Past Renovations

HIF and Saarman Construction, along with Karlee Coble Interiors and several generous vendors, have created a beautiful environment for the clients of CORA, a San Mateo domestic violence agency dedicated to helping those affected by partner abuse, to ‘shop’ for new household goods as they prepare to move into their into new apartments and onto the next phase of reclaiming their lives and independence.

Led by Prometheus Real Estate Group and supported by Advanced Restoration, ProFloors, Fashion Furniture, GD Painting, Medallion Landscape, APD and so many generous supporters, HIF renovated five housing units that will support at-risk families as they rebuild their lives and move toward independence. This project leveraged over $250,000 of in-kind support for a market value of over $300,000!

AvalonBay, HIF and our awesome vendors team up for CityTeam Renovation Project! CityTeam Youth Collective’s supportive housing program aims to prevent homelessness by providing a loving community, essential life skills, and transitional resources for youth ages 18-24, many of whom are exiting foster care. HIF completed the following project with a market value of $36,000 in services and materials.

Covenant House California (CHC) is a non-profit youth shelter that provides sanctuary and support for youth experiencing homelessness, ages 18-24. Because of the support of HIF’s amazing Corporate Champions and HIF Board Companies BluSky Restoration Contractors and Equity Residential, we were able to renovate 5 units which will allow 7 young adults to move into safe, supportive housing.

Renovation Program Champion and long-time supporter of HIF, BellaVista Landscape Services, transformed a community garden for the Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP) in East Palo Alto, donating 100% of their labor and materials to fully irrigate and expand the garden space at EHP which provides fresh and healthy produce for local residents in need.

In September 2022, we completed this project at no cost to Maitri thanks to the generous support from Essex Property Trust and our professional vendor network. We provided new kitchen cabinets, counters and appliances, updated the bathrooms, and upgraded plumbing. We also painted the entire interior and refreshed the courtyard with drought resistant plants and a freshly-painted fence.

HIF engaged corporate champion American Asphalt to complete a renovation of Project Ninety’s San Mateo recovery residence driveway and pathway. The market value of this project was in excess of $14,000 at no cost to Caminar and Project 90, thereby keeping valuable resources focused on assisting individuals in Project 90’s alcohol and substance treatment services.

Maitri’s Anjali Transitional Housing Program houses survivors in a safe and sheltered environment, allowing the women in the program to transition into an empowered, self-sufficient, and independent life.

St. Francis Center in Redwood City has been an anchor for the community providing essential services, operating a youth center, school and providing affordable housing for low income families. These programs are critically important to local working families that often have to move due to the high cost of housing. HIF has supported St. Francis Center [...]

“Because of HIF, clients who are recovering from a mental health crisis will have a beautifully updated outdoor space to use as they heal. The safe and serene garden and reflection area will benefit our clients as they work to decrease their symptoms, improve their health, and return to their daily lives and community.” - [...]

The Mental Health Association of San Mateo County (MHA), a nonprofit organization, enriches quality of life, restores dignity, and reduces homelessness, particularly for those affected by mental illness and HIV/AIDS. MHA strengthens hope by providing shelter, support and opportunities for socialization. HIF board members and corporate Champions Windy Hill Property Ventures and IBI, Inc. led [...]

Free At Last rebuilds the community from within, reclaiming addicts and giving people who failed in the past the chance to succeed in the future.  Free At Last provides community­ based, culturally appropriate bilingual (English/Spanish) treatment, intervention and prevention services designed to reduce the exceptionally high rates of substance abuse and HIV infection and to [...]

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of San Mateo County provides safety net services for families and individuals who are often suffering, forgotten and deprived – the working poor, the homeless, victims of domestic violence, the incarcerated and all people living on the margins. HIF board member and Corporate Champion Prometheus led this project [...]

Valley Village is a non-profit retirement community that provides modestly priced and well established housing with a variety of services for seniors struggling to afford housing in the Bay Area. Corporate Champion AvalonBay Communities led this renovation with strong support from Kelly Moore Paints, BTaylor Painting, C & K Painting, Brook Furniture Rental, Pro-Floors and [...]

Free At Last rebuilds the community from within, reclaiming addicts and giving people who failed in the past the chance to succeed in the future. Free At Last provides community­ based, culturally appropriate bilingual (English/Spanish) treatment, intervention and prevention services designed to reduce the exceptionally high rates of substance abuse and HIV infection and to [...]

Thanks to our Corporate Champions (and longtime friends) AvalonBay Communities and IBI, Inc. HIF was able to transform a youth foster home in South San Francisco, helping to provide a warm, modern living environment for foster youth and the Unity Care staff. The work included full interior painting, a rehabbed kitchen w/new appliances, new living room, flooring, and can lighting throughout.

Unity Care’s housing programs provide current and former foster youth (including probation youth), ages 16-21 with safe, secure and affordable housing while they focus on their emotional well-being and education and employment goals. HIF board member and Corporate Champion, Prometheus, led this extensive project completed in Spring of 2018. Through Prometheus’s leadership and wonderful vendors [...]

Teenage years are hard enough for anybody – now imagine living through these years on the streets. For ten youth at a time, ages 16 to 21, StarVista’s Daybreak house offers a roof over their head, supportive services, and independent living skills training. Unfortunately, the Daybreak house had some issues, and HIF wanted to help ensure […]

30 year-old building gets much deserved makeover The Salvation Army offers a lifeline to adults who have lost the ability to cope with their problems and provide for themselves, and want to get back on their feet. Rehabilitation Centers provide residential housing, work, and therapy, in a safe, clean environment. The center in San Jose has […]

Homelessness looks different for youth. It may mean a child sneaking through a friend’s window so he or she has a floor to sleep on that night.  Did you know that there are over 700 homeless youth in our community every single night? Thanks to StarVista, up to six of these 700 children have a […]

Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness For the 1,000 homeless individuals housed each night, including families, men and women, children, and veterans, LifeMoves provides so much more than just temporary shelter.  LifeMoves’ programs combat homelessness today—and tomorrow—by teaching comprehensive life skills that help individuals struggling with homelessness achieve long-term self-sufficiency. Julian Street Inn, one of LifeMoves’ shelters, […]

The Parisi House on the Hill (Parisi House) is Santa Clara County’s first mother-and-child residential alcohol and drug treatment facility, allowing mothers to focus on their six-month treatment program without the emotional distraction caused when separated from their child. Parisi House provides living facilities for 20 mothers and 22 children (up to age 5) who […]

Giving young adults aging out foster care a stable place to start The odds are stacked against youth who are transitioning out of foster care. At 18, foster kids “age out” of most assistance, including housing, food, and educational support, yet lack resources that other teens usually take for granted, like a family to assist […]

Every year, over 250 adults and children walk through the doors of the CORA domestic violence shelter in San Mateo County seeking refuge. When HIF staff visited the shelter last year, they saw that the shelter needed some saving of its own: the converted garage being used for group therapy and movie nights had an […]

In 2001, the Safe Harbor Shelter opened as a temporary cold-weather shelter for homeless adults in San Mateo County under the guidance of then-County Supervisor Jerry Hill.  A converted warehouse, the facility housed 90 adults every night and met a critical need that, unfortunately, didn’t end with the changing of the seasons. Recognizing this, a […]

New Creation House Gets A New Look Sitting on a small lot near the southern end of the San Francisco Bay, New Creation House is both home to young mothers working through educational programs, and playground for their children. New Creation Home Ministries also uses the venue to provide young mothers with academic, vocational, parental and […]

Now Even A Brighter Beacon HIF improves quality of life for hundreds in Redwood City Nearly 200 of Redwood City’s poorest community members rely on a nonprofit called St. Francis Center for a place to call home.  With forty-one units spread over three blocks, the organization is a beacon of hope for low-income families in […]

Hard-hitting renovations for hard-working families Nestled in a cul-de-sac in the Cambrian neighborhood of San Jose sits an unassuming four-unit building with children’s bikes scattered out front. Owned by the nonprofit Abode Services, the building actually provides a vital service to the community by providing four families with young children a place to live as […]