A four-month-long team exercise led the members at Hill Country Water Gardens to make a difference in their community.
December saw the 10-year-old Cedar Park business begin a 150 percent expansion, adding an adjacent three-acre plot to the existing two-acre operation. By the completion in April, the co-workers had discovered a sense of teamwork and fulfillment that led them to seek a new project. They wanted to help families enjoy this sense of teamwork at home.
Research showed this year more families are having “Staycations,” or vacations at home. The staff thought getting families involved in making over their own backyards would be a great way to support the teamwork project. So a Backyard Makeover Sweepstakes was born.
Further research led them to find a partner in KGSR-FM and a beneficiary, Habitat for Humanity Austin.
“Sixty thousand hardworking Austin families live in substandard housing,” owner Steve Kainer said. ”We found a way to help and our customers can too.”
He added that Hill Country Water Gardens would fully provide the landscaping for five new Habitat for Humanity homes slated for consturction beginning in September.
Kainer explained how customers participating in the Backyard Makeover Sweepstakes can save money, help with the Austin Habitat for Humanity project and have a lot of fun.
“Starting in late June, customers can bring in their very worst ‘before’ pictures of an area in their yard,” Kainer said. ”They will then qualify for a 10 percent discount for a project to improve that area.” He added that 5 percent of each project purchase would be donated to Austin Habitat for Humanity.
“The competition really gets going August 31,” Kainer said. ”Each competing family will submit ‘after’ pictures of their project. A panel of experts will select the five finalists.”
Kainer said online voting will determine the final winning family project.
“HCWG team creates community project.” Austin Community Newspapers [Cedar Park] June 2009, Central Texas Living: Page 5.
