Visitors to the Artisan Home Tour will help support the BATC Foundation, the charitable arm of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC). A portion of proceeds from each Artisan ticket sold will be donated to the Foundation to help continue their good work.
The public is also invited to join the Foundation’s summer cocktail event, An Evening of Dreams held on June 15, 2017 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. The gala evening includes spirits, hors d’oeuvres and a tour of Stonewood LLC’s Artisan Home #3 at 5948 Hermitage Trail, Minnetrista. Minimum donation requested at $50 per person. Register here.
For 22 years, the Foundation has tapped the talents and resources of BATC member builders, remodelers and suppliers to help families who otherwise might not have the opportunity to have a safe and affordable home. The Foundation builds, remodels and repairs homes for Twin Cities families in need, often in partnership with local charities and organizations.
2017 Projects
Finished in April, the Foundation’s first 2017 project was a special space for Rachel. Rachel is an exceptional 12-year-old in many ways. She loves music and sings in her school choir. She is active in Circus Juventas and theatre. She’s a world traveler, visiting Paris, Belgium and China.
Two years ago, Rachel experienced a series of health events that led to a diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease and a type of malformation of the spine. For more than two years, Rachel’s world has consisted of hospitals (her longest stay was 86 days!), doctors and multiple surgeries. Because of her illness, Rachel is homebound much of the time and has missed a lot of school.
Rachel’s bedroom can only be described as tiny and that has led her to spend much of her time at home in the family’s dark and partially finished basement. The BATC Foundation, Special Spaces and Ispiri, LLC. teamed up to make her time in the basement a lot more fun and special. They converted the dark, dingy space into a bright, comfortable Rachel’s Room for her to do crafts, schoolwork and hang out with friends.
The team replaced cracked floor tile, removed dark wood paneling, mitigated moisture, installed drywall and painted. Windows and ceiling tiles were replaced and a test for radon was completed to ensure she can spend plenty of time there without additional health consequences. Special Spaces designer, Chelsea, added built in storage cabinets and shelves, a custom craft table, chalk board, craft wall and added bright colors and furniture.
The Foundation will be starting another project this summer, working with Build Partner Lennar and the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V). The project will be to build a home to serve as transitional housing to help homeless Veteran families get back on their feet.
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The BATC Foundation, the charitable arm of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities is a nonprofit organization with the mission to work in partnership with others to revitalize communities and create safe, quality, affordable housing. The Foundation helps people in need who otherwise might not have the opportunity to have a safe and affordable home by bringing together the experience and talents of BATC members and other charitable groups in the region. One of the Foundation’s major funding sources is the Parade of Homes Artisan Dream Homes (during the Parade of Homes, Remodelers Showcase and the Artisan Home Tour), with other funding from BATC builder partners, member donations, cash donations and grants. BATC Foundation is…“Building Heart in Housing.”