Visitors to the Artisan Home Tour will help support the BATC Foundation, the charitable arm of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC), with every ticket they purchase. The Foundation will receive $10 for every TourTicket sold and $2.00 for every single-visit ticket to the Artisan Home Tour.
For 20 years, the Foundation has tapped the talents and resources of their 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. In 2015, these two major projects are just getting underway.
A Specially Adapted Home for a Local Hero
Army SPC Marco Solt is a Brooklyn Center native whose vehicle encountered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on his first deployment in Afghanistan. Marco lost both of his legs in the explosion and now uses prosthetics and his wheelchair to get around.
The BATC Foundation is proud to be partnering with Homes for Our Troops to bring Marco and his wife Gena a brand new, specially adapted home. Like every home built with the national organization, Marco’s home will be equipped with special adaptations including widened doorways, lowered countertops, roll-under cook tops and sinks designed to ensure full wheelchair accessibility. The Foundation’s Build Partner for this project is Accent Homes, based in Ham Lake, MN. Accent Homes will serve as construction manager. Ground Breaking occurred on Monday, May 4th, with construction expected to continue through the summer.
Renovating Bluebird House
Another project the Foundation will complete this summer is the renovation of Bluebird House, a group home operated by Homeward Bound. Homeward Bound was formed by a group of parents who needed a high level of medical care for their children, but wanted a more home-like atmosphere than a nursing home could provide. Today, Homeward Bound operates three Intermediate Care Facilities and 14 group homes in the Twin Cities area for disabled children and adults.
The four young men who live at Bluebird House needed more space, so Homeward Bound contacted the BATC Foundation to help. A typical 1960’s rambler, none of the rooms in Bluebird House are large enough to accommodate the residents along with their medical equipment. The Foundation’s Build Partner, Vujovich Design Build, based in Minneapolis, will be adding a bedroom, family room and additional storage space. The changes are designed to better serve the residents of Bluebird House and significantly improve their quality of life.
-30-