Page 8 - Boca Club News - December '19

Page 8, Boca Club News
Boca Happenings

Corporate Volunteers Transform 10 Homes to Honor “Hometown”

Military Veterans During Annual VETERANS BUILD

To usher in Veterans Day in South Palm • Steven Kirkman: Steven Kirkman, son of a WWII
Beach County, more than 250 businesses and veteran, is a Vietnam-Era Veteran who served as a cruiser sailor
area residents joined Habitat for Humanity on USS Columbus CG-12, a guided missile cruiser during the
of South Palm Beach County to honor and 1960s. He later re-enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, in the
serve military veterans in appreciation for their logistical field where he volunteered for combat cargo transport
service as they transformed 10 homes within support. He is now 75 and is a survivor of prostate cancer and
the Boca Raton New Pines neighborhood critical heart issues. Kirkman moved into his house with his
through the organization’s Neighborhood parents in 1953; when his parents passed away, he inherited
Revitalization program powered by Vertical the home. He attends Church regularly and is a 33-year Master
Bridge Holdings. Corporate team members Mason at the Boca/Delray Lodge 171 and a 23-year Shriner.
from sponsoring companies participated in He is retired and still enjoys fishing, although with aging and
the Habitat organization’s 2019 VETERANS medical issues his physical activities have slowed down.
BUILD that was made possible by a generous As an affiliate of the global nonprofit organization Habitat
gift from Presenting Sponsor Vertical Bridge for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach
Holdings grant funding from Materials Sponsor County brings people together to build homes, community
Home Depot Foundation & Team Depot and and hope in the cities of Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and
Home Sponsors: Vertical Bridge, FPL, Wells U.S. Military Veterans honored and participated in Habitat for the 2019 Boca Raton, Florida. It operates in the belief that everyone
Fargo, Boca Grove Country Club, Fidelity Humanity of South Palm Beach County Veterans Build. everywhere should have a safe, decent and affordable place
National Title Group, Champion Solutions to call home, especially those hard-working, low income
Group, Baptist Health South Florida, Boca Rio Foundation met his wife, Sherry, with whom he has been married for families who have yet been able to qualify for traditional
and the City of Boca Raton. 56 years. Skip and Sherry have given everything to provide mortgage financing. To give a “hand-up, never a hand-out”,
To start the morning, welcome remarks were made by the for their daughter and four grandchildren, leaving little for the 501(c)(3) organization depends upon volunteer labor and
Habitat organization’s President & CEO Randy Nobles and them to keep up with the repairs on their home. They are both tax-deductible donations of money, materials, services and
Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, alongside Council Members involved in the New Pines Community, working together property to fulfill its mission. To learn more about HFHSPBC,
Jeremy Rodgers and Monica Mayotte, followed by a group with Wayne Barton to help children in the community. Skip its home build sponsorships, corporate team builds, fundraising
cheer led by Home Depot. The lunch program featured a and Sherry have several medical conditions, and Sherry has events, year-round volunteer opportunities and donations to our
presentation of the colors by the Atlantic High School Army taken a job at Steak and Shake just to try to keep up with home improvement and thrift shop ReStores in Boca Raton and
JROTC, recognition of all veterans present at the event, and their medical bills. The children and grandchildren will do Delray Beach, contact James McLelland, HFHSPBC Manager,
a keynote speech by U.S. Army Veteran Sophia E. Eccleston, whatever it takes to assure they live their final years in a safe Resource Development & Marketing at jmclelland@hfhboca.
an External Affairs (EA) manager for Florida Power and and decent home they deserve. org or (561) 819-6070 x 208.
Light Company (FPL) in Palm Beach County responsible for
advocating with local elected officials and key community Habitat for Humanity of South
stakeholders.
Eccleston joined the Army in 1995 and was assigned
Germany, as a Logistics Specialist. She was later transferred Palm Beach County’s 2019
to the 95th Military Police (MP) Battalion, in Heidelberg,

to Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia, where she was
There she served the remainder of her time until she was WOMEN Build Home Dedicated
assigned to the 224th Military Intelligence (MI) Battalion.
honorably discharged in 1998. Along with her military
experience, Sophia worked for Halliburton and KBR Inc., It was a day of celebration for the Brivaus and Denesmin
in the Middle East and Africa. Two of her most notable family as they received the key to their new Habitat home in
roles were negotiating multi-million dollar contracts to Delray Beach for which 200 women spent a collective 800
build infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan for the United volunteer builder hours during the 2019 Habitat for Humanity
States military, and starting the first Regional Expediting of South Palm Beach County’s WOMEN Build. In the days
Department located in Dubai. leading up to Mother’s Day, the women literally “raised the
Following Eccleston’s speech, CEO Alex Gellman roof” on this new home and revitalized three neighboring
of Vertical Bridge, the 2019 Veterans Build Presenting homes through the affiliate’s Neighborhood Revitalization
Sponsor, gave a $60,000 check to Habitat for Humanity of Program.
South Palm Beach County as the nonprofit’s overall Annual This Habitat women-exclusive initiative, which annually
Neighborhood Revitalization Program Sponsor. In addition, combines fundraising with experiential “camaraderie-of-a-
Home Depot’s Regional VP of South Florida, Puerto Rico rare-kind,” raised more than $350,000 to underwrite the cost
and the Virgin Islands, Santi Bernardez, presented the of construction materials for this home and Habitat’s overall
organization with a gift card in the amount of $116,897, mission. The WOMEN Builders spanned three generations
representing Home Depot’s total annual support to the hailing from Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach,
organization’s Neighborhood Revitalization program through Gulfstream, Ocean Ridge, the island of Palm Beach, Palm
materials sponsorship of various projects. Beach Gardens and Jupiter and as far south as Deerfield Newest Habitat for Humanity SPBC Partner Family cut
Among the veteran homeowners were: Beach and Fort Lauderdale. the ribbon on their new home, thanks to the support of
• Hubert “Skip” Barkoski: Skip enlisted in the Marine Boca West Country Club is the presenting home sponsor; Presenting Home Sponsor Boca West Country Club and the
Corps in 1961 and was sent to Okinawa, Japan, during the this is the community’s 10th sponsored home for Habitat for 2019 WOMEN Build led by Beverly Raphael Altman and
Vietnam War. He served four years in Supplies Artillery. He Humanity of South Palm Beach County. Robyn Raphael-Dynan.

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