By Nadine Heffernan, GHBA Communications Manager
A new dog park at Boys and Girls Country of Houston is giving children and their four-legged friends a place to play, exercise and enjoy the outdoors, thanks in part to the efforts of GHBA members Caldwell Companies and Builders FirstSource!
Caldwell employees recently spent the day volunteering at the nonprofit’s Hockley campus, where they built custom benches and helped install fencing around the new space. Builders FirstSource also played an important role in bringing the project to life, supporting the new dog park as a project sponsor.
Founded in 1971, Boys and Girls Country provides a stable, nurturing home for children whose families are experiencing crisis. Children ages 5 to 18 live on the organization’s nearly 200-acre campus with trained houseparents, attend local public schools and receive educational and emotional support. In addition, its College & Career program continues to help young adults as they pursue higher education, vocational training and careers. Most recently, the organization launched a program for single mothers, who can reside on campus with their children for up to 18 months while receiving support as they work toward greater stability and independence.
The Hockley campus is designed to be more than a place for children to live. It is a community where they can experience the stability, relationships and everyday moments that help a place feel like home. The new dog park adds another space for those moments, giving children a dedicated area to spend time outside with their pets.
For the Caldwell team, bringing the space to life meant rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. Employees built benches and worked on the fencing throughout the day, turning their volunteer time into something the children at Boys and Girls Country can continue to enjoy.
The day also continued Caldwell’s longstanding relationship with the organization. The company has supported Boys and Girls Country through previous efforts on the Hockley campus, including projects completed in partnership with HomeAid Houston, a GHBA charity of choice. Builders FirstSource has also been involved in previous efforts benefiting Boys and Girls Country, continuing a relationship with the organization that extends beyond this latest project.
Their continued support is a reminder that companies can give back in ways that draw directly from what they already do well. Within the residential construction industry, that might mean contributing materials, sharing professional expertise or simply having a team of employees willing to show up and put in the work.
Those contributions can make a meaningful difference for organizations like Boys and Girls Country. Every improvement to the campus becomes part of the environment the nonprofit works to create for the children in its care: one that feels safe, welcoming and, most importantly, like home.
It is also a spirit of service seen throughout the GHBA membership. The companies and professionals who help shape communities across Greater Houston are often the same people giving their time and resources to organizations serving those communities.
For Caldwell Companies and Builders FirstSource, supporting the new dog park was another opportunity to put that spirit into action.
The finished space is something tangible, but what it represents goes beyond new fencing and benches. It represents people and companies choosing to invest in a place that plays an important role in the lives of Houston-area children. Now, it is a place where those kids can grab their dogs, head outside and simply enjoy being kids… alongside kid’s best friend.