Building Confidence through Play and Community: A Day of Impact with ONIC and KABOOM!
This April, Schaefer’s Tampa team had the honor of participating in a powerful community build day in Orlando, joining more than 250 volunteers to bring a new, kid-designed KABOOM! playspace to life at Boca Club Apartments.
Hosted in partnership with the Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (ONIC), the initiative brought together an incredible coalition of organizations, including the Orlando Magic and all nine of their Champions of the Community partners. As a building partner to ONIC on multiple affordable housing communities, our team enjoyed the opportunity to join volunteers for a day of purpose creating a safe, inspiring place for kids to play.
When Community Comes Together
Fueled by meaningful partnerships, collaboration helped drive the impact in building a new playspace in just a matter of hours. Alongside ONIC and KABOOM!, volunteers from organizations across Central Florida worked side by side for the day performing jobs like excavating the site, moving materials, assembling playground structures, and installing finishing elements. What started as an empty underutilized area became a brand new vibrant playspace.
Designed by Kids, Built for Community
Partnering with our clients and organizations like KABOOM! is a meaningful extension of our commitment to Building Confidence in our employees, our clients and our community. At the heart of every KABOOM! project is a community-first approach, where each playspace is designed by the kids who call the community home.
At Boca Club Apartments, kids shared drawings and ideas for their dream playground, many of which were incorporated into the final design. This community-involvement approach ensures the space reflects the imagination and voices of the community it serves.
Beyond just a playground, the impact of this effort is significant. Although once well-loved, over time the existing play area had become unsafe to be enjoyed. With more than 130 children living in the community and limited access to nearby recreational spaces, the need for a safe, accessible place to play was evident.
The new, volunteer-constructed playspace is more than a recreational upgrade, but a space designed to foster connection, and a sense of belonging for children and families within the community.
Building Confidence Together
At Schaefer, we believe construction goes beyond the buildings we deliver—it’s about the communities we help shape along the way.
Participating in this build day alongside ONIC, KABOOM!, and a coalition of dedicated partners was an opportunity for our team to live out that commitment.
We’re proud to have played a role in bringing this space to life and look forward to seeing it filled with energy and community for years to come.
About Schaefer’s Affordable Housing
At Schaefer, we deliver more than just affordable housing, we Build Confidence delivering high-quality, cost-effective solutions that support thriving communities.
As a critical sector in the communities we build in, we support developers and housing providers in delivering safe, quality homes for communities that need them most. As construction costs continue to rise, our expertise in renovations and reimagination programs offers a cost-effective path forward, extending the life of aging facilities while elevating their performance, efficiency, and design.
We’ve partnered on transformative projects across the Midwest and Southeast, helping owners maintain the integrity of their properties while meeting evolving resident needs. It’s been an honor to partner with ONIC on a number of affordable housing projects in Florida such as Maitland Oaks, Victory Cove, The Roberts, and Hollowbrook properties.
Whether it’s a full repositioning or targeted upgrades, our team understands how to maximize value, minimize disruption, and deliver with confidence—helping preserve and improve housing stock that’s essential to the health of our communities.
