Local Business Helps Build Homes For Morris County Housing Program

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — The motivation for the "Hammer for Habitat" event on June 21 and 22 in Florham Park was to celebrate summer by giving back.

Hundreds of volunteers from local businesses attended the event to assist families in need in taking one step closer to realizing their dream of home ownership.

The two-day panel build event, hosted by Park Avenue at Morris County, and operated by CBRE, gave employees the opportunity to leave their desks and help build walls that would frame two single-family Morris Habitat homes in Perth Amboy.

“Our Park Avenue Campus looks forward to this day each year,” said Lisa Earl-Sperry, Experience Manager for CBRE. “The benefits of this event reach beyond just volunteering--it promotes teamwork in the workplace and allows everyone to have a ‘feel-good moment of giving back."

Park Avenue in Morris County's parking lot was transformed into a construction site as volunteers framed and erected walls. Volunteers were invited to sign the wall studs with well-wishes for the new homeowners as part of a Habitat for Humanity tradition.

The walls were then deconstructed and transported to the future home site by the end of the second day.

“We’re proud to partner with Park Avenue at Morris County and all of our corporate sponsors to help make the dream of home ownership a reality for two more families,” said Morris Habitat CEO, Blair Schleicher Wilson.

Sponsors for “Hammer for Habitat” included: Garden Savings Federal Credit Union, Horizon Pest Control, Koplin Auto Body, North Jersey Laborers Local 3, AVE, Faegre Drinker, Insperity, Intact MAPFRE|RE, and Morristown Lumber & Supply.

Food was provided for the event by IHOP Cedar Knolls, The Frog Restaurant & Sports Bar, Park Avenue at Morris County | Florham Park, and the Empanada Guy, Mexican Spice and Ice Cream Creations food trucks.

Morris Habitat for Humanity is a member of a global, nonprofit housing organization dedicated to the construction of homes, communities and hope. The nonprofit builds affordable new homes and provides home repair services to low-income families using volunteer labor and donations of money and materials.

Since 1985, Morris Habitat has served more than 780 families by building 172 local homes, preserving 325 homes for low-income and senior residents, and assisting 282 families with housing solutions worldwide, Morris Habitat for Humanity said.

Morris Habitat for Humanity is currently working on seven different housing projects in Morris County and the surrounding areas.

For more information, go to MorrisHabitat.org or call (973)-891-1934.