Through Touchdown for Homes, a program of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the NFL Players Association, homebuilders and former NFL players are teaming up to build or renovate homes for those in need.
“NAHB’s home builder members are honored to partner with former NFL players to provide children, families and veterans with safe, comfortable housing opportunities,” said Jerry Howard, NAHB’s president and CEO. “Even though the home building industry has been devastated by the economic downturn, our commitment to community philanthropy remains as strong as ever.”
“Giving back to the communities that gave them so much support during their playing careers is a primary objective of our former player chapters,” said DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFLPA. “Working together as a team with local home builders to make a significant and lasting contribution to these communities is an incredibly rewarding experience.”
The projects are being conducted in locations that have former NFL player’s chapters and NAHB-affiliated local homebuilders’ associations with community outreach programs. Recently, in Dallas, former NFL players including six-time Pro Bowl player Isiah Robertson and five-time Pro Bowl player Jerry Norton helped build a home for an elderly woman and her family, just in time for the holidays. It is the 13th home constructed through the efforts of the Dallas former NFL players chapter, which was the inspiration for the nationwide Touchdown for Homes program.
Homebuilding industry companies, including Lowe’s, Mohawk Flooring and Mid-South Building Supply, have donated materials and volunteer workers to some of the projects, which range in value from $1,000 to nearly $100,000. For 2012, the groups in Washington, D.C., and Chicago are working on new projects focused on providing homes for wounded or homeless veterans. Other Touchdown for Homes projects are in the planning stages in various communities including Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle and Knoxville, TN.
For more information on Touchdown for Homes, click here.
