C.S. Lewis, the eminent British author/scholar, once famously said that integrity is doing the right thing even when nobody is looking. Making a difference in the community and supporting others’ efforts to do the same encourages many good people to become involved, with never a thought for personal recognition.
R.E.A. Homes president and founder Jeff Bogard has earned a reputation as a responsible “green” builder, a philosophy that he has incorporated throughout his luxury home building business. But what you may not know is that Jeff carries that same commitment into the community, where he sits on the board of the Ladue Education Foundation, which helps advance student and teacher development in the Ladue School District through a series of challenging initiatives, from encouraging stewardship of global resources to increasing opportunities for experiential learning and critical thinking. The foundation is all about preparing students with a world class education. If there’s a soft spot in Jeff’s heart here, it may well be because his wife, Jeri, and all three of their sons went to Ladue Horton Watkins High School!
Being a conscientious builder, you’d expect to find Jeff as a member of the St. Louis Home Builders Association’s Custom Home Builders Council Coordinating Committee, which steers the council’s programming, activities, and charitable projects. Not surprisingly, given his passion for “green” building, he is also part of the organization’s Green Building Council Coordinating Committee.
Jeff and his company support Refab, a St. Louis non-profit that creates training and employment opportunities through the sustainable practices of deconstruction and refabrication. Rather than use machines to demolish buildings then trot off perfectly good materials to the landfill, Refab uses people power to carefully disassemble structures and make quality, affordable materials available to the public. Often times, R.E.A. Homes infill projects include the need to de-construct older outdated homes first before building a new home. “It’s a win-win for Refab and our clients. Refab removes useable parts from the home such as flooring, windows, and doors and resells them at their store. Our clients get a tax deduction for the donation, and don’t send nearly as much material to the local landfills”, says Jeff.
“The comprehensive benefit of providing charity work,” says Bogard, “is that you’re offering your time and services toward the greater good of your community.”
R.E.A. Homes urges everyone to step up to the plate. Consider volunteering. Make a difference by making a direct impact on the community where you live.
