Habitat for Humanity

Over the years Senior Advisors Alex Ruggieri and Jerry Ramshaw, and their partners at Sperry Van Ness / Ramshaw Real Estate, have been Involved in a number of volunteer projects in the community of Champaign, Illinois. While they each enjoyed the individual project they were involved in, they started to consider the impact the they could make by finding a volunteer project they could all work on together, pooling their individual efforts and resources into one project.

Last summer, they found the perfect endeavor Habitat far Humanity! 2006 Home Builders Blitz. The June event marked one of Habitat for Humanity's largest blitz events in its 30-year history. The Home Buildm Blitz brought together more than 1,000 professional home builders in 130 communities to build more than 400 affordable homes in partnenhip with low income families.

"Collectively with our employees and subcontractors we had approximately 125 people working on this project," said Ruggieri. "Everything from fundraising and pre-build organization to swinging hammers and landscaping in the final hours." Ruggieri and his team put in approximately 1,000 hours of work on this project.

Ruggieri feels that building new homes on abandoned lots can restore hope to an entire community. "The benefit will blossom from the family to the neighborhood to the community and the city," he said. Ruggieri and Ramshaw are truly committed to improving their community. They are both Class 'A' Advisors.