The tools of the trade were a little different July 11 at Nationwide Arena.
Instead of the usual din of hockey sticks whacking rubber pucks and skates carving ice, a steady drumbeat of hammers and drills filled the arena floor thanks to a partnership between the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation, Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio and the Central Midwest Carpenters Union.
And everyone got involved, as evidenced by the splatters of blue paint on the shirt of Kate Ames.
“We are here to support and help in any way needed,” the Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio director of development said with a laugh when asked about the wayward brushstrokes.
It was all part of the fun as the Central Ohio community groups teamed up as part of the Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio's Playhouse Project Blitz Build. By the end of the day, 10 local families were presented with completed playhouses to enjoy, all expertly built, decorated and presented to the young recipients at Nationwide Arena.
“This partnership is really special because the carpenters union is experts in this space and Habitat for Humanity are experts in the affordable housing space,” said Tara Battiato, executive director of the Blue Jackets Foundation. “To be able to bring all of these groups together to make these playhouses and to help kiddos out, which is the entire mission of the Blue Jackets Foundation, it really is like a dream come true.”
The Playhouse Project is a unique opportunity that allows Habitat MidOhio to partner with sponsors to build playhouses for a local family in need, providing children with a safe place to play and imagine what home means to them.
The Playhouse Project’s playhouses are designed for children ages 1 through 10 to provide a place where children’s imagination and curiosity can thrive, all the way down to the custom decor that adorned each finished product.
“Having that dedicated space for children to play and to be able to imagine, to be active, to be outside, is such an important piece of their development and their physical health as well,” Ames said. “We want everyone to have a place to call home, and we want every kid to have that space to play.”
The Central Midwest Carpenters Union was the perfect partner for the project considering their knowledge when it comes to building things from the ground up, and the group has been part of the Blue Jackets Foundation’s Corporate Playmaker program – a community outreach and partnership platform – since last spring.
The Central Midwest Carpenters Union represents over 37,000 professional tradespeople across Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. Representatives from not just Columbus but other cities in Ohio including Cleveland, Dayton and Toledo were on hand at Nationwide Arena to assemble the playhouses for the kids.
“This is what the Carpenters Union is all about,” said Francisco Gonzalez, a coordinator for Bridging Minds, the union’s workforce development and outreach initiative. “We’re not just about helping build the infrastructure of this country, we’re about family and the community. Being part of these types of events brings us a lot of joy.
“People are excited building this, and they know there are some families and kids that are going to be really happy when they see these playhouses come to life. It’s an awesome experience.”
Once everything was assembled that Saturday afternoon, the 10 families who received the playhouses arrived at the arena and were presented with the spaces they’ll get to enjoy back home. It was a job well done for everyone involved, as the partnership between the Blue Jackets Foundation, Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio and the Central Midwest Carpenters Union was a success from the first nail to the final brushstroke.
“That’s what we love to do at the Blue Jackets,” Battiato said. “We bring people together to cheer on our Jackets for a common goal – a victory – on the ice, and off the ice we like to bring groups together to raise awareness for Central Ohio and the families in it. Our mission is to make Central Ohio better, so to be able to do that with these families and with the kiddos and get them outside, get them excited to play in a safe environment and to imagine and just be a kid is perfect.”
