Pacesetter Homes Austin Supports Non-Profit Organization to Assist Those Experiencing Food Insecurity

Austin, TX – Pacesetter Homes Austin has partnered with Circle of Hope Community Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those experiencing food insecurity that serves around 600 people per week. The partnership stems from a Volunteer Day experience Pacesetter Homes Austin employees had, where they learned about the services Circle of Hope provides and the growing needs of the organization.

Shasta Bruce, Director, Purchasing and Estimating, Pacesetter Homes Austin, shared that the opportunity to volunteer with Circle of Hope seemed like a good fit for the Pacesetter Homes Austin team.

“Circle of Hope is located within five minutes of our division’s main office,” she said. “We thought this was a great local volunteer opportunity for us. We had no clue how much hard work goes into serving the families who use Circle of Hope’s services. It was such a humbling and rewarding experience.”

Circle of Hope provides food to families twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. The organization receives multiple food donation deliveries from grocery stores, other food banks, and other sources throughout the week and even on food distribution days. The program relies on volunteers to help distribute that food to families.

Tina Lee, Executive Director, Circle of Hope Community Center, said Pacesetter Homes Austin has had a powerful impact on Circle of Hope, and the organization is incredibly grateful to have the company’s support.

“Our distribution days cannot happen without the support of volunteers,” she said. “Pacesetter Homes has provided volunteers, allowing us to distribute a variety of fresh and frozen foods to our neighbors in need, as well as extra items like pet food, household cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene products that we do not otherwise have the ability to provide. All of these items are necessities that our neighbors have trouble affording due to their circumstances.

The volunteer experience inspired the Pacesetter Homes Austin team to want to do more for Circle of Hope. The team launched a program that provided a financial contribution for every home delivered in Q3 of 2022, which resulted in a total donation of $3,675. The funds helped Circle of Hope acquire an additional onsite storage building to house more donations, allowing them to serve more families each week.

Pacesetter Homes Austin also replaced Circle of Hope’s damaged signage so that the sign is now visible from the nearby major thoroughfare.

In addition to volunteers and monetary donations, Tina noted that Pacesetter Homes Austin has sponsored food drives on Circle of Hope’s behalf, donating hundreds of pounds of food to their pantry. These donations help offset the cost of purchasing food for distribution to the community.

“During our volunteer opportunity, we found a need that we could help with,” said Shasta. “The drive-through food loading area is completely open and unprotected from the elements. To avoid food spoilage and help protect the volunteers and cars going though, we are partnering with an engineering firm we use to help design an awning for that area.”

Shasta said the hope is to encourage more volunteers by having a better setup, therefore giving Circle of Hope the capacity to help even more families.

Things are currently in the preliminary planning stage, but the team has met with the engineer onsite and is in the process of designing the awning. They are meeting with the property management company about the awning installation, and from there they will look to permit and bid out/partner with active trades to bring the vision to life. Shasta noted the goal is to have the shelter erected before May, when the hot weather begins

“Our engineer has graciously offered to run the front point of donating their time, efforts and design,” said Shasta. “From there, we’ll look to partner with other trades to help donate/provide at cost to this cause. Once we have the design, our plan is to actively recruit others who are passionate about helping our community.”

Shasta credits Qualico’s Acts of Kindness campaign and the company’s ongoing support of philanthropic activities as important factors in Pacesetter Homes Austin’s ability to help Circle of Hope as much as possible and the homebuilder’s interest in giving back to the community.

“When this opportunity presented itself, our team had full management support to fulfill this need for our community, the cause, and the people,” she said. “We are committed to honoring the resounding call to help where we can and are afforded to with the help of our parent company, employees, and trade partners.”

The Pacesetter Homes Austin team is continuing to look for ways to meet Circle of Hope’s current and future needs. The team plans to continue providing volunteer time, as well as help with larger projects when needed. One such potential future project could be a foundation pad that would allow Circle of Hope to add an office/restroom for their volunteers.