Master Builders Care Foundation earns award for local homeless shelter

The Master Builders Care Foundation earned national recognition this month for developing two transitional housing complexes, one of which is located in Bellevue.

The foundation netted two "Golden Nugget" awards, one for Kensington Square near Northeast Eighth Street and 148th Avenue Northeast, and another for the Children's Village Hedco Building in Renton.

The awards, handed out June 18 during the Pacific Coast Builders Conference in San Francisco, recognize community spirit.

Kensington Square, which opened in 2008, is a six-unit development that provides transitional housing and support services for homeless families. The homes there have two to three bedrooms apiece, and are designed to fit in with other residences in the area.

"There's really a need for housing for people with large families," said Jay Schupack, executive director of the Master Builders Care Foundation. "Those families often get split up when they don't have a place of their own."

The Care Foundation coordinated with Redmond-based Shea Homes and the non-profit group Housing at the Crossroads to develop Kensington Square.

The group worked with Kirkland-based CamWest Development and the non-profit Vision House to build the Children's Village Hedco Building, which includes four residential units.

"Even with this down economy, we're finding volunteers to step up," Schupack said. "It really speaks highly of the whole building community."

The Care Foundation's other work includes building 275 wheelchair-accessible ramps for low-income homeowners during its annual Rampathon events, completing 41 Painting a Better Tomorrow projects, and raising $50,000 for disaster repairs.

The group has also raised and distributed $7.8 million in contributions to the community.

The Care Foundation is based out of the Bellevue headquarters for the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties.

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