Host Employees Help Build a Place to Call Home

Building a home. Building community. Making an impact.

On October 1, Host volunteers joined Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland, one of our signature community partners, for a Build Day focused on teamwork, community and a shared commitment to expanding access to safe, affordable housing.

The day began with a walking tour to learn about the history and future of the Emory Gove community, led by Tim Warner, Habitat's Director of Community Engagement, pastor at Emory Grove United Methodist Church and president of the Heritage Emory Grove Community Development Corporation. Warner shared the story of Emory Grove, founded by freed African Americans in 1864 and later razed as a result of urban renewal efforts. Today, he is working alongside Habitat and the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County to create affordable housing and help families connected to the community's history once again make their home there. Volunteers visited the site of the former town center and other locations that offered a glimpse into Emory Grove's past and the ongoing effort to shape its future.

A Day of Hands-On Impact

Following the tour, volunteers rolled up their sleeves at a local Habitat build site. Working side-by-side, the team:

• Cleared the site, removing construction trash and debris to prepare for the next phase of building
• Insulated an entire two-story house to help prepare it for its future residents
• Installed a vapor barrier, taking on this additional task after completing the insulation work ahead of schedule

The home will ultimately give a local family of four - parents and their two children-a safe, affordable place to call their own.

Building Something Much Bigger, Together

Through this partnership, we helped advance Habitat for Humanity's mission to expand access to affordable homeownership while contributing to a project with deep ties to the community's history. The day demonstrated how coming together to lend a hand can make a meaningful, lasting difference and support stronger, more resilient communities - one home at a time.

Learn more about Host's Corporate Responsibility program and our commitment to our corporate citizenship.