ANCHORAGE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION HELPS ALASKANS IN NEED
How well do you know your neighbors? With everything going on in our busy lives it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget the world around us. As a member of Alaska’s building industry, I’m committed to building safe neighborhoods for Alaskans and that comes down to more than just a sturdy home. Since the day Spinell Homes opened its doors 30 years ago, I made a commitment to help build-up my community. Through the Anchorage Home Builders Association (AHBA), I’ve found a community of building industry professionals who are also interested in helping Anchorage residents in need.
This year, Spinell Homes has partnered with AHBA to raise money for a cause close to my heart, the American Cancer Society of Alaska. Several members of my family have struggled with cancer, including my wife Jackie who is a stage IIIB lung cancer survivor. Many Alaskans, especially those living in rural areas, must travel great distances to get access to cancer treatment. Traveling for cancer care is expensive, timely and a stressful burden for Alaska families but the American Cancer Society of Alaska provides relief. The nonprofit partners with hotels to provide a free place to stay for cancer patients and through its Hope Lodges program, it pays for hotel stays when hotels are booked or free stays are unavailable.
Even if it’s not your own home, a comfortable space to heal is important when battling cancer. To help Alaskans with their cancer treatment, I’m selling a brand new Spinell Homes townhome and will donate proceeds from the sale to the AHBA Care Endowment, the charitable branch of AHBA. Through AHBA’s Care Endowment, the money will go to the American Cancer Society of Alaska to set up a fund that will pay for housing for Alaskans undergoing cancer treatment. (Originally, AHBA was set to hold a raffle for the house and a small portion of the home sale proceeds will pay for the administrative costs associated with the cancelled raffle.) This donation was made possible thanks to many subcontractors.
I’m happy my company can help and I’m proud to be a member of AHBA, an organization of building professionals committed to finding ways to improve the lives of Alaskans. This is just one example of how AHBA’s Care Endowment team helps Alaskans in need. Earlier this year, a fatal fire at the Royal Suites apartment complex left dozens of Anchorage residents homeless. The fire spread so quickly most of the families were forced to leave without even time to grab cellphones or shoes and when they returned home, they returned to nothing. The Care Endowment team saw the need of their neighbors and took immediate action, donating money to each of the displaced families allowing them to purchase the basic necessities.
Working with my partners in the building industry, I can see the work we’ve done in the Anchorage community but it’s not just the homes we’ve built for families. Building a community means caring for your neighbors especially when they’re in need. Through the sale of a townhome, not only will an Alaskan family have a new home, their purchase will help their neighbors who are struggling during a difficult time. I’m proud to be a member of the AHBA Care Endowment team. Through the Care Endowment, Alaskans can count on the building industry to be a foundation for hope, help and community.
