Beyond the Build Luncheon 2025 - Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties

The 2025 Beyond the Build Luncheon was a success thanks to YOU!

On behalf of all of us at Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties, thank you for being part of the 2025 Beyond the Build Luncheon! Your support and enthusiasm made this event truly special. We hope you left feeling inspired by the powerful stories shared by our Homeowner families and the impactful words from our special guest, basketball icon and trailblazer Sue Bird. It was incredible to see our community come together to champion affordable housing and make a lasting difference.

This year, we welcomed over 1,400 guests and thanks to generous donors and partners, we were able to raise over $2.7 million dollars to tackle the affordable housing crisis in our region. Each dollar raised at the luncheon will go directly towards funding vital housing projects, creating tangible and lasting change in the lives of those we serve. Your generosity is a beacon of hope for families facing housing insecurity, offering them the stability and opportunity they deserve.

As Habitat SKKC CEO Brett D’Antonio shared during his remarks at the luncheon, “With our scaled-up housing production, we’ll complete 38 new homes in 2025, 67 homes in 2026, and 76 homes in 2027. That means another 181 families who won’t have to uproot their children from their friends and schools, another 181 families who will build community with their neighbors because they know they’ll still be there next year, and another 181 families who will have the financial stability that gives them the freedom to dream of what they and their kids will achieve next.”

Homeowner Elizabeth S. inspired the audience with the story of her family’s resilience through a job loss, a move to an unsafe neighborhood, and finally finding stability once they became Habitat homeowners. She reflected, “It has been a joy watching our kids transform into secure and happy people. We are so grateful to Habitat for Humanity for our home and the positive changes it has brought into our lives. My hope is that more families, like ours, will have the same opportunity to thrive.”

We were also honored to recognize champions for our work at this year’s luncheon, including Habitat’s Community Leader of the Year, KLB Incorporated, for their outstanding commitment to advancing affordable housing in our region. We also proudly recognized Jim O’Farrell as our Volunteer of the Year, and Lt. Governor Denny Heck as our Habitat Humanitarian of the Year for their exceptional dedication and impact in our community.

Your continued support fuels our mission to build stronger, more resilient communities, and we are grateful to have you on this journey with us. Stay tuned for more ways to get involved—we can’t wait to see you again soon!