August 31, 2009

As part of their college experience, students at the Darden Business School are taking what they learn in the classroom, and changing the lives of families in our community. On Monday night's Beth on the Brightside, Beth Duffy reports on their business plan: to spruce up homes for those who otherwise couldn't afford it.

When a person goes for his or her M.B.A., no doubt their personal business and career goals come to mind. But student at the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia are showing it's about more than just them.

The Darden students are determined to ensure members of our community have a warm, safe, and dry living environment. In partnership with the Building Goodness Foundation, they're on a mission to renovate homes of low-income families in the Charlottesville-Albemarle community. They renovated homes in last April, and they plan to do more renovations in April of 2010. The students will help low-income families with home improvement projects that can be completed in a day or two, and for under $3,000.

They can address such needs as making homes handicap-accessible, replacing doors and windows, landscaping, painting, caulking, and even doing some structural and water damage repairs. All of this work is done with no cost to the owner. 15-20 volunteers, including construction professionals head out for the job.

If you know a family that could use their services, they want to hear from you.

Darden Goodness

Mailing Address:
Building Goodness in April
c/o Darden Foundation
PO Box 7726
Charlottesville, VA 22906

Email: referrals@dardengoodness.org

Phone: 434-806-3610
Fax: 434-973-9813