Contact: Kelsey Skidmore

(916) 353-5200 x. 3316

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Rocklin, CA) March 29, 2008 – HomeAid Sacramento was presented with a check for $20,000 Tues. March 18th from Newland Communities. The funds were raised at the annual Newland Communities Life is good® Pumpkin Festivals held nationwide on October 20, 2007.  Locally the festival was held at Whitney Ranch in Rocklin. An estimated 1,100 people from Whitney Ranch and the surrounding South Placer region attended the festival and helped raise just short of $10, 000 for two charities, HomeAid and Construction Cares for Children.

The national beneficiary of the 2007 Life is good® Pumpkin Festivals was HomeAid, a leading national non-profit provider of housing for today’s temporarily homeless. Newland Communities donated 75% of the proceeds to the national HomeAid office who distributed it where it was most needed. The Sacramento chapter of HomeAid, the philanthropic arm of the North State Building Industry Assocaition and the local chapter of the national organization, received $20,000.

“We are very thankful to Newland Communities and Whitney Ranch,” said Greg Grant, Chair of HomeAid Sacramento and regional sales executive of Creative Touch Interiors. “Without the continuing generosity and support of our community, we would not be able to fund as many projects as we do.”

The money will be used to fund their Shelter Development program, for current projects and those in development.
“We have three projects under or about to be under construction: PEACE for Families, Sacramento Senior SafeHouse, the Children’s Receiving Home,” said Pam Herman, program director for HomeAid Sacramento. “Additionally we are helping with Waking the Village, and doing some remodeling at Mary House under our HomeAid Care program.”

In addition, Constuction Cares for Children, a non-profit provider uniting the homebuilding industry in the Placer County and the Sacramento region, with children in need, received over $2,000 in donations from the Pumpkin Festival at Whitney Ranch.  The local Sacramento charity facilitates an annual Christmas bicycle drive to provide underprivileged children with the gift of their dreams.

The Life is good® Pumpkin Festivals were held in eleven Newland communities across seven states. It is a celebratory community event, incorporating good old-fashioned outdoor fun and family participation. Residents, neighbors and team members enjoyed a day of pumpkin carving, family games, face painting, live music and more.

For more information about HomeAid Sacramento please call 916-677-5717 or visit www.homeaidsac.org.

For more information about Construction Cares for Children, visit www.ConstructionCaresForChildren.com for more information.

For more information call 916-543-8501 or visit www.WhitneyRanch.net.

Rebecca Parre, Greg Grant, and Pam Herman at the HomeAid check presentation March 18, 2008