Welliver McGuire employees work on Cody's treehouse/playset.

Constructing a Dream

The Welliver McGuire construction company takes giving to the community seriously. Each year, at the company's southern office located in Harrisburg, North Carolina, employees choose what community projects to support. When an employee recently became a licensed foster parent, the needs of foster children came to the forefront. (The company's main headquarters is in New York state.)

The first project the company supported was providing Christmas presents for all of the foster children placed in Harrisburg in the year 2005.With the help of Cabarrus County DSS, Welliver's executive administrator Karen McLaughlin obtained names, ages and wish lists for the approximately 30 children in foster care in the town. Each employee chose a child to purchase gifts for. Once the gifts were wrapped and ready, Welliver McGuire used a flatbed truck to deliver the gifts to the foster homes. An employee dressed as Santa greeted each child at their door. Unfortunately, Welliver has since relocated counties so they won't have the ability to help in Cabarrus county again—they encourage other companies to pick up where they left off

According to the Cabarrus County DSS, it is businesses like these that make Christmas possible for children in care. "We rely on donations from churches and businesses to purchase gifts for kids," says Kim Blackwell, supervisor with the department. With funding tight and the number of children in care increasing, this kind of help is very necessary and appreciated, she said.

It was through this project that Welliver McGuire filled another need. While writing his wish list, 7-year-old Cody wrote that his biggest dream was to have a tree house to play in. Cody and his two sisters had just been placed in the home of Jeanette Nowell, a single foster mother. "My heart was so heavy, I wanted so badly to give him a tree house, I just didn't have the financial means or the physical help to do it," said Nowell.

Welliver McGuire called and asked if they could surprise him by building him a play set. "With tears in my eyes, and in disbelief, I realized Cody's dream would come true and that changed my life," said Nowell. The tree house was designed and partially assembled in the shop with materials donated by the company. Early one morning, Cody awoke to the sound of hammers, saws, and screw guns. Running outside, Cody worked alongside a crew of about 15 guys as they assembled his dream tree house. Friends and neighbors gathered to watch and Hardee's restaurant donated and delivered hamburgers and sweet tea to all the workers.

"It was more than just a tree house, it was nicer than we could have imagined," said Nowell, who has since adopted Cody and his siblings.