The first house to be installed at Greenwell in Hollywood which will house homeless veterans.Monday, August 22, marked the official placement date of the first home to be used by a homeless veteran to live in while re-establishing their lives at Greenwell in Hollywood. Reaching a milestone such as this is the ultimate example of community collaboration. As this collaborative effort continues, it is just the first step toward helping provide homes for all those who have served us. This small step is just the beginning of the many needed to help end homelessness for our local veterans.
Patuxent Habitat for Humanity, Three Oaks Center, Dr. James A. Forrest Technology Center and the Greenwell Foundation reach the first major milestone in their initiative with the help of Dan Orwig, owner of First Rate Construction as he transported the home from the James A. Forrest Tech Center and placed it at Greenwell.
The Three Oaks Center has assisted the Greenwell Foundation with refinement of the program to create the overall best environment for the veterans while they live on the nearly 600 acres of landscape.
Students at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center spent their 2015-2016 school year building out the exterior of the home.
Patuxent Habitat for Humanity has partnered to help finish the interior of the home, and has provided assistance from local contractors. Andy Shizak, owner of Blake Creek Design, John Quirk from A Better Plumber, Austin Davis, Vice President of W.M. Davis, Inc., are the local contractors that have agreed to assist us with the completion of this home. Patuxent Habitat for Humanity is providing direct volunteer support and knowledge about the best building practices for this unique type of home.
The Patuxent River Chapter of the United States Navy Supply Corp Association cleared the land to prepare it for the home and the United States Naval Academy Mid-Shipman Engineering Leadership students are designing and building a deck for the home. The local Junior Navy ROTC will plant landscaping that provides both privacy and beauty for the veteran.
While Three Oaks Center continues to provide guidance and Patuxent Habitat for Humanity continues to support the efforts to finish this home, students from the Dr. James A Forrest Technology Center will begin construction on the second home. Patuxent Habitat for Humanity continues to provide assistance to our local veterans through our Veterans Critical Home Repair Program. Through this program we have provided critical home repairs to over 17 local veterans, affording them the opportunity to age in place gracefully. We ask that you join in all of our efforts as volunteers, donors or advocates.
Community sponsors, SAIC, AMEWAS, GTMR, Inc., J.F. Taylor, Hollywood Lions Club, Northrop Grumman, Precise Systems, Inc., Southernwood Roofing & Siding, Wyle, Elks Lodge of St. Mary's County, Compass Systems, Inc., Toyota of Southern Maryland, Smartronix, Inc., Winter's Heating & Cooling and an anonymous donor have all stood behind this initiative from the beginning. The support of these sponsors has directly purchased the materials necessary to build the first home.