POSTPONED: Save the Date: Spaghetti Dinner & Silent Auction 2020

POSTPONED due to restrictions on large events. We plan to hold the event later this year, and will share details as they become available.

A DreamBuilders Spaghetti Dinner Dessert Favorite: Cookies by Sugar Mamma Bakery

Please support our annual dinner fundraising event on April 4, 2020 at Temple Isaiah, 5-8 pm. Bid on a wonderful selection of auction items, including: NFL football tickets; fine art, jewelry, wine, gift certificates to local restaurants, stellar timeshare vacations, and more. All proceeds directly support DreamBuilders mission trips and projects. No rsvp needed. Adults $15; Children 11 & under are $10. Cash or check only.

Donate Silent Auction items! The silent auction is DreamBuilders’ primary fundraising event of the year. Contributions–large and small–are needed from you, local merchants, and others. All contributions are tax deductible and greatly appreciated! To donate items, please contact: Cathy Gold (heycathy@verizon.net)

CANCELLED: Announcing…our 2020 Summer Mission Trips

CANCELLED due to Covid-19. Please stay safe, everyone! 4/03/2020

DreamBuilders helped repair severely damaged two homes in Puerto Rico in 2019. Above: Clarissa’s home in mid-construction, two years after the deadly storm..

Category 5 Hurricanes Maria and Michael caused death and destruction in Puerto Rico (2017) and Panama City, FL (2018) . You can help families return home by joining one of our mission trips. Much work is needed to fully restore communities devastated by these natural disasters. Priority registration is now open for members of DreamBuilders’ parishes or congregations. Registration for other volunteers begins 3/8/2020. Mission trips offer hands-on construction opportunities and fellowship. Teens must have completed 9th grade to go on a mission trip. For more details and registration: Puerto Rico and Panama City, FL

Join us at our General Information Meeting 3pm 2/23 at St. Marks Church

Photo Credit: Bronte Wittpenn/Tampa Bay Times via AP

Come and learn about DreamBuilders projects in the local area and afar! We’re getting ready for the summer of 2020 at two exciting destinations. Homeowner recovery needs following recent natural disasters greatly influenced our mission trip decisions. Come find out how you can be part of a team to help families in need–rebuild, and change lives! Please note the venue and time: St. Mark’s Church, 12700 Hall Shop Rd, Highland at 3pm

Lending a hand to ARC

Our Fall ARC project crew gets the job done. Photo Credit: Jan D.

We accomplished our goals in a single day: repairs to a group home in Ellicott City–with our ARC partners, in early October. Tasks included demolishing old kitchen cabinets, removing a load-bearing wall and another wall, and installing new cabinets. Thanks to Brian Rezac, Jay Raksin, and the ARC team for guiding us through the day!

Join DreamBuilders at the Mistletoe Mart, November 7-9

Enjoy crafts, food, door prizes, baked goods, and the Angel Room for kids under eight

Continue Joyce Chomko’s legacy and raise awareness of DreamBuilders’ mission by volunteering to sell fair trade coffees and teas at Mistletoe Mart in Carroll County. Hosted by Church of the Ascension (a DreamBuilders parish), this juried event brings together a variety of affordable, made-in-America, useful and unique gift items created by artisans of the Mid-Atlantic region.

Sign up to sell DreamBuilders fair trade coffee and tea

We’ll have a tribute to Joyce on the DreamBuilders’ bulletin board behind our table. Come buy coffees and teas to support DreamBuilders, and start your holiday season with us!

For Mistletoe Mart ticket information, vendors, directions, and more

Fall Local Project – ARC: Sign-up for October 5th Work Day

This Arc home is ready for a new kitchen this fall.

DreamBuilders has a long-standing partnership with The Arc of Howard County to improve homes, fostering community acceptance and inclusion for developmentally and cognitively challenged individuals. In October, we’ll renovate a group home in Ellicott City. The project involves renovating a kitchen at a group home. The kitchen cabinets need demolition and removal; two walls need removal, with a new header for the load bearing wall; and painting. This effort literally improves Arc residents’ quality of life at home!  We can use 12 volunteers each day. The workday will be 8:30 – 4pm. Lunch will be provided. Cost per volunteer is $10.  For more details, please see the sign-up  links.

Arc Work Day, October 5 Sign-up

Sad News – Remembering Joyce Chomko

Joyce Chomko, 1945-2019

Joyce Chomko was a dedicated member of the DreamBuilders leadership team for over 15 years. A long-time member of Ascension Church in Westminster, MD, Joyce energetically recruited adults and teens to participate in DreamBuilders projects. Joyce herself traveled with DreamBuilders to New Mexico, West Virginia, Missisippi, Vermont, New Jersey and Lousianna for a total of 12 work trips In addition, Joyce worked locally in Baltimore City, Westminster, Columbia and Sykesville. Her legacy of faith and service exemplifies the mission of DreamBuilders.

In memory of Joyce, “Joyce’s Crew” sponsorship fund has been established to provide financial assistance to teens that wish participate in DreamBuilders work trips. Joyce advocated for teen financial assistance with a personal passion and we will honor her by continuing this opportunity. Interested teens may contact the DreamBuilders leadership from their church or temple. Donations to Joyce’s Crew can be made to DreamBuilders, c/o St. Mark’s Church, 12700 Hall Shop Rd, Highland, MD 20777 with “Joyce’s Crew” indicated in the memo area of the check. For online donations, please include “Joyce’s Crew” in the note section: https://dreambuildersmd.org/home/donate/

With Much Appreciation for the MatzohBall Run

2019 MatzohBall Run Donation
Ben L. presents a check to John, on behalf of Temple Isaiah Men’s Club

Temple Isaiah Men’s Club donated $3500 to DreamBuilders operations. These funds are a portion of proceeds from their 14th annual Matzohball 5k and 1 Mile Fun Run, held in June. DreamBuilders is grateful for the continued support of the TI Men’s Club.

Pittsburgh Mission Trip is a Resounding Success

DreamBuilders in Pittsburgh, 2019

On June 23-29, twenty-two DreamBuilders worked in the Enright Court neighborhood located in East Liberty, a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA. The build was made in collaboration with several non profit groups: East Liberty Development Inc., Full Quiver, and Rebuilding Pittsburgh. Despite the heat, the champions worked on both interior and exterior demolition and reframed walls (including one roof) and installed vinyl siding, windows, doors, and interior drywall. Local neighbors of the Enright Court community also teamed with our group! The mission experience was a great week of collaboration, fellowship and hard work, serving an impoverished area of the City of Bridges.

DreamBuilding in Puerto Rico

The storm destroyed the original roof, doors, and windows of this home; flooding caused the family to seek shelter at a neighbor’s home.

Twenty months after Hurricane Maria struck the island, recovery continues outside of San Juan and in rural areas. In May 2019, our team helped repair two homes in the northeastern coastal town of Loiza. We worked on demolition, mudding and sanding drywall ceilings; priming and painting interior and exterior walls, installing wood trim, caulking, cementing doorframes and patching around windows, and more. We were grateful to work with a native Puerto Rican fellow missioner who grew up in Maryland. Special thanks to Sterling Quality Water for sponsoring Julio, who did outstanding work. Julio was glad for the opportunity to use his construction skills to give back to Puerto Rico. Both families are excited to soon move back into their homes when the work is finished.

Some missioners work together to sand a ceiling to perfection.
Crews with Americorps and SBP team leads (above and below.)
For more photos of these missioners at work and play: DreamBuildersMD on facebook and google album