Royal Oaks Homes President Rich Van Tassel Named Exceptional Volunteer By Philanthropy Journal

Local Homebuilder Honored For His Contributions To Operation: Coming Home And Support Of Military Veterans

2013-05-03

RALEIGH, NC, May 03, 2013 (Press-News.org) Royal Oaks Homes, LLC (http://www.royaloakshomes.com), an award-winning residential new homebuilder, has announced that Rich Van Tassel, the company's president, has been selected as an Exceptional Volunteer by Philanthropy Journal for his dedicated service to Operation: Coming Home, a nonprofit organization providing custom-built homes to disabled combat veterans.

Operation: Coming Home has become a beloved project for Van Tassel, who serves as an ambassador for the program and assisted in its launch in 2008, when he signed his firm up to partner with Atreus Homes and Communities to provide the first Hero Home. Van Tassel has since then served as the main builder for the program's second, third, and fourth Hero Homes. As president of Royal Oaks Homes, he has led his team in volunteering time and money toward the construction of each Hero Home, even as the housing market faced one of the worst economic downturns in recent history.

This year, the program is working on its fifth Hero Home, for which Royal Oaks Homes is once again serving as the main builder. Working with his team, Van Tassel plans what alterations are needed in the homes to provide better access for disabled veterans who often must use a wheelchair, such as wider doorways, customized kitchens and bathrooms, and lower counters and light switches. His designs and methodical approach have set a precedent for other vendors and volunteers to follow in creating quality homes for deserving residents on time. As a result of his team's hard work and passion for service, Van Tassel has established himself as the go-to building resource and authority for every new home created for Operation: Coming Home.

A program of the Institute for Nonprofits at NC State University in Raleigh, Philanthropy Journal is an independent voice and champion for nonprofits and their supporters. As part of its observance of National Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 21-27), the program solicited nominations for its Exceptional Volunteers program to salute those who serve as an important role model in their communities and offer selfless commitment to benefit others. For more information, visit http://www.philanthropyjournal.org.

QUOTES:
"I am truly humbled to have earned this distinction, and I share it with my staff, Operation: Coming Home President Tim Minton and all of the other hardworking, dedicated volunteers who have participated in making this program become a successful way for us to honor the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect us," said Van Tassel. "Royal Oaks Homes is committed to making a difference and improving the communities that we serve, and this award reflects our efforts to give back to the Triangle and surrounding areas as much as possible."

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ABOUT OPERATION: COMING HOME:
Operation: Coming Home is a joint volunteer project led by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County (HBA), the Triangle Real Estate and Construction Veterans (TREAC-V), and supported by Royal Oaks Building Group and Gaines & Company among others. The project builds and donates homes for disabled combat veterans who have served in the Middle East, after a selection committee interviews candidates to determine the best fit. For more information, visit http://operationcominghome.com.

ABOUT ROYAL OAKS HOMES, LLC:
Royal Oaks Homes, LLC builds fine homes throughout Raleigh, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Cameron, Clayton, Wake Forest, Cary, Apex and Angier, N.C. Locally owned and operated, the company focuses on quality of design, construction and customer service, offering a portfolio of plans and a wide selection of standard features from which to choose in price ranges from starters to multimillion-dollar luxury homes. Royal Oaks is a member of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County and has received multiple gold and silver awards from the HBA Parade of Homes. In 2008, 2010 and 2012, the company received the highly coveted Triangle Major Achievements in Marketing Excellence (MAME) Building Company of the Year Award, and its president, Rich Van Tassel, was named a recipient of the Builder of the Year Award presented by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County (HBA). Additional company awards include 4 Triangle Business Journal's Fast 50 Awards, the Small Business of the Year by the Apex Chamber of Commerce, as well as consistent listings in the Triangle Business Journal's premier list of residential builders, based annually by volume in the Raleigh-Durham market. For more information, visit http://www.royaloakshomes.com.

Kelsie Murdock
MMI Public Relations
(919) 233-6600
kelsie@mmipublicrelations.com
http://twitter.com/MMIPR
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com

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