Koinonia Breaks Ground on Construction Workshop for Foster Youth

Dozens of community members joined local foster youth and staff at Koinonia Homes for Teens and representatives from Beazer Homes and its Trade Alliance to break ground on the Dream Builders Workshop in Loomis on Aug. 9. The workshop, which is being constructed by Beazer Homes and its Trade Alliance, will provide foster youth at Koinonia with hands-on training in construction disciplines, including concrete, plumbing, framing, electrical, roofing, heating and air.

“This is going to be an incredible opportunity for the kids in our program to train in a growing field so they can leave the foster care system ready to work and earn a living,” said Bill Ryland, director, Koinonia Homes for Teens. “Too many foster youth leave the system unprepared and become homeless. We are grateful to Beazer Homes and its Trade Alliance for recognizing the amazing potential of these kids and for their generosity in building this workshop.”

The Dream Builders Workshop will stand alongside Koinonia’s Tech Classroom, which was funded by Principal Financial and is training foster youth in 3D modeling, music engineering and more. When Beazer Homes representatives toured the career center, they began talking with Koinonia about building a career pipeline into the construction industry and the idea of the Dream Builders Workshop was born.

“We’re proud to invest in our community’s youth by partnering on the Dream Builders Workshop,” said Laura Stickelman, president, Beazer Homes Sacramento division. “By learning important life and job skills, they’ll be poised for successful careers in the construction industry.”

Koinonia Homes for Teens, a division of Koinonia Family Services, has eight homes located in Placer and Sacramento counties, and a Placer County Office of Education WASC-accredited School and Treatment Center in Loomis. Koinonia is one of the premiere adolescent mental health and trauma-informed treatment programs in the state. Each home is staffed with caring professionals that bring a home-like atmosphere and quality treatment during this difficult out-of-home placement. Visit http://teens.kfh.org.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH) is one of the country’s largest homebuilders. Every Beazer home is designed and built to provide surprising performance, giving more quality and more comfort from the moment of move-in, saving money every month. With Beazer’s Choice Plans™, owners can personalize primary living areas – giving a choice of how to live in the home, at no additional cost. And unlike most national homebuilders, Beazer empowers customers to shop and compare loan options. Beazer’s Mortgage Choice program gives resources to compare multiple loan offers and choose the best lender and loan offer, saving homeowners thousands over the life of a loan. Beazer builds its homes in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Visit Beazer.com or check out Beazer Homes on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.