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Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, completing eight epi- sodes (and houses) over the course of the show. While the time and money needed to make each episode's project successful could be challenging, he remembers the ex- perience positively overall. "It's something you live with the memories of the stress, the pressure, the enormous fulfllment, relief and overall satisfaction of what you've accomplished and how you've changed this family's life. Without you, your team and your ability to pull these peo- ple together, none of this would have happened," he says. "It's done because many people come together and make it happen, and it's all because of the good in people. You see more good in people during Extreme Makeover than you could possibly imagine; the good is overwhelming." Ferro doesn't anticipate changing his methodology — taking on one big charity and event per year, and then supporting other causes consistently — any time soon, because he is a strong believer in supporting the commu- nities that support his business. Remodelers Council of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County J oshua Mauney, 2014 Remodelers Council Community Service Co-Chair and president of Paragon Building Group in Raleigh, N.C., rec- ognizes the community service project completed to beneft Te Green Chair Project is not within the typical scope of their group considering they are primarily a group of residential remodelers who took on a commercial ren- ovation project. Te project, completed in just over two weeks and valued at $133,700, involved transforming a one-sink breakroom into a two-sink, two dishwasher washing station with ample counter space and relocating the volunteer breakroom and adding appliances to create a fully equipped kitchen. Two women who had backgrounds in real estate and staging found themselves regularly asking clients to de- clutter, downsize and de-personalize spaces as their homes would be put on the market. Out of this was born Te Green Chair Project, which provides home furnishings donated from the community for families and individuals transitioning from homelessness or disasters and have secured housing. According to Mauney, the organiza- tion began renting a building that allows space to have a showroom for those seeking items and as a venue to host events, which include quarterly fundraisers, private sales and an annual Gala. Te two kitchens that were the focus of the Remodelers Council project created an area donating to a lot of diferent charities and getting involved with diferent causes. Each year I'll pick something that I'll really get behind and put a lot of energy behind." His big efort for 2015 is supporting and participating in the Huntington Chamber of Commerce 31st Annual Golf Outing. In 2013, Ferro laced up a pair of boxing gloves to participate in a Fight for Charity, which raises money for individ- uals and families in need on Long Island; he emceed the event in 2014. "We don't know what next year will bring, but each year I'll pick one specif- ic charity and I'll be their main fund- raiser, trying to help them reach their big fundraising goal. I don't try and spread too thin; you don't want to overexpose yourself and push your resources too much," he explains. "We're trying to leverage all our re- sources to help the community, and a lot of the people we do business with give willingly because they want to be part of what we're doing. It really paints a nice pic- ture because we're helping the community, helping some people that really need help and helping the (remodeling) industry look good." While Ferro emphasized his aim to not stretch too thin, he seemed unaware of how many foundations and nonprofts he supports until he began listing them. He serves on the board of directors for: the Clark Gillies Foundation, the Interfaith Nutrition Network, the Farmingdale College Foundation, and Finding a Cure Today (FACT). "Most of this is company driven –me as the CEO and president –but there's defnitely a huge spirit and culture in the company of community involvement," Ferro says. "We do the March for Babies walk, and we support the Bowling for Kids Night put on by the Clark Gillies Foundation. Tere's usually very solid employee turnout for all sorts of charitable events." Cause marketing eforts have been efective in several regards. "We're doing two things: We were getting our name out there and we're supporting a cause we believe in," Ferro says. "It was something that was great for me because I'm somebody who feels we all have a social re- sponsibility to help and we really need to fulfll that so- cial responsibility. If you're working in a community and you're not supporting that community, shame on you." One big way Alure Home Improvements has support- ed the community was the company's involvement with Sal Ferro participated in Fight for Charity in 2013 by lacing his boxing gloves; he emceed the event in 2014. SPECIAL REPORT: Community Service 30 June 2015 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com | ForResidentialPros.com