The BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation is grateful to everyone who donated and attended the fourth annual Hearts In Housing Gala on April 27. Over 400 builders, remodelers, trade partners, and supporters joined together and raised $225,000 to support our work to build new and renovate existing transitional housing for Minnesota’s homeless, veterans, and others in need.
Proceeds from the event will help support these projects in 2019:
- Homes for Heroes for Homeless Veterans: Construction of a new transitional housing residence for homeless veterans who are clients of the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans in Bloomington, MN. Construction to begin in late spring.
- Homes for Heroes for Homeless Veteran Families: Construction of a new transitional housing residence for homeless veteran families who are clients of the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans in North St. Paul. Construction to being this fall.
- Apartment Renovations for Women in Recovery: Renovations of two basement apartment units that provide housing for women undergoing chemical dependency treatment. This facility allows children to live with their mother as she recovers from chemical addiction. Renovations will be completed by the end of the year.
The need is still great for safe, durable, affordable housing for Minnesota’s homeless, veterans and others in need. Please consider donating to help support the work of the BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation at BATCFoundation.org.
The Foundation honored its 2018 award recipients and build partners
Two Hearts in Housing awards were given to individuals who went above and beyond in their support of the Foundation. This year’s Hearts in Housing award recipients were:
- Mac McGaffey of Homes by Tradition, LLC
- Bob Bennett
“This is not just ‘The’ Foundation, this is our industry’s Foundation,” said Bennett.
Mac McGaffey 
Bob Bennett
Our five 2018 build partners were also recognized for their significant contributions to projects last year. These companies are integral to how the Foundation works by stepping forward to serve as the general contractor on Foundation building projects. Our five build partners of 2018 are:
- Crystal Kitchen Center, Inc.
- Homes By Tradition, LLC
- Lennar
- Soderberg Apartment Specialists
- The Kingdom Builders
Watch our 2018 recap video to learn more about their projects:
Our generous supporters showed how much they cared
After hearing how our worked helped to change an Avivo participants life, in true solidarity, builders, remodelers, trade associates and supporters raised their bidding paddles and contributed $84,000 to support future projects. The silent auction had more than 100 items that were donated by community members including golf packages, concert tickets, the latest tech accessories and so much more!
This year’s live auction featured five items including:
- Santana Concert Experience donated by Visit St. Paul; Bonnie and Richard Berg; InterContinental
- Cambria Countertops donated by Cambria
- Beaver Creek Vacation donated by Dennis Galligan and Shaughnessy Flooring
- Private Chef & Wine Experience donated by Blake Meier and Sherry Perra
- Closet of your Dreams donated by Twin Cities Closet Company
And our attendees had an amazing night!
The Hearts in Housing Gala was filled with positive energy as the industry came together to make a lasting impact on the lives of those in need. It was a night of food, fun and masquerade mystique!
If you were unable to make it to the 2019 Gala, but would still like to donate to the BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation, you can do so online at BATCFoundation.org.
