New Home Built In One Week for Riojas Family.
For the FINAL photos of the Riojas Family's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition home, built by De Young Properties, please click here!
With an overwhelming surge of community support, donations and volunteers, De Young Properties successfully completed the new home for the Riojas family in less than one week as a part of the hit reality show, ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. De Young Properties thanks all the workers and volunteers who operated around the clock to complete the project before the family returned home.
"Building on such an extraordinary project that will change the lives of the Riojas family is an honor. The community has shown generous support for this project and we hope it inspires others to continue to give back, help their own neighbors and volunteer in other ways within our community," said Jerry De Young, President of De Young Properties.
De Young Properties joined forces with the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's design team and the Fresno community to give back to a local hero, Mary Ann Riojas, who selflessly contributes to help others in need. Mary Ann and her four children, Nichole (18), Victoria (17), Angel (15) and Jessie (14) now have a beautiful new quality constructed, energy efficient and certified green home, better suited for their special needs where they can live safely and create memories to last a lifetime.
Born without legs and only one fully developed arm, Mary Ann Riojas was placed in foster care at an early age and grew up in poverty and an unstable household. After having four children, she struggled financially and found herself on welfare. Despite her living conditions and disability, she was determined to lead an independent and active life while providing love and support to her four children. She obtained a driver's license, became the first in her family to graduate college, and became both an employee and state/national Ambassador for the Easter Seals program, inspiring thousands of people to overcome adversity and reach for success. In 2006, Mary Ann became a first-time homeowner and has since been employed with the local Housing Authority, where she counsels other struggling families in her community to find housing.
De Young Properties was chosen as the builder for this "Extreme" build in large part because of their over 30-year tradition of giving back to our community. Embracing the core value of dedication to improving the quality of life in the Central Valley, De Young supports local schools, non-profits and community groups, in addition to its neighborhood building activities. The company donated two homes to benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 2007 and 2008 and will donate a third home in 2009.
"De Young Properties' unwavering passion for their community was clear," said Conrad Ricketts, Executive Producer of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. "We are looking for 'Heroes in the Community' and both the Riojas family and De Young Properties are wonderful representations of our theme this season."
Continuing a 60-year tradition of commitment to its community, Jerry and Paula De Young began building in 1974 to help families realize the American Dream of home ownership. De Young Properties is currently constructing and selling homes in four communities; Brentwood on the Green, Brentwood Ranch, Brentwood Loma Vista and The Fairways. For more information on De Young Properties please visit www.deyoungproperties.com. Homes are offered by De Young Realty, Inc. California DRE License #01254160.
Three Generations of Building Extreme Dreams