Adopting Change

A Puerto Rican orphanage gets a helping hand from Clayton.

All hands on deck! That became the unofficial motto when, last February, Clayton rallied around Hogares Rafaela Ybarra, an orphanage for girls in San Juan. Team members, who were in Puerto Rico for training, spent a sunrise-to-sundown day revamping the facility, which provides a safe, loving environment for girls ages 5 to 18. The event was an extension of the Home Building Group’s 2024 focus: Building What Matters. “We wanted to create a volunteer initiative that would align with this year’s goals. When we discovered Hogares Rafaela Ybarra and saw that there were these little cottages and classroom and outdoor space in need, and right down the road from where we would be, it was kind of this magical moment. We all knew, ‘This is it,’” says Niki Schrock, who helped coordinate the event.

What followed was a whirlwind of planning and preparation. “Creating a space that feels like home is something we know all about,” says Schrock, who collaborated with Clayton’s design team to create a floor-to-ceiling refresh that included sourcing new furniture (most from Ikea, the Home Depot and Amazon), as well as scrubbing and organizing every last inch. “The goal was to reimagine each area to be more welcoming and functional for the residents and their caregivers,” adds Schrock.

On the big day, over 50 leaders from across Clayton Home Building Group’s footprint divided into groups to tackle cleanup, assembly and more. Kip Thrush, general manager of Clayton Homes Bonham, was one of the many Clayton leaders who rolled up his sleeves for the effort. “Volunteer work is something that, as a company, we do a lot of in a lot of different capacities. So I was ready to jump right in and participate,” he says.

Thrush headed up the playground equipment assembly team, which, over the course of the day, put together a swing set, a spherical jungle gym, a seesaw and a playhouse. “I have two kids and five grandchildren, so I have had plenty of practice with those items,” he adds. While the event called to mind Christmases and birthday parties past, it also reminded Thrush of a favorite quote, one that he’s found to ring true time and again as a Clayton team member: “As Margaret Mead once said, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.’ It really felt like we were embodying that message in Puerto Rico.”