HomeAid Atlanta recently celebrated a remarkable renovation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Gilgal in Atlanta. A Christian-centered organization, Gilgal helps women overcome addiction and rebuild their lives in a long-term recovery residence. Led by Vincent Longo Custom Builders, volunteers rebuilt the front porch, provided landscaping, renovated the kitchen and added a fresh coat of paint and updated lighting in the dining room.

Vincent Longo Custom Builders is a longtime supporter of HomeAid Atlanta. A previous recipient of the HomeAid Atlanta Builder of the Year Award, the home builder led a major renovation and addition at The Drake House office and classroom building in Roswell.

Longo said at the event, “The first thing we all like to do in the morning and at the end of the day is get something out of the kitchen. It needs to be bright…I wanted to do more and I knew I needed to pull together a team. My wife, Amber, said she would help. She encouraged me to go bigger and better on this project. We’re so thankful for magnificent support from our trade partners, the Vincent Longo Custom Builders team, and HomeAid Atlanta. This wouldn’t be possible without them.”

The project kicked off on August 20 with volunteers from HB NEXT and Quantum National Bank. Volunteers as well as employees from Vincent Longo Custom Builders demolished the kitchen, installed fresh flooring and lighting fixtures, repaired a fence, removed the front porch railing, painted two rooms and performed an extensive clean-up of the grounds.

Deep discounts and donations of labor were provided by Sean Carbonell, Founders Kitchen & Bath and Construction Resources. Vincent Longo Custom Builders covered all remaining costs. During a landscaping workday, helpers from Whitefield Academy wrapped up the renovation project valued at $50,000, a donation to Gilgal.

“It means a great deal to me to witness the before and after. When I was here as a client, the kitchen was dark and gloomy. Now when I walk through the doors and look at the work that you have done, I feel it gives the clients the sense of peace that is needed to recover from addiction. Thank you again for spreading your love here at Gilgal,” said Rachel Dowdell, residential manager of Gilgal.

HomeAid Atlanta builds and maintains housing and programmatic facilities for reputable nonprofit organizations and public institutions serving those experiencing homelessness by leveraging its relationships within the building industry to garner in-kind donations of labor and materials. The nonprofit has completed over 140 projects to serve victims of domestic violence, veterans, teen mothers and more.

To learn how your organization can partner with HomeAid Atlanta to give organizations across the metro area a “facelift” and help individuals facing homelessness, visit www.HomeAidAtlanta.org.