GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARDS

Once again inspired by the generosity of homebuilders and developers, the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) and Florida Homebuyer Jacksonville are presenting the annual Good Neighbor Awards.

This year there are more than a dozen builders and developers being recognized. Even in tough economic times, it wasn't difficult to find winners. Local industry pros have raised funds for children's organizations, built or repaired homes for the less fortunate, held blood drives and supported every kind of charity imaginable.

They've been busy wielding tools, running races, assembling care packages, collecting school supplies and serving in organizational leadership roles. Their efforts have touched nearly every major nonprofit in the region.

So it would be impossible to highlight all the good deeds done by our Good Neighbor Award recipients. Many give back to the community so often and so automatically that a more comprehensive treatment would require a prohibitive number of pages.

Consequently, the following descriptions include only highlights. Still, even an abbreviated list makes it clear that Jacksonville's building industry makes an incalculable contribution to the region's quality of life in all its aspects.

"This issue is the most important one we do all year," says Florida Homebuyer Jacksonville Publisher Penelope Geismar. "It demonstrates that in addition to the impact the building industry has on our local economy, it has an equally important impact on our quality of life."

2012 RECIPIENTS

BRYAN LENDRY CUSTOM HOMES

"Like most builders in our market, Custom Homes by Bryan Lendry has reduced staff over the past three years. And while our numbers are fewer and our resources more limited, we believe it's more important now than ever to reach out a hand to those in need."

GOOD WORKS: Custom Homes by Bryan Lendry donated funds to the Navy League of the United States, which supports men and women in the sea services and their families. Company employees volunteered their time for "Camp I Am Special," sponsored by the Division of the Ministry for Persons with Disabilities of the Diocese of St. Augustine, and coordinated a repair and rehab effort for the Mission House, which provides services to homeless adults in the Jacksonville Beach area. Custom Homes By Bryan Lendry also donates funds, time, labor and materials to Builders Care, NEFBA's non-profit arm, which rehabilitates homes for low-income, elderly or disabled owners, and makes regular donations to Community Hospice, the American Cancer Society, Easter Seals and the American Heart Association. Last year, the company gathered Christmas gifts for daniel (formerly Daniel Memorial), which offers mental health and social service programs for children and families. Previously the company built homes for HabiJax, the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, contributed food baskets to Adopt A Granny, and helped refurbish Nassau House, a care center for at-risk youth. In the education area, Custom Homes by Bryan Lendry presented Fernandina Middle School with an interactive teaching tool called "Building Homes of Our Own."

DAVIDSON REALTY, INC.

"Our mission: We value people first-before, over and above everything else. Our values: Safety, honesty, professionalism and caring."

GOOD WORKS: The Davidson Companies, encompassing Davidson Realty, Davidson Development and Davidson Property Management, has participated in the March of Dimes' March for Babies event for the past 16 years. The company also participated in Make a Difference Day, held in conjunction with the St. Johns County Housing Partnership, by painting the exterior of a home owned by an elderly St. Augustine resident. More than a dozen Davidson staffers signed up for World Golf Village's Relay for Life, which benefits the American Cancer Society. Other good causes that received assistance from Davidson: the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of North Florida; the Sertoma Toy Drive, Ramp It Up, a program through which wheelchair ramps are built for disabled homeowners; and Festival of Trees, a fundraiser sponsored jointly by the Junior League of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Public Library. Davidson has been a long-time supporter of The Blood Alliance, and regularly hosts the blood mobile at its office in World Golf Village.  The company's blood drives have resulted in nearly 350 units of blood being donated since 2008.  In the education area, Davidson Appreciates Teachers is a program that recognizes outstanding teachers at Wards Creek and Mill Creek elementary schools.   

DREAMBUILDER CUSTOM HOMES, LLC

"As a homebuilding company, Dreambuilder Custom Homes feels a strong connection to charities that have to do with housing, including the homeless." 

GOOD WORKS: Dreambuilder Custom Homes is a single-employee company. But President Shawn Starr has made a big difference through financial donations to the City Rescue Mission. Through his company, Starr has also contributed both funds and volunteer hours to the Salvation Army of Northeast Florida. Starr is active in "The Crew," a young professionals group affiliated with HabiJax, the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, and donates building materials to the HabiJax ReStore, proceeds from which benefit the charity. Through Voice of Haiti Ministries, Starr has supported housing and other relief efforts after natural disasters in that country.

HOMES BY DELTONA

GOOD WORKS: Homes by Deltona donated $2 to St. Francis House for every "like" on its Laterra Links Facebook page. St. Francis House provides food and shelter for homeless and other underserved Northeast Floridians. The company also held a benefit concert for Goliath & BeBe's World, a no-kill animal shelter based in St. Augustine, and a member of the management team was "jailed" to raise money for muscular dystrophy.

ICI HOMES

"Throughout the years. ICI Homes has honored its proud tradition of helping those in need. Together, with the support of its generous employees, ICI Homes has supported hundreds of charities, schools and civic organizations. Together, we're making a difference."

GOOD WORKS: ICI has worked with Builders Care, NEFBA's non-profit arm, refurnishing one of five group homes for Angelwood, which provides housing and other services to developmentally disabled children and adults. The company and its subcontractors also assisted in adding 523 square feet to an existing Angelwood home as well as remodeling its interior. The remodeling effort made the home more efficient, comfortable and handicapped accessible. ICI was also featured in the television series Building a Difference for its participation in expanding a home for the Goodall family (see more on page 23). In 2007, ICI Homes helped complete the first Tony Boselli Youth Learning Center, a project of The Boselli Foundation, formed by the former Jacksonville Jaguar to help at-risk youth. Employees have also spent time as mentors and partners in education, participated in Walk for the Cure and donated time and resources to Betty Griffin House, daniel, Second Harvest Food Bank, the Trinity Rescue Mission, the Jacksonville Humane Society, Toys 4 Tots and the March of Dimes.

J.A. LONG DESIGN BUILDERS

"We are committed to be a part of the community where we live, work play and serve."'

GOOD WORKS: J.A. Long was involved in the televised Extreme Makeover: New Home Addition project, through which thousands of volunteers built a new home for a Middleburg woman, Carrie Prewitt, and the three young girls for whom she became legal guardian after the death of their parents. The project was completed in six days. The company and its subcontractors also partner on the annual Clay County Holiday Food Drive and a separate Clay County Blood Drive. In addition, the company participated in a St. Johns County Cleanup project and worked on home repair projects sponsored by Builders Care, NEFBA's non-profit arm.

MATOVINA & COMPANY

"All we have is God's. We need to listen for his instruction and use what is provided to us to further his kingdom in accordance to his instructions."

GOOD WORKS: Matovina & Company President Greg Matovina has been a board member for HabiJax, the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, and is leading a $1.7 million capital campaign for the organization. Matovina also serves on the board of Builders Care, NEFBA's non-profit arm, and manages Ability Housing of Northeast Florida, a charitable organization that provides quality, affordable housing for adults with disabilities and individuals and families at risk of homelessness. He was previously volunteer project coordinator for the Youth Crisis Center's Touchstone Village, a 40-bed facility for teenagers aging out of foster care. Several Matovina employees served as volunteers for the Global Day of Prayer and held a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project, a charitable organization that helps injured veterans adjust to life in the civilian world after their service ends. 

PALENCIA

"Palencia, as one of the most renowned developments in St. Johns County, is sensitive to the needs of its neighbors. Whether it's the donation of time, materials or money, Palencia makes an effort to ensure that its success is reflected in its generosity toward local organizations and civic groups."

GOOD WORKS: Palencia, a Hines development, each fall honors the armed forces with a "Salute to the Military," which raises funds for the USO. All branches of the military are represented at the event, which features displays of equipment, entertainment, food, speeches and even sky divers. Salute to the Military raises more than $20,000 for the USO and its pro-grams. Palencia also hosts a series of Holiday Show Homes and the Jacksonville Symphony Guild Designer Showhouse, all of which benefit such charities as the Trinity Homeless Shelter, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and Builders Care, NEFBA's non-profit arm. In addition, Palencia has donated thousands of dollars worth of golf certificates for raffles and silent auctions. Palencia also hosts an annual "Spring Break at Palencia" Street Festival. During the event, Palencia Village is lined with vendor booths including flowers, plants, clothing, jewelry, art, a farmers market and much more. Last year's Spring Break at Palencia drew 2,000 people to the community.  Proceeds benefit Builders Care. 

NEW LEAF CONSTRUCTION, INC.

"When we see others in need we have a choice, to act on the need and try to make a difference or to ignore the situation and walk away. None of us are able to act on every need we see, but once in a while we see a situation that calls us so deeply we must become involved and at the very least, try to make a small difference."

GOOD WORKS: New Leaf Construction, along with friends, trade partners and church members, restored the dangerously dilapidated home of  a single mother with a young daughter. The home had collapsed floors, a propped-up toilet and a damaged shower, among many other safety problems. After a group of volunteer spring-breakers from the University of Alabama cleaned the house out, New Leaf founder Lee Arsenault and his team repaired the floor, replaced the roof and completely remodeled the interior. The company is also involved in the Blitz Build, a project of HabiJax, the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity. Arsenault serves on the BEAM (Building, Engineering, Architecture & Manufacturing Academy) Advisory Board at Englewood High School as well as the Carpentry Advisory Board at Florida State College at Jacksonville. These programs provide career guidance and help young people find purpose in their lives.

THE PARC GROUP

"The mission of The PARC Group Foundation is to give back to Florida's First Coast through our many dedicated employees and our PARC Group-affiliated companies. Our focus is to support local organizations that have an emphasis in one or more of the following categories: faith-based ministries, education, the arts, business and commerce, fire and police efforts and community service." 

GOOD WORKS: The PARC Group, developers of Nocatee, supports more than 50 local organizations through its foundation. One hundred percent of the money raised by the foundation goes directly to the recipients. Among its projects is the annual Nocatee Trailblazer Run, which benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The run takes place on the Nocatee's Greenway Trails.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN SOLUTIONS

"We believe that it's not merely an option but a responsibility to give back and support our community and the people who live in it."

GOOD WORKS: Teaming with the University of North Florida Building Construction Management Program, Universal Design Solutions renovated the home of Mark Lamb, 49, a mechanic who suddenly became a quadriplegic as a result of a staph infection. The work included modifications to the sidewalk leading to the home, widening doorways throughout the home and making the master bath fully accessible. The work was performed under the auspices of Builders Care, NEFBA's non-profit arm.

WESTMORELAND CONSTRUCTION

"They say 'Give until it hurts.' We prefer to say, 'Give until it feels good.' So that's what we do."

GOOD WORKS: West Westmoreland, a quadriplegic since 1983, considers himself lucky and blessed. So for nearly 30 years, he has quietly helped others. One of the companies with which he is involved, Handicapped Accessibility Consultants & Builders, consults on issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2004 he spearheaded a project that turned the circa-1940s Paulus Music Building on Duval Street into a new, state-of-art facility that houses the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic. He is a past president of the Independent Living Foundation and served 10 years on the Mayor's Disability Council. In 2001, Westmoreland received the Outstanding Entrepre-neur Award from The Able Trust, a subsidiary of the Governor's Alliance for the Employment of Citizens with Disabilities. He and business partner Ken Kuester donated the distinctive motor home used by Builders Care, NEFBA's non-profit arm. In addition, Westmoreland has constructed, repaired and installed countless wheelchair ramps over the years, often at no charge.