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AEC Cares said its June 10 Day of Service will renovate Rachel's Women's Center in San Diego, a facility that serves women experiencing homelessness.
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Organizers said more than 100 volunteers are expected to work on layout improvements, interior updates and furnishings at the 4,500-square-foot center.
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Twelve months of planning and preparation by AEC Cares culminate on the Day of Service, with the blitz-build format concentrating labor and resources into a single, high-impact day.
More than 100 volunteers from the architecture, engineering and construction industry will spend June 10 renovating Rachel's Women's Center in San Diego, where a single-day "Blitz Build" aims to create a more functional and welcoming space for women seeking stability and support.
AEC Cares will host its annual Day of Service at the center, which is operated by Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego, according to a May 28 statement from ConstructConnect.
The renovation is intended to improve the facility where women can refresh, regroup and access support aimed at helping them get off the streets and work toward long-term stability.
Blitz-Build Transforms Space in a Single Day
Twelve months of planning and preparation by AEC Cares organizers lead up to the San Diego blitz-build, when volunteers, designers, and contractors concentrate labor and resources into a single, transformative day of high-impact work.
Work is scheduled from 7:30 a.m. PT to 5 p.m. PT at the 4,500-square-foot Rachel's Women's Center, where designers call for a reworked floor plan, refreshed interiors, new décor and furniture, and other upgrades intended to improve how the space functions.
The space has served as an entry point to care for vulnerable women in San Diego for over four decades. Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego, which operates Rachel's Women's Center, said the program follows a women-only, low-barrier, housing-first model and provides case management and services tailored to the challenges women face.
The Center's services include showers, laundry, behavioral health support, and other resources intended to help women rebuild their lives.
AEC Cares 2026 Project Scope and Partners
The annual AEC Cares charity project coincides with the AIA Conference on Architecture and Design, uniting the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) community to give back while they gather.
Jennifer Johnson, AEC Cares board president and ConstructConnect chief product officer, said, "The AEC Cares Day of Service is a testament to what our industry can accomplish when we come together for a shared purpose."
ConstructConnect, the founding member and primary organizer of AEC Cares, indicated that Stantec and Whiting-Turner are providing pro bono support for the 2026 project.
Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego CEO Vino Pajanor said the renovation will help the center better reflect the care and dignity the organization seeks to provide to women who use the facility.
Financial support, the statement said, will come also come from companies including YKK AP America, USG Corporation, Sika USA, Rockwool, Andersen Windows, Lumina Datamatics, and Mapei, among others. It said in-kind donations are coming from companies including Hunter Douglas, Shaw Contract, Pittsburgh Paints, VELUX, Wilsonart and Wolf-Gordon, among others.
About the Organizations
AEC Cares was founded in 2011 by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to lead volunteer renovation projects for underserved communities. Its first project brought more than 80 volunteers to New Orleans to renovate five homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
The nonprofit has since expanded to annual projects in cities across the United States with support from ConstructConnect, sponsors, donors, and volunteers. More information about AEC Cares and the 2026 project is available at aeccares.com.
Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego said it has served the region since 1919 and operates as the social ministry arm of the Diocese of San Diego.
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ConstructConnect operates as a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 1000.
For more information, visit constructconnect.com
