House for Hope

"They would stand on the street with one can of Pepsi or a can of beans," says Cellar, chief executive officer for Providence Homes. "They would just stand there for hours until they sold it. All they had was enough capital for that one can. I couldn't help thinking that if they had a little more capital, maybe they could make three or four times as much money for the same amount of work."

A decade later, Cellar is helping to change the fiscal equation for people such as those dejected but determined street-corner entrepreneurs.

In July Providence Homes broke ground on its second House for Hope, a 2,285-square-foot, five-bedroom, three-bath home in OakLeaf Plantation, a master-planned community in Clay County. Profits from its sale will be donated to Hope International, an organization that makes micro-loans to small-business owners in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa.

"It's a way to leverage what I already do and have a greater impact," says Cellar. "By building these homes, it's not just me giving money to a good cause. I'm also getting help from our suppliers and subcontractors and associates. By involving everyone, it increases the impact five-to one-over what I could do acting alone."

Lancaster, Pa.-based Hope International was founded in 1997 by Pennsylvania builder Jeff Rutt. To date, 40 Houses for Hope have been built throughout the U.S. So far, Cellar is the only participating Florida builder.

Providence's first House for Hope, a 3,164-square-foot home in the River Hills Reserve section of Fleming Island Plantation, sold last year, netting a $100,000 donation for the faith-based nonprofit organization. Hope International turned that money into small-business loans of $25 to $500 for people in economically distressed countries.

Joel Anderson, Hope International's director of development, says the distribution of $100,000 in micro-loans could conservatively touch more than 20,000 lives over the next decade.

"We give people loans and a business plan so they can earn a sustainable income for their families," says Anderson. "The business could be as simple as selling chickens in an open market or selling shoes from a kiosk."

Anderson notes that 99 percent of Hope International loans are paid back in full, which allows the money to be loaned out again. On average, he says, the organization's portfolios turn over three times a year as loans are repaid and fund redistributed.

For Cellar, the organization's mission of giving people a hand up, not a handout, is particularly meaningful.

"The micro-loan program isn't just about giving people money," Cellar says. "It's about teaching them a skill. As a businessperson, I think the greatest thing you can do is give someone the knowledge and resources to get a business started. When someone buys a House for Hope, that frees up a significant amount of money for loans that can help a family buy seeds or a sewing machine or some kind of equipment they need to start supporting themselves."

Cellar, whose soft-spoken demeanor can't mask his zeal, is a prime example of doing well by doing good.

Providence Homes, the company Cellar founded in 1992, consistently ranks among the Jacksonville Business Journal's top 50 companies in Northeast Florida and it twice landed on Inc. magazine's list of the top 500 fastest-growing companies in the U.S.. But Cellar, a California native who earned an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia, says the company, while important, is really a means to an end.

"I see my company as a platform, a tool to help me do what I want to do with my life," says Cellar. "I try very hard to live an engaged life. I think deeply about what it is I should be accomplishing. I feel like I'm an instrument in the hands of God and there are things I'm supposed to do."

Cellar's spirituality, which he doesn't pigeonhole into any particular religious tenet, has driven him to make mission trips to Central and South America, the Caribbean and Africa. He travels alone or with a small group of friends who visit poor countries and work with local leaders to help improve the fortunes of those who struggle physically and spiritually.

In some cities, they work with young people, starting Bible Study groups and teaching leadership skills. Occasionally, Cellar's wife of 14 years, Joanne, accompanies him, but more often she's managing the home front and tending to the couple's four sons: Will, 6; Alex, 8; Charlie, 9; and Jack, 12.

Recently, Cellar took his two oldest offspring on a mission trip to Honduras. "I wanted to get them involved," he says. "These countries have so much poverty and so many problems related to poverty. Connecting with people in just a small way can have a big impact."

Closer to home, Cellar serves on the board of the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless, an organization that provides emergency shelter as well as job training.

Sean Junker, Providence Homes' chief operating officer, says Cellar is a great boss who allows his employees to learn and grow. By example, Junker says, Cellar has shown that it is possible to build a successful business while advocating causes unrelated to work.

"Bill loves the building industry and he loves this company, but it's definitely just one part of his life," says Junker. "He's very fair about letting you know where his interests lie. He's not pushy about it, but he's helped open the eyes of a lot of team members. He's helped us to look at what else is out in the world and what we might be able to do about it."

Although Cellar's sensibilities and contacts brought about the Hope International connection, Junker says working on the homes has been rewarding. "It's amazing how easy it is to help these people," he says. "A little loan goes a very long way."

Cellar says he is careful not to pressure Providence subcontractors to participate. Nonetheless, at least 75 percent of the company's subcontractors and suppliers participated in the recent House for Hope by donating or discounting materials and labor. That's particularly gratifying for Cellar, who believes the world will be a better place when more people take responsibility for helping others.

"I would try to encourage everyone to really try to live a more involved, more passionate life," Cellar says. "It's so much richer than just living for the moment. Jesus said it's better to give than to receive. You have to start doing it to see that it's true."

THE HOUSE FOR HOPE TEAM

Providence Homes donates soft costs and forgoes profits on its Houses for Hope. The Hutson Companies, developer of OakLeaf Plantation, donated $10,000 to get Providence's second House for Hope under way. Other contributing vendors include Ray Leach Irrigation, Elegant Door and Glass, B&B Exterminating-Sizemore & Associates, JB Mathews, Color Wheel, Sears Appliances, GLS Trim, Builder's First Source, Southern Scapes, Custom Comfort, Sawyer Gas, Munson & Bryan Electric, Canac Cabinets, Surface Crafters, Perfect Paints, Carpet Carousel/Mohawk, Reese's Roofing, Atlantic Marble, Florida Builders Specialties, Advanced Disposal, Ranger American, Skyetec, Big D Windows and Carolina Lumber. To learn more about Hope International, visit the organization's Web site at www.hopeinternational.net.