VOA Honors Matthews Southwest
Volunteers of America Honors Matthews Southwest
With the 2020 Ballington and Maud Booth Award
THE COLONY, Texas (December 21, 2020) – Volunteers of America, one of the nation’s largest and oldest providers of human services, awarded its highest honor – the 2020 Ballington and Maud Booth Award – to Matthews Southwest and its President, Jack Matthews. This year’s honoree was selected in recognition of work done around the globe to provide housing to those in need, helping families improve their lives and thrive.
The award was presented December 2, 2020 by Volunteers of America National President Mike King as part of the LPGA’s annual Volunteers of America Classic golf tournament, hosted at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas.
“Matthews Southwest has taken its success in the field of real estate development and used it to make the world a better place,” King said. “Their work has made a profound difference in the lives of people who need decent, affordable housing, nationally and across the globe. They truly embody the words of our founders when they said we ‘go wherever we are needed and do whatever comes to hand.’”
Volunteers of America (VOA) is one of the largest nonprofit developers and providers of affordable housing in the U.S., owning and managing more than 19,000 units at approximately 500 properties nationwide, providing homes to more than 25,000 residents.
Matthews Southwest (MSW), a long-time partner to VOA in that effort, is a full-service private real-estate development company headquartered in Lewisville, Texas, with additional offices in Dallas; Squamish, British Columbia; Broward County, Florida; Mississauga, Ontario; among others. Since 1988, MSW has acquired, built and managed the development of hotel, office, mixed use, retail, residential, and industrial projects.
While MSW has completed many affordable housing projects in the past, it’s been within the past few years that they’ve used a model that includes bringing nonprofits in as true partners in these housing developments. This model provides both long-term assets and income to these nonprofit partners, ultimately helping them to become more sustainable with this additional source of income outside their traditional revenue streams. The first affordable housing project completed using this model was the Gateway at Hutchins in Texas. The second project is The Galbraith, a 217-unit mixed-income multifamily development under construction now in a prime Downtown Dallas location, with VOA as a partner.
“Affordable housing is important, but when you bring a nonprofit in to be a partner and a beneficiary in a project, that’s where the real magic is,” says Jack Matthews. “It’s a different way of doing deals, but we work together and we both do what we’re good at. Instead of writing checks, we use our knowledge and equity, and in turn, these nonprofits have long term gain without taking any risk.”
In addition to larger affordable housing projects, MSW also leads revitalization efforts in Mill City, a neighborhood in South Dallas. Working closely with community partners, MSW plans to provide the neighborhood with much needed housing. This includes supporting the revitalization of Doc’s, an old corner store that was shut down almost five years ago but is growing into a cherished community gathering place as residents await the 2021 re-opening. Additionally, MSW supports individuals who are starting out in the development field but lack access to traditional resources, by providing expertise, mentoring, guidance and risk-free capital.
About the Booth Award
Since 1954, Volunteers of America presents the Booth Award each year to individuals who demonstrate distinguished service to humanity. The award is named after Ballington and Maud Booth, who founded Volunteers of America with a promise to “go wherever we are needed and do whatever comes to hand.” Past honorees include First Lady Laura Bush, former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, journalists Chris and Kathleen Matthews and Cokie Roberts, baseball player Cal Ripken, Jr., University of Miami President
Donna Shalala and General Eric Shinseki, among others.
About Volunteers of America
Volunteers of America is a national, nonprofit, faith-based organization dedicated to helping those in need live healthy, safe and productive lives. Since 1896, our ministry of service has supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, at-risk youth, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, those recovering from addictions and many others. Through hundreds of human service programs, including housing and health care, Volunteers of America helps almost 1.3 million people in over 400 communities. We offer a variety of services for older Americans, in particular, that allow them to maintain their independence and quality of life – everything from an occasional helping hand to full-time care. Our work touches the mind, body, heart and ultimately the spirit of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. For more information about Volunteers of America, visit www.VolunteersofAmerica.org.
Contact
David Burch
(703) 341-5054 or dburch@voa.org