From Evan Harrel, Houston Habitat Interim Executive Director:

“Houston Habitat for Humanity is very fortunate to be working in partnership with Tile Partners for Humanity in the effort to eliminate substandard housing. We are extremely grateful for the donation of material and labor that provided ceramic tile for the homes of so many Habitat families. Additionally, we appreciate that our families had the opportunity to learn the ceramic tile installation trade.”

From New Homeowner Veronica Arce:

“We came in right after they installed it and it was so exciting! I’ve always wanted a floor with tile. We don’t like the linoleum we have now because it tears whenever you try to move the refrigerator or anything. We were excited to be chosen for tile!”

From Jim Bauer, Master Tile Marketing Manager:

“The Houston community has supported Master Tile for over 50 years, and we are excited to help Habitat with such a worthy project,” said Bauer. “We appreciate the opportunity to give something back to our community through Tile Partners for Humanity.”

From Victoria Wright, Technical Sales Representative for Laticrete:

“I think some people think tile setting is simple, but I believe it's truly a skilled art, one of the ancient trades that is still passed on from master to apprentice. This craft is something of what LATICRETE International shared with the Houston community, and I was honored to be a part of that,” she said. “We were able to work with members of YouthBuild, a community group working to teach at-risk youth construction trades while they work toward higher education; InnerChange, a local prison partnership offering members a chance to learn construction trades; and of course the homeowners, who worked hard building their new homes. The beautiful thing is that several of the homeowners are now considering entering the tile trade because they recognize the opportunity to improve their professional lives.”

From Richard Doty, Owner of Texas Cement Products:

“We did it because we saw a need! This is a very worthwhile project and the fact that NTCA stood behind it made it even more valuable to us,” Richard Doty said. “There is a need for these types of projects in our community, and the partners who stepped to the plate here in Houston are doing good work that needs to be done.”

From new homeowner Tracy Scoby on the possibility of entering the tile industry:

“It would sure mean a lot because I’ve always wanted to do something with construction, always wanted to do something with my hands. I could start now and work through the rest of my life, and this is a skill I could maybe pass on to my boys. If I prosper, maybe they could prosper along with me.”

From NATTCO President Brian Turner on working with new homeowner Tracy Scoby:

“It was a very simple action – laying the tile around the back door. Tracy got such a kick out of making sure it fit perfectly, and he’ll be looking at that for 10 or 20 years! He took such pride; it was the first thing he did and he did it just right. He wanted to make sure he did it just right.”

From Matt Leathers, PJK Ceramic Tile & Marble:

“Houston has been very good to us and we knew it was time to give something back. We didn’t hesitate when the call came from Bob Brown at NTCA. We told them to tell us what needed to be done and we said we’d do it. Our company is poised to double its growth within the next two years, and we realized that more than anything it was time for us to give back to this community that has been so good to us.”

From Charlie Juhl, Charter Floors:

“It’s nice to be able to give back to people who truly deserve it, it humbles you. These homeowners work as hard if not harder than the rest of us, and they truly want to help themselves. It’s rewarding to work with those who are not as fortunate as the rest of us but are willing to work hard to improve their lives and those of their families.”