On Jan. 13, HomeAid Atlanta announced the recipients of its fourth annual awards at the Installation and Awards Reception of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association at Villa Christina in Atlanta. Awards were presented to the HomeAid Atlanta Builder Supporter of the Year, Trade Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. The awards honor individuals demonstrating outstanding commitment to HomeAid Atlanta and its efforts to build supportive, transitional housing for homeless children, women and men in the metro Atlanta area. The three award recipients were:
• Dan Mattox of Builders II – 2009 Builder Supporter of the Year
• Mitch Hires of Construction Resources, Inc. – 2009 Trade Partner of the Year
• Dina Gundersen of Monte Hewett Homes & Creative Thunder Design – 2009 Volunteer of the Year
The award winners are all knowledgeable and passionate about HomeAid Atlanta’s mission of building and maintaining dignified housing where temporarily homeless families and individuals can rebuild their lives; are committed to improving Atlanta’s homeless crisis; and have given generously of their time and talents in their respective roles.
“We are so pleased to be able to honor these individuals for their dedicated service to HomeAid Atlanta,” said Dan O’Dwyer, president of HomeAid Atlanta. “Each of the award winners has made a significant impact on the success of our organization and we are thankful for the opportunity to recognize their good works. It is with the support of people like these that we are able to continue fulfilling our mission of building housing for the homeless.”
The HomeAid Atlanta Builder Supporter of the Year award recognizes a devoted builder advocate of HomeAid Atlanta. The 2009 award recipient, Dan Mattox, has been involved in various roles with HomeAid Atlanta over the past six years. He is a member of HomeAid Atlanta’s board of directors and has participated in transitional housing construction projects in Decatur and College Park. He also served as a playhouse builder for HomeAid Atlanta’s signature annual fundraiser, Project Playhouse®, in 2008. A third generation builder, Mattox is the co-owner of Builders II. He and his business partner have been building homes in the Atlanta area since 1972 and have received numerous awards for their new homes and renovations in the Buckhead area.
The HomeAid Atlanta Trade Partner of the Year award honors an extraordinary non-builder partner in one or more HomeAid Atlanta transitional housing developments. Mitch Hires, the 2009 award winner, has generously donated and installed a combination of kitchen countertops, cultured marble vanity tops, sinks, mirrors and wire shelving for five transitional housing projects over the past four years. He has also regularly participated in two of HomeAid Atlanta’s annual fundraisers, Project Playhouse® and the Fairway to Haven® Golf Classic. Hires is the co-owner of Construction Resources, Inc., a 39-year-old Atlanta-based company that provides residential and commercial builders/remodelers, as well as homeowners, with a one-stop shop for specialty construction products such as natural stone tile, countertops, fireplaces, tubs, glass and mirror products, and garage doors.
The HomeAid Atlanta Volunteer of the Year award is presented to one of HomeAid’s dedicated volunteers for his or her outstanding service. The 2009 award recipient, Dina Gundersen, has been actively involved with HomeAid Atlanta for several years. She has shared her marketing expertise to provide promotional support for HomeAid Atlanta’s Project Playhouse®. She is also an original member of HomeAid’s Essentials for Young Lives Drive committee, assisting with the organization, marketing and implementation of the annual drive to collect baby supplies for homeless infants and toddlers. A professionally trained graphic designer, Gundersen has been the director of marketing for Monte Hewett Homes for the past six years, managing all of the marketing, advertising, social media and websites for the local custom homebuilding company. She is also the owner of Creative Thunder Design, a marketing, design and interactive company.
The three winners were nominated by HomeAid Atlanta’s board of directors and staff, and selected based on their service and commitment to HomeAid Atlanta and its mission.
