Lee BIA Builders Care, Lennar Homes bring life-changing gift to family in need
Just in time for the holidays, Lee BIA Builders Care and Lennar Homes came together to present life-changing home renovations to a Lehigh Acres family in need.
Tony and Bonita Jordan are the recipients of a remarkable gift – their home has been made more accessible in order to provide greater ease and comfort in their efforts to care for their son. Sterling, 38, was born with Klinefelter syndrome, diagnosed with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and end-stage renal disease, is currently undergoing dialysis following kidney transplant operations, and has 8 percent vision in only one eye. Sterling’s father, Tony, 86, has a rare blood disorder, and his mother, Bonita, 71, has degenerative arthritis, making it difficult and painful to care for Sterling. Sterling has been unable to shower for years due to the inability to use the existing bathroom. As a result, Bonita has been sponge-bathing him, an undertaking that has become increasingly difficult as Bonita’s arthritis worsens.
By making the Jordan family home more accessible, and taking all their needs into account, Lee BIA Builders Care and Lennar have helped make a dream come true for the Jordan family. Improvements and modifications were made possible thanks to the generous contribution of Lennar Homes and a number of local partner suppliers and contractors. Some of the modifications made to the home included: updating the existing bathroom for handicap accessibility, accommodating wheelchair use throughout the home by widening doorways and installing a small ramp at the front door, new flooring, interior paint, new exterior front door and kitchen side door and kitchen appliances, plus providing them with a Christmas tree just in time for Christmas.
Lee BIA Builders Care, community partners and volunteers worked tirelessly over the course of two weeks to complete this project for the Jordan family, and more than 200 volunteers and supporters came together on Dec. 21 for a heartwarming unveiling event. Renovations were provided at no cost to the homeowners, thanks to a generous donation from Lennar.
“I really enjoy doing these projects every year. It’s an incredible feeling to be able to provide the Jordan family these much-needed home renovations,” said Ray Kershaw, vice president of construction at Lennar Homes Southwest Florida Division. “It’s really something special to be able to partner up with Builders Care and have our associates, trade and business partners work together to provide this holiday gift to the Jordan family.”
The much-needed home modifications provide significant benefits for Sterling through increased accessibility and privacy, and also bestow greater comfort for the entire Jordan family through their newly enhanced living conditions. The widening of Sterling’s bedroom doorway better accommodates his wheelchair, nurses and emergency medical crews as needed, and the addition of a new ramp at the back door provides greater accessibility. A fresh coat of exterior paint and landscaping improvements were also supplied.
“Our community came together in a big way to make the holidays much brighter for a local family in desperate need of these home improvements,” said Becky Swift, executive director of Lee BIA Builders Care. “We are so thankful to our project partners for the selfless gift of their time, funds and materials to provide these truly life-altering improvements for the Jordan family.”
Materials and services were donated by local partner suppliers and contractors, including: America’s Best Carpentry, Blind Ambitions, Carrigan Brothers, Cemex Construction Materials, Danit Cleaning Services, Division 16, Elite Structural Services, Gouse’s Fine Furniture, Kelly Air Systems, Kiyo’s Concrete, Lee County Building Department, Liberty Aluminum, MHC, Mr. Foamy, Nilles Design, NOVA Engineering & Environmental, Pinnacle USA, Platinum Service Contracting, Raymond Building Supply, Rosen Materials, Sherwin-Williams, Southwest Disposal & Clean Up, Storm Smart, Sunny Grove Landscaping, United Site Services, Wayne Wiles Floor Coverings, and West Coast Pressure Washing.
About Lee BIA Builders Care
Builders Care is the nonprofit charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association (Lee BIA). The mission of Lee BIA Builders Care is to provide emergency construction services at no cost to needy and deserving elderly and/or disabled homeowners, and their families, who cannot obtain repairs through traditional means. To date, Lee BIA Builders Care has put more than $4.5 million in construction services back into the community at no cost to homeowners in need. Builders Care enlists the volunteer services of Lee BIA members and leverages grants and donated materials to provide construction and remodeling services to qualified homeowners throughout Lee County. Builders Care and the Lee BIA are headquartered at 6835 International Center Blvd. #4 in Fort Myers. The Lee Building Industry Association (www.BIA.net) is a 64-year-old association affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders and Florida Home Builders Association that serves to promote, protect and preserve homeownership, private property rights and affordable housing by advocating for balanced laws, regulation and fees through member education and outreach. Donations can be made online at www.LeeBuildersCare.org. More information is available by calling 239-938-0056. Follow Builders Care at Facebook.com/LeeBuildersCare or on Twitter @LeeBuildersCare.
