Building Goodness Foundation

10/15/2026

Our partners at All-Temp Heating & Cooling, LLC. are quick to step up and take on projects for local homeowners in need of assistance! 👏🏠 They recently completed some HVAC maintenance work at this Fluvanna County residence to resolve the urgent issues associated with the downstairs unit – and they did it all pro bono. 🛠️✨ We're incredibly grateful for the generosity that they showed to this neighbor in order to make her home more safe and comfortable.

10/13/2026

Last week, BGF volunteers traveled to our preschool project with Puerta Abierta Atitlán to work on the punch list – all the things that still need to be perfected before we can call this project complete. ✈️🔨

Together with our Field Manager, Juana, and our Guatemala In-Country Director, Sebastian, the volunteers conducted a thorough survey of the school and noted everything that remains to be done or needs improvement. 📋️ Next, we'll address each of these tasks so that we deliver the very best result to our partners. 🏫

During their week in Santiago Atitlán, the volunteers also tackled a few of the punch list tasks, including installing the toilets, applying grout to the tile, and fixing up some cabinets. 🛠️💪 We're grateful for their expertise and all that they accomplished to keep this project moving toward the finish line!

10/12/2026

This past Saturday, we were honored to be welcomed into the Feel The Love partnership between Beck Cohen - Heating, Cooling, Electrical and Plumbing and Lennox and help two local homeowners receive HVAC systems! 🤝💙 These neighbors had applied to our C'ville Builds program for some construction assistance, and through Feel The Love, their homes were outfitted with top-notch, brand new Lennox units. 🏠🛠️

It was a great way to spend a Saturday – Beck Cohen staff and technicians worked hard to make these installations happen, the homeowners made sure to come by and share their gratitude with the teams, and some furry friends joined in the fun, too. 🐶🐱

Many thanks to our partners at Beck Cohen and Lennox for supporting the health, safety, and comfort of our neighbors through these heating and cooling systems! 🌡️❄️

10/09/2026

Walls are beginning to take shape at our project with Amigos de Santa Cruz Foundation! 🧱 The many concrete blocks that our crew carried up to the site by hand are being put to use here in Module 1, which is the highest part of the plot of land where we're building. 💪

We're also working hard on the construction of some retaining walls, which serve the important task of holding back the soil on this sloped site. ⛰️ Those black boards are the forms, which we're putting in place ahead of the upcoming concrete pour.

Cheers to our hardworking Amigos project team and the steady progress that they're making to build this school! 👏 🏫

10/08/2026

Last week, Courtney, Adam, and Sebastian attended the Central America Donors Forum (CADF) in Guatemala City! 🌎️📍 By all accounts, it was a great gathering filled with productive, inspiring conversations with supporters, potential partners, and familiar friends. 💬 🤝

Our staff also traveled to the two school projects that are currently underway with Puerta Abierta Atitlán and Amigos de Santa Cruz Foundation. 🏫 These visits were particularly meaningful because they showed how much is possible in a short time. ⏳️ This time last year, we'd just barely scratched the surface at La Puerta Abierta – and now, there's a whole school taking shape! So, while we're only getting started over at the Amigos site, it's exciting to look forward to what we'll have achieved by this time next year. 🛠️⭐️

Being in Guatemala, seeing this progress, and speaking with our partners doing the important work of education shows us that our schools carry real significance. Having these dedicated spaces where there is opportunity to learn creates hope in a community, and it's an honor to see that hope being built before our eyes. 📚️🔨

10/07/2026

Our hearts go out to Ada and our friends at Speaking of Horses in the wake of their tragic loss. We're sending our love and support as they grieve, process, and look ahead to rebuilding this program that has helped so many children find their voice.

Some mail just stops you in your tracks. 💙
After the fire on September 24, this card came from one of our teen riders:
"Hi Ada, Hope you feel better soon. I think of you and the animals often. Thank you help me ride a horse. Love you so much. ♡"
We lost so much that night: our barn, every piece of equipment, and beloved members of our family, including our sweet Teddy and our therapy dog, Blue. Our hearts are still broken. But this card reminded us why we have to keep going.
Every word on it was written by a young person who works so hard to find their words. And they used them to tell us they're thinking of us, and that riding matters to them.
Right now, our lessons are on hold. All of our tack burned, including the adaptive saddles, bridles, girths, mounting block, and therapy materials our riders depend on. Our riders are waiting to get back in the saddle, and we want to bring them home to the barn as soon as we can.
If this card touched your heart the way it touched ours, please consider giving to help us rebuild. Every gift, big or small, brings a rider one step closer to the barn again.
💛 Donate: gofund.me/7d3720e10
Thank you for holding us up when we needed it most. We'll be back, for them. 🐴

10/06/2026

This weekend, two homeowners identified through our C'ville Builds program will receive new heating and cooling systems at no cost as part of Feel The Love, a community installation event hosted by Beck Cohen - Heating, Cooling, Electrical and Plumbing and BGF in partnership with Lennox! 🤝 🧰

Together, we'll be able to deliver these home comfort upgrades and help improve health, safety, and overall quality of life for some of our neighbors. 🏘️ We are incredibly grateful to the teams at Lennox and Beck Cohen for contributing the materials, labor, and skill to make this happen for our community members in need. 🛠️ ✨

Stay tuned for more updates soon to come! 👀

10/05/2026

One of our homeowners in Fluvanna has been facing some difficulties with her health, and she recently started using a wheelchair. 🏠 To help her access her home safely, we went to our industry partners at Amramp Accessibility and had this modular metal ramp installed. 🛠️

These ramps are both durable and versatile – made of steel components that can be configured to fit their surroundings, they create dependable, convenient accessibility infrastructure. 🤝🔩 With her new Amramp, this neighbor has more freedom to get in and out of her home, and it's also easier for her to attend treatments and doctors appointments. 🩺

10/02/2026

As we build internationally, we form strong relationships with our partner organizations and communities. 🌎🤝 A great example of this happened recently when Juana, our Field Manager for our preschool project with Puerta Abierta Atitlán, was invited to be the "mujer en las ciencias" – woman in science – guest for their Girls’ STEAM Club. 📏🥼

"I really enjoyed sharing a little about my work at BGF and, most importantly, sharing a message that I believe is very meaningful: to believe in their own worth and to dare to imagine themselves pursuing any career they choose," shares Juana. 🛠️✨

🌐 Visit our blog to read more about Juana, her role with BGF, and how she puts her message into practice: www.buildinggoodness.org/bgf-blog/modeling-bright-futures

Photos courtesy of La Puerta Abierta.

10/01/2026

It's October! 🗓️ That means it's time to enjoy all the best things about autumn: crisp fall leaves, pumpkin patches, and BGF's Celebration of Goodness, of course! 🍁🎃🔨

Join us on Saturday, October 17 from 2:00 to 5:00 PM at the BGF office here in Charlottesville to celebrate all of the good things we’ve built as a BGF community over the past year. 🎉 We'll have...

🎯 Lawn games and outdoor activities for the whole family. Who will be this year's plunger dart champion?
🎟️ A free-to-enter raffle where you can win prizes from all kinds of local establishments
🍽️ Delicious eats, plus b**r, w**e, and other beverages, for all to enjoy
🪣 BGF merch – come see how we'll beat last year's 5-gallon buckets!
🎵 Live music by this year's guest, the incredibly talented Richelle Claiborne (The Richelle Show)
🛠️ A program filled with BGF goodness, where we'll recognize the recipient of our 2026 Skip Wootten Volunteer Service Award

Learn more about the biggest, BGF-est party of the year and send in your RSVP: www.buildinggoodness.org/celebration-of-goodness