Top Volunteers Honored By Habitat For Humanity Hillsborough

TAMPA, FL — Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County recognized its top volunteers during the nonprofit’s second annual Volunteer Appreciation Celebration held recently at the Tampa Theatre.

More than 120 gathered to honor individuals, businesses and organizations across six categories who have partnered with Habitat Hillsborough in working toward a community where everyone has an affordable and decent place to live.

“Habitat Hillsborough wouldn’t exist without our amazing volunteers,” said Tina Forcier, CEO at Habitat Hillsborough. “We are thankful for every volunteer who steps onto a construction site or assists in our ReStores because we know that these efforts are all in support of making the homeownership dream a reality for so many residents in our community.”

Winners included:

• East Tampa Community Redevelopment Area (Community Partner of the Year) — The division within the city of Tampa’s Economic and Urban Development Department collaborated with Habitat Hillsborough to supply 10 families with new roofs through the Emergency Roof Repair Program during the 2022-23 fiscal year. Additionally, the East Tampa CRA joined Habitat Hillsborough for its first focused area Neighborhood Revitalization project to provide families with services like installing ramps, painting and landscaping, and other minor exterior repairs.
• TD Bank (Corporate Partner of the Year) — Helped launch Habitat Hillsborough’s credit monitoring program this year, which has already supported more than 100 families in growing skills needed to gain financial stability. The bank also played an integral role in Habitat Hillsborough securing funding to purchase land used to build affordable homes throughout Hillsborough County.
• Jim Kirkpatrick (Individual Volunteer of the Year) — Republic Bank’s Florida market president has been a strong advocate for Habitat Hillsborough. Kirkpatrick chaired the organization’s CEO Build earlier this year, leading efforts that resulted in over $150,000 raised and more than 40 CEOs and executive leaders recruited to participate in the home builds for Tampa residents Tammy Bush-Jordan and Ada Adorno.
• Bank of America (Volunteer Team of the Year) — Bank of America employee teams used paid time off to volunteer monthly with Habitat Hillsborough, bringing up to 20 volunteers each time, helping to build homes for families in need of affordable housing. The bank is also a title sponsor for Habitat Hillsborough’s Veterans Initiative, which focuses on homeownership and home preservation projects for veterans and their families in Hillsborough County.
• Kenneth Neeley (Dream Builder of the Year) — Dream Builders regularly volunteer with Habitat Hillsborough and take a leadership role in their duties, often assisting staff to train new volunteers. Neeley started as a volunteer in 2021 working on home build sites with the construction team until he found his niche with a group of highly dedicated volunteers to help with home preservation projects.
• Jason Quintero (Millard Fuller Lifetime Achievement Award) — Named for the late co-founder of Habitat for Humanity International, the award is presented to an individual who has made a transformational impact on Habitat Hillsborough through the same principles envisioned by Fuller himself. Quintero serves as managing shareholder of law firm Carlton Fields’ Tampa office that provides pro bono legal services to the nonprofit. He also previously served on Habitat Hillsborough’s board of directors, in which he helped transform the organization and set it on a path for success and consistent growth. Habitat Hillsborough now builds roughly 30 homes each year. During his six-year term, Quintero’s leadership was critical in hiring current CEO Tina Forcier and establishing policies and procedures that would take the organization to new levels.

On average, 2,000 volunteers register with Habitat Hillsborough each year. Those interested in volunteering with Habitat Hillsborough can learn more at Volunteer FAQs. For additional questions, email volunteer@habitathillsborough.org or call 813-239-2242.