deborah L. Elliott Family Foundation, Newland Communities, Union Pacific Foundation, Thomas P. Winn Foundation, Greg & Linda Grant, Teichert Foundation, and Irwin Union Bank. For additional information on HomeAid Sacramento, please call 916.751.2746, or go online at http://www.homeaidsac.org.


About Mercy Housing
Mercy Housing California (MHC) is the largest regional business center of Mercy Housing, Inc., a national not-for-profit affordable housing organization headquartered in Denver. Mercy Housing has a presence in 41 states, serves more than 117,000 people on any given day and has participated in the development, financing or operation of more than 34,500 homes. About 75 percent of Mercy Housing’s portfolio is rental units, and the remaining 25 percent is homeownership. Mercy Housing serves families, seniors and people with special needs (formerly homeless, people with HIV/AIDS and the developmentally disabled).

In California, MHC has developed 10,367 affordable homes – 7,392 in rental at 122 properties and 2,975 in homeownership. An additional 4,000 new affordable homes and apartments are in development. MHC operates in 32 counties state-wide. For more information about Mercy Housing California, please visit http://www.mercyhousingcalifornia.org.

The mission of Mercy Housing is to create stable, vibrant and healthy communities by developing, financing and operating affordable, program-enriched housing for families, seniors and people with special needs who lack the economic resources to access quality, safe housing opportunities.

About Volunteers of America
Established in 1911, Volunteers of America Greater Sacramento & Northern Nevada is one of the largest providers of social services in the region, operating programs dedicated to ending homelessness, supporting the most vulnerable populations, and transforming communities for the better. Each night, Volunteers of America Greater Sacramento & Northern Nevada provides housing for as many as 1,800 men, women and children in its service communities.

About Lennar
Celebrating its 55th anniversary, Lennar has grown to become one of the nation’s leading homebuilders, pledging to not only build quality homes but also improve the communities in which it builds. Through charitable organizations such as Volunteers of America, HomeAid Sacramento and River Oak Center for Children, Lennar Sacramento has found a way to give back to the community which has so generously given to them. With hundreds of Communities nationwide and homes designed for first-time, move-up and luxury homebuyers, Lennar has long distinguished itself by simply including everything as standard under its motto, &rdquoEverything You Want, Everything You Need, That’s the Logic of Lennar®.