Oklahoma builder increases outreach to support non-profits during the pandemic

Homes by Taber Doubles Charitable Giving, Starting the Year with $40,600

New home sales have reached historic numbers for Oklahoma City homebuilder, Homes by Taber, so they are continuing to pay it forward to the Oklahoma community. The Oklahoma City company, led by founder Taber LeBlanc, has been giving back to the community since its inception. This year, Taber and his team are doing more than ever. LeBlanc announced last December they will increase their monthly giving from the charitable initiative, Taber Cares, from donating to 1 non-profit organization to donating to two non-profit organizations every month, twice the number they’ve supported since Taber Cares was established in 2015. 

In previous years, the monthly giving program had been setting aside $250 from every home sold to give to a local non-profit organization, with a different recipient each month. In 2020, Taber Cares donated a total of $240,500 to 13 different charities. In 2021, Homes by Taber is upping its support and starting the year off with $41,600 in donations. Beginning in January 2021, the monthly amount increased to $400 per new home sold. The total will be evenly divided between two charities, with the recipients changing from month to month.

On February 4, 2021, Homes by Taber announced that the January charity recipients, Edmond Mobile Meals and Mended Little Hearts of Oklahoma, would each receive $20,800, for a total of $41,600 donated from January’s new home sales. After selling 104 homes in January and increasing the donation amount, this is the largest amount Taber Cares has ever awarded in one month.

COVID has impacted many charitable organizations, making it difficult to continue their fundraising efforts. As a result, the need for financial help has become even greater, which prompted Taber LeBlanc to increase donations and expand the Taber Cares program for 2021.

“We are truly blessed with the enthusiasm for our homeowners to support these local causes” explains Taber LeBlanc. “Our goal has always been to help people achieve their dream of owning a proudly overbuilt home. With Taber Cares, we focus on helping people achieve other dreams, like independence, safety, and health, things that can otherwise be taken for granted.”

Edmond Mobile Meals has been delivering meals to elderly and disabled people since 1974. The volunteers currently serve more than 200 meals daily, and the donation they received from Homes by Taber will provide over 4,000 meals in the coming months for homebound seniors. The list of homebound seniors has grown significantly with COVID safety precautions and the need is greater for Edmond Mobile Meal services.

Cristi Twenter, Executive Director of Edmond Mobile Meals was at the Homes by Taber office to collect their check and express their gratitude. “This generous gift from Homes by Taber and the Taber Cares program is a tremendous assistance to Edmond Mobile Meals,” explains Twenter. “We have to continue to serve Edmond seniors and keep them not only fed, but connected with caring individuals who are just checking on their well-being. We know that social isolation is incredibly difficult for all of us, but for seniors who are also technology challenged that personal connection is really important.”

“We are absolutely blown away by the generosity of the entire team at Homes by Taber,” says Twenter, “They are an amazing example of supporting the community.”

Mended Little Hearts of Oklahoma helps children with congenital heart defects (CHD) and provides support for their families. With 1 out of 110 babies born with CHD each year, the need for this outreach continues to be essential.

Jason Davey from Mended Little Hearts of Oklahoma expresses, “this donation provided today will impact us tremendously. There’s trying times where families are sent to the hospital, basically at a moment’s notice.” Mended Little Hearts of Oklahoma provides utilities and different types of items needed to ensure patients have the comforts of home with them, known as their Bravery Bag program, which is what the Taber Cares donations will be used for. “We do over 500 bags per year,” says Davey, which is enough to provide one to each heart surgery patient at The Children’s Hospital of Oklahoma each year.

A former patient who flew from Arizona to Oklahoma for surgery at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital more than 20 years ago, Jen Hall, reached out to Homes by Taber to say she is forever thankful for having her heart “mended”. She adds, “Now we are moving to OKC and building a Taber home.” When she learned of the $20,800 donation to Mended Little Hearts of Oklahoma, she exclaimed, “I can’t love this enough!” 

See the full interview with Mended Little Hearts of Oklahoma:

Infant Crisis Services and Lilyfield will receive the Taber Cares contribution for February 2021 and the Taber Team is looking forward to a high number of sales to support these deserving charities that hold a special place in their hearts.