resident services

redefining affordable housing
through resident services and education

CHP Teams Up with KaBOOM! & The Home Depot

 to Build New VA Beach Playground in Just One Day

On Thursday, August 28, CHP and The Home Depot employees joined with KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit that helps create playspaces through community participation, to construct a new playground at the Lynnhaven Landing apartments, an affordable housing community in Virginia Beach.

During the Build Day, more than 200 volunteers hustled virtually non-stop for 6 hours to the energizing music provided on site by a local radio personality, creating a colorful and exciting new playground for the over 150 children that live in the neighborhood.  Despite a brief rain shower, spirits were not dampened as everyone worked at record-breaking speed at such tasks as unloading and building 4,126 pounds of play equipment, spreading 2 tractor trailer-loads (143 cubic yards) of surfacing mulch, mixing and pouring 14,000 pounds of concrete, constructing a custom-designed gazebo, and feeding over 200 workers breakfast and lunch.

The one-day construction “blitz”  resulted in a purple, green, and yellow playspace that features a mini rock climbing wall, two slides, a swing set, and see-saws. In addition, new benches, a gazebo, and planters make the area an attractive and relaxing spot for all the local residents. The playground design was chosen based on input from the property’s resident children who drew their dream playgrounds for planners at a Design Day in June.

“We are so grateful for this beautiful playground!” said Janaka Casper, President and CEO of CHP.  “We already know that play will help the resident children make friends, spur their creativity and shape their personality, but the new play area also promotes a better quality of living for the whole community by offering a place for families to connect and enjoy themselves.”

CHP welcomed generous grant funding from the Home Depot Foundation to create the new playspace, which provides the neighborhood’s children and parents a safe place to play and socialize, while directly supporting CHP’s goal to create communities of choice for our low- and moderate-income residents.

“Studies have shown that play is essential to the brain and motor skills development of children, as well as the development of social skills and a sense of community,” said CHP Vice President of Community Development Susan Sisk.  “As part of our commitment to social sustainability, we were thrilled to partner with the Home Depot Foundation and KaBOOM! to create a place not just for play, but a place that ultimately develops healthy social skills for both children and adults.”

To view pictures from this exciting day, visit:

http://picasaweb.google.com/melissachpc2/KaBOOMPlaygroundBuildDay82808