ATLANTA, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ — Jon Been, the Founder and CEO of Atreus Homes & Communities, has made a $100,000 donation to the United Methodist Children’s Home (UMCH) in Decatur, Georgia, to meet the immediate needs of the children who were impacted by a recent fire destroying their living quarters.
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“We know that the UMCH had insurance, but there are things these young people need now to get their lives back together — including clothes and personal belongings,” Been said. “We don't want them to have to wait. This donation is intended to get them through the holidays and into the New Year and I have pledged that we will make up any difference between any insurance settlement, and what is eventually needed to rebuild the dorm.”
Jon Been and his wife Susan have a long history of actively supporting children's charities. Jon Been made the $100,000 donation to the UMCH when he heard that one of the buildings that houses the children, known as Leigh Cottage, was completely gutted by a fire. The first portion of the donation will go to replacing personal items that the children lost in the fire, with the remainder going to rebuild their UMCH home. The fire remains under prospective arson investigation.
In the past, the Been's have also helped to fulfill 10 wishes for children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and have donated $25,000 a year for the past two years to Camp Twin Lakes, a 300 acre camp in Georgia for children facing chronic illness and other life challenges. They have also twice donated $50,000 to Horizons, an after school program for at-risk kids in Georgia.
“These young men have not had many people they can depend on in their lives. This generous gift from Atreus Homes reinforces to them that there are people who truly care about them,” said Dr. Richard Puckett, Director of Public Relations and Development for United Methodist Children's Home.
The United Methodist Children's Home began in Georgia in 1871 by providing shelter and education to children whose parents were deceased or unable to provide adequate care due to the Civil War. The Home has managed to sustain and grow over the years and currently offers 12 services to children and their families in need. It now sits on 99 acres in Decatur, Ga., and currently aids 47 children with the capability to accommodate up to 70. Some of the services offered include residential care, foster care and higher education assistance, among others.
Atreus Homes & Communities, formerly HomeLife Communities, is a third- generation family-run homebuilder headquartered in Atlanta that is currently selling new homes in more than 80 neighborhoods nationwide. The company currently builds in Atlanta, Raleigh, Charlotte, Phoenix and Albuquerque, with prices ranging from townhomes in the low $100's to detached homes from the $140's to the high $200's. The company is the only homebuilder to offer the Customer Satisfaction Plus buyback guarantee on every home it builds.
SOURCE Atreus Homes & Communities
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