The Ride Of His Life For The Lives Of Others

How many 12 year old kids are thinking of ways to help other children have the basic necessities that we often take for granted?  In a culture where we have access to so much, it is easy to lose perspective of the needs that so many struggle to have in a such a basic form.  Let me introduce you to Scotty Parker – this young man lives in Charleston, SC, but has a heart that reaches beyond our borders.  This young man has been raising money for people to have clean water for years. He raised $70,000 to have three water filters installed and this year he set his sights on a total of $500,000! 

Scotty has been telling everyone who will listen about this burden and passion he has for helping people access clean water. He’s been training for the “ride of his life”, literally – one that will span the West coast to the East coast. He’s starting his 3,720 mile ride from Santa Monica pier to Charleston, SC over his summer break.  The hope is that he’ll be able to make the trip on two wheels in 8 weeks!

I had the privilege of meeting Scotty several months ago at a fundraiser for this dream that will enable countless people in Honduras to have access to water.  His passion, boldness and drive left quite an impression on me. Join us in cheering for him and supporting him on this ride for lives to be changed!  Let’s not lose sight of something so basic that we take for granted… our access spans from drinkable tap water, filtered water, bottled water, every kind of size and shape for frozen water to cool our beverages, endless hot water for showers and more. Can you find a way to dig deep in your pockets to help Scotty be the feet that will peddle for awareness and the actual life changing gift that the poor of Honduras will receive due to this heart of gold found in a young man?  Join the team of many who have generously supported him to this point – what a great way to be a part of such a big vision Scotty had that will bring immediate relief.

Click HERE to donate directly to Scotty’s Ride for Water through Water Missions International!

Talking with Scotty Parker about his upcoming ride at one of the fundraisers
Picture right to left: Scotty, Beoncia, Azari - my god-daughter and me

Catching up with the Grill master, Andy at the fundraiser

 

Habitat Builders Blitz - Celebration and Thanks

After just one short week, a lot of sweat, (and some tears too) - we can now celebrate a safe, affordable, new home for a deserving family and the completion of the 2016 Builders Blitz! This past Saturday Structures had the privilege of gathering with our homeowner Judy's friends and family, many of the volunteers and trades who participated in the build, and the staff of both JacksonBuilt Homes and East Cooper Habitat for Humanity to dedicate the home and celebrate a new chapter in Judy's life.  Several ECHH staff spoke as well as Structures owner, Steve Kendrick, and Richard Jackson, owner of JacksonBuilt Homes giving thanks for an incredible week of hard work and wishing Judy all the best in her new home!

 

 

 

 

And we simply cannot say thank you enough to the MANY trades, suppliers, donors, and volunteers who made this Builders Blitz possible!  Both Structures and JacksonBuilt Homes gathered some of their best trades and suppliers to donate time and material - and in a very busy building season, this was a generous gift!  We also had several local restaurants who donated lunches and snacks each day of the build.  It was a great reminder that not only do we love what we do - but we love the people we get to spend our days with building up the Lowcountry.   

THANK YOU:

Professional Building Supply, Huber Wood Products, 

Contractor Nail and Tool, Universal Forest Product, 

Mejia Brothers Construction, Ferguson Enterprises

Builders First Source, Contract Exteriors, 

Lowcountry Plumbing and Gas, Lanehart Electric,
Carolina Custom Air, East Coast Wall Systems,

TCI, Wender Desouza, Distinctive Designs

Mt. Pleasant Lock and Security, Lowes,
GN Painting, Whirpool, HD Supply, Lennox
Carolina Lanterns, Carolina Tree Brokers

Jack’s Cosmic Dogs, Cupcake Downsouth, 

Jersey Mikes, Kickin’ Chicken, Tazikis, 

Mercantile & Mash, Raising Cane’s, Island Overstocks,

Garden Pixies, Southern Lumber & Millwork,
Culpepper Wood Preservers, Agave's Cantina, 

Brooks Signs, Glass Act Productions

Check out more photos of the Builders Blitz and see how a house comes together in just one week HERE.

Habitat Builders Blitz - That's a Wrap!

 
As the final days of the 2016 Habitat Builders Blitz came into view, our incredible crew of trades and suppliers worked almost around the clock to wrap up the project!  The kitchen cabinets were installed, interior walls painted, flooring installed, door and cabinet hardware placed, all plumbing fixtures were put in, and appliances delivered.  All hands were on deck from East Cooper Habitat for Humanity and both the Structures team and JacksonBuilt Homes to bring the build to a close.  And Judy, our homeowner, continued to work alongside us every step of the way.  It has been a joy to get to know her through this process, and we couldn't be happier to give the keys of this home to her.

Here are a few photos of the last couple of days of the Builders Blitz - stay tuned for more to come when East Cooper Habitat for Humanity dedicates the home with a celebration on Saturday!

 

 

      

 

 

Porches, Paint, and Sheetrock!

The Habitat Builder's Blitz is moving right along this week, and the house is starting to take shape (and have some color!)  The early part of the week had windows and doors being installed and electrical and plumbing rough ins complete.  And now we are on to exterior trim, building the porches, painting siding, and getting ready to hang sheetrock.  It's exciting to see it all come together so quickly, and we are so thankful for the incredible dedication and hard work of our trades out at the job site!  Structures and JacksonBuilt Homes have gathered a great team of generous trades who have been working long hours to get Judy and her son into their new home!

Here is a look at what has been happening in the last couple of days:

 Structures team members, Steve Yeomans and Dave Hargis talk through the details!

 

 Volunteers giving their day to serve with East Cooper Habitat for Humanity.

 

East Cooper Habitat for Humanity 25th Anniversary Event - This Friday!

We are excited to join East Cooper Habitat for Humanity this weekend as they celebrate 25 years of building affordable, safe housing in the Lowcountry!  The party will kick off on Friday 9/25 at 6:00 at Alhambra Hall in Mt. Pleasant with food from local vendors, live music from PlaneJane, and a silent auction with great items up for bid!  You'll have a chance to take home items such as tickets to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, vacation experiences around the world, restaurant gift cards, spa and salon packages, Lowcountry art, sweetgrass baskets, and much more! 

This will be a wonderful night of celebrating what this wonderful organization has done for our community.  We are honored to have worked along side ECHH over the years and can't wait to celebrate this huge milestone!

For tickets and more information about the event - visit the ECHH website HERE.

Make plans to joijn East Cooper Habitat for Humanity next Friday, September 25th to celebrate 25 years of building safe, affordable housing in the Lowcountry!  The party will begin at 6:00 PM at Alhambra Hall in Mt. Pleasant and will feature food, drinks, a silent auction and music from PlaneJane.  Tickets are only $75 for an individual and $125 per couple and can be bought online HERE.

For more information visit the East Cooper Habitat website event page or you can contact us at 843-856-6901. We will see you there to celebrate!

- See more at: http://www.structures.net/news.cfm#sthash.OuxC3

Make plans to joijn East Cooper Habitat for Humanity next Friday, September 25th to celebrate 25 years of building safe, affordable housing in the Lowcountry!  The party will begin at 6:00 PM at Alhambra Hall in Mt. Pleasant and will feature food, drinks, a silent auction and music from PlaneJane.  Tickets are only $75 for an individual and $125 per couple and can be bought online HERE.

For more information visit the East Cooper Habitat website event page or you can contact us at 843-856-6901. We will see you there to celebrate!

- See more at: http://www.structures.net/news.cfm#sthash.OuxC3tBO.dpuf

Lowcountry Orphan Relief Clothing Collection

One of our core values at Structures is giving back to our community, and we are often on the lookout for local non-profit organizations with which to partner.  Over the years, we have been privileged to serve alongside East Cooper Habitat for Humanity, send care packages to One80Place, bowl for a cause for the Florence Crittenton Program of SC, and so many other worthy causes both locally and globally.

During the month of March, we will be collecting needed items for Lowcountry Orphan Relief, a Charleston based non-profit whose mission is to provide support services and basic necessities to abused or neglected children in our area.  One of their main means of support is donation of clothing, toiletries, and school supplies. 

Our team will be collecting these items this month, and we'd love for YOU to join us and contribute as well!  Currently LOR is especially in need of the following for boys and girls:

- Pants 5T and up
- Shoes size 6-13
- School Uniforms (navy/white polos, khaki/navy pants) size 5T to 16
- Underwear and Undershirts (men & women size small to 2XL)
- Toiletries (soaps, toothpaste, lotions, deodorant)

Please give us a call if you need more details, and we invite you to stop by our office with your donations!  You can also visit the Lowcountry Orphan Relief website for more info.

Giving Back This Thanksgiving

It's official -the holidays are here!  As we approach the season this year, especially this week of Thanksgiving, we'd like to pause to say how truly thankful we are for all that we have.  It is an incredible blessing to live in this amazing city and work with the BEST clients, subcontractors, and suppliers around.  And it is a privilege to be surrounded by this talented, top-notch team here at Structures.  We have much to be thankful for!

In that spirit of gratitude, the Structure team decided to give a little something back to our community this season.  Led and hosted by Designer Kathryn Elliott, we pooled some resources and spent Saturday afternoon together assembling care packages for One80 Place, a local non-profit organization.  One80 Place serves the Charleston community by providing shelter and food as well as health care, education, legal, and counseling services to help end homelessness.  They have two facilities, one in downtown Charleston and one in Summerville, and they provide shelter each night for approximately 155 people.
 

 Soap, Deodorant, Toothbrushes & Toothpaste, Combs
Ready for packing up for donation!

Listening to statistics on homelessness in Charleston

Seeing the quality services and impact One80 Place has in our community, we jumped at the chance to help out!  The whole Structures family - including spouses and little ones - gathered to assemble bags filled with a few basic essentials that we'll deliver to One80 Place.  They will then be distributed to men and women who stay in their shelters. 

 

We had a great time serving together, and we are grateful for an opportunity to help our community in this small way.  We would encourage you to check out One80 Place if you are interested in making donations or volunteering! 

Park Day on Daniel Island

Structures is very excited to be a participating sponsor of Daniel Island's annual Park Day this Saturday, November 1st from 11-4 PM!  Park Day is a fun, family-friendly, outdoor Fall festival that supports several Lowcountry non-profit organizations (see the full list HERE.)  In addition to visiting the Structures Building Company booth, you can also check out live entertainment, a Food Truck Rodeo, a small petting zoo, face painting, a climbing wall and so much more!  There is something for everyone in your family, and we'd love to see you there!  Admission to Park Day is FREE, and proceeds from activity costs will support local charities.  For all of the details, including a map of the day's food vendors and activities - check out the Park Day website.

Bowling For a Great Cause!

Structures recently had the opportunity to help sponsor a bowling event for the Florence Crittenton Program of South Carolina, a local organization providing services and support for young, at-risk pregnant women and mothers.  Held at The Alley in downtown Charleston, this event raised money to support education, medical assistance, and other professional care for these young women.  Florence Crittenton's mission is to provide this comprehensive care to enable them to become self-sufficient, healthy, and responsible mothers.

A few members of the Structures team even came out to participate in the fun!  We love being involved in serving and building up our local community - for more information on the Florence Crittenton Program of South Carolina, visit their website HERE.  

Structures Loves a House Party!

The Structures team had a great time at East Cooper Habitat for Humanity's House Party on Friday night. This annual fundraiser and auction had a great new venue this year: The Cooper River Room at Mt. Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park. We had a chance to bid on some amazing items, and enjoyed listening and dancing to the sounds of the Plantation Singers and the Fantastic Voyage Band! It was a beautiful evening spent with great friends who share our commitment to supporting Habitat's mission of providing safe, affordable housing to the East Cooper community.  Here's hoping that ECHFH raised enough money to build more homes for local families in need. We are proud to again be a sponsor of this event!

Deborah Way catches up with ECHFH's Kate Whitlock

Structures' Cara Porter, Kathryn Elliott, Deborah Way, and  ECHFH board member Steve Kendrick having fun at the House Party

The Plantation Singers were one of the evening's highlights!

Celebrating a New Home!

After a FULL week of construction, it was time for the entire Structures Team to CELEBRATE with East Cooper Habitat for Humanity and all of our trades, suppliers, client volunteers who made this week possible.  We gathered everyone who had a hand in the Builders Blitz out to have dinner and tour the completed home.  We were joined by ECHH board members, staff, and volunteers, Structures clients, all of the crews who worked this week, suppliers who donated material, and even neighbors on Kent Street!

 

This celebration was also very special to us as East Cooper Habitat for Humanity honored Structures owner, Steven Kendrick, with the Golden Hammer award for his many years of service as a board member and for his leadership in the Builders Blitz in 2008 and 2012.  The award has only been given 6 times in ECHH's 21 year history!

And to top off the celebration - East Cooper Habitat for Humanity's Construction Manager, Kate Whitlock, announced that evening that a local mother and son had been approved to receive the house we built this week!  We were so thankful and honored to watch them receive their new home!