Each year, Homes 4 Families honors two community leaders at its annual Fundraising Gala, the Hearts for Heroes Builder’s Ball. These leaders receive The Hammer of Hope award, which is Homes 4 Families’ highest honor, presented to extraordinary corporations and individuals who go above and beyond to improve their communities and help our veterans.
This year, we are excited to announce that our two honorees are CBRE and long-time volunteer Mr. Gary Rohr.
CBRE, A Corporation who Recognizes the Value of Veteran Employees
CBRE Group, Inc. is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm. Perhaps what has contributed to their enormous success is the fact that they’ve been named a “Military Friendly® Employer” for seven years in a row!
In recognizing the valuable specialized skills, experiences, and assets that military veterans possess, CBRE actively recruits, hires, and trains veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses. Approximately 1,800 of CBRE’s employees are current and former military.
Juan E. Rose III is one veteran who lends his unique assets as an associate director at CBRE. Juan served 10 years as an active duty Marine and has continued to serve as a Reservist for over four years now. As a Senior Watch Officer to the Marine Corps, Juan coordinates the information flow during any emergency that may impact their facilities.
He uses these same skills to ensure the safety of everybody who steps foot on a CBRE property. He also brings these skills as a volunteer of the CBRE Emergency Response Team. Most recently, Juan led a team of emergency response and restoration operations for the city of Los Angeles following the largest fire to hit downtown. In less than a year, his team relocated displaced personnel, restored a 16-story building and mitigated further damage.
“I have learned that we—as veterans—have the power to truly model behavior for our colleagues. We have the opportunity to empower others to take initiative, give more than we take and exercise an entrepreneurial and integrative mindset. All of us can work together to truly exceed the expectations of our clients.”
— Juan E. Rose III
This is the type of leadership that those with military experience bring to corporations like CBRE who are wise enough to recognize the importance of veteran hiring.
Gary Rohr – Helps Build Brighter Futures Every Day
If you have ever volunteered on our Santa Clarita Veteran Enriched Neighborhood® project, you have probably been mentored by Gary. Mr. Gary Rohr has volunteered 4-6 times per week on our Santa Clarita Project for the past 4 years and counting.
Gary worked for 35 years in the graphic arts and printing industry, moving from New York to California to open up a new plant. He worked his way up to plant manager and eventually bought the company. In 2018, Gary sold the company, retired, and looking to give back, found his way to Homes 4 Families.
Gary is much more than a volunteer. He is a leader who has a kind and gentle spirit and will always take the time to provide guidance to other volunteers. Gary is a key team leader at each of Homes 4 Families’ annual Women’s Empowerment build, as well as countless other build days. When he isn’t training other volunteers, he lends his skills as a proficient finish carpenter. Gary has helped to install the doors, closets, baseboards, and casing of all 78 homes in our Santa Clarita community. Reliable, generous, and skilled, Gary has helped to save literally hundreds of thousands of dollars on construction and labor costs—savings that are passed onto our low-income veterans and military families who can now afford to own a home thanks to volunteers like Gary.
As if that wasn’t enough, every year, we try to thank Gary for all of his hard work by inviting him to the Builder’s Ball as our guest, and by offering him a rappel spot at our Over the Edge for Veteran rappelling event. And each year, he refuses. Gary insists on paying for his seat and his rappelling experience. His generosity knows no limit!
When he is not helping to build homes for our veterans, Gary loves to golf, exercise, and spend time with his lovely wife of 30 years, Phyllis. Gary is truly an asset to the Homes 4 Families staff and we consider him part of our family.
Builder’s Ball 2019
We cordially invite you to help us honor these community leaders, as well as the sacrifices and successes of our veterans. This year’s gala will be held on March 1, 2019, at 6:30 P.M. at the Universal Sheraton Hotel. Learn more about the event and purchase tickets or sponsorships here.