Washington DC
We believe that it is our responsibility and our privilege to work to improve the communities in which we live and work.
Ethiopia
We completed a digital library and school in a small town in Northern Ethiopia, partnering with a local non profit called Making the Grade.
Lebanon
MCN Build has completed 10 projects in Lebanon and five additional projects are underway.
El Salvador
In 2021 we completed the state-of-the-art digital and public library in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Our Impact
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King Jr.
- Washington DC
- Ethiopia
- Lebanon
- El Salvador
Washington DC
Our impact starts in our own backyard where we partner with schools, non-profits, churches, and other organizations throughout the greater Washington DC and Baltimore areas to make meaningful change.
MCN Volunteers
Our giving extends to our talent and time. We have developed volunteer opportunities with countless organizations, including Wreaths across America, She Builds, Capitol Hill Ministries, DC Central Kitchen, Bread For the City, Boys Town, St. Ann’s Children’s School, and others.
MCN Bridges Program
The MCN Build Foundation advocates job creation in construction through the MCN Bridges program. We find candidates, develop resumes and skills, and connect them with contractors in the area.
MCN STEM Program
MCN offers field trips for classrooms across the city. Our hands-on trips can supplement lessons in math, engineering and highlight future career opportunities in STEM.
MCN Partners
We are proud to support a network of organizations here in DC, including:
Ethiopia
Our first project in Ethiopia was the modernization of the cancer ward at Black Lion Hospital, where we rebuilt the pediatric oncology center in order to create a safer and cleaner environment.
Following this project, we formed a few houses in the small town of Lalibela and the Capital City of Addis Ababa. Today, 8 children who lost their parents are attending primary and secondary school, and five students have received scholarships for college in the capital.
In 2016, we self-performed building a digital library in the rural town of Shumshiha. The library has access to a network of 20,000 books, laptops, internet access and classrooms for the adjacent High School. The plans were done by our friends at Cox, Graae and Spack and we sent our employees to finish the build-out in just 18 weeks!
Most recently, the Foundation has helped the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNWEA) raise over $50,000 for vital school programs throughout Ethiopia. These efforts help give rural children safe access to education, supporting more than 2,160 girls and boys in some of the most impoverished areas of Ethiopia. These schools include:
- St. Raphael School for the Blind, Gondar
- St. Joseph School, Kobo
- St. Teresa School, Wassera
- St. Joseph School, Taza
- Franciscan Missionaries of Mary School, Asebe Teferi
We look forward to continue building libraries, community and capacity in Ethiopia.
Lebanon
MCN Build partnered with Baytna Baytak, JobsforLebanon, and Basecamp Beirut to rebuild homes following the port explosion in 2020.
Together, this team of experienced engineers, builders, and grassroots organizers were able to respond quickly to the immediate needs on the ground and they have been a part of rebuilding over 1,500 apartments and homes that were damaged or destroyed. Our efforts included the reconstruction of the Immeuble Pharaon building, one of the few apartment buildings to be completely restored in the affected areas.
We also collaborated with CMC Pro to get necessary life-saving equipment to firefighters in Lebanon. Our work continues in 2021 as we focus on food security projects throughout the country.
Furthermore, MCN Build partners with Education and Opportunities for Lebanon (EOL) – a nonprofit that serves underprivileged school children throughout Lebanon – to complete projects that help children around the country. The partnership has completed 10 projects in Lebanon such as Debel Saint Joseph, and five additional projects are underway. MCN Build has also partnered with Teach for Lebanon (TFL)—an organization that helps education inequity in Lebanon—to fund teachers in Lebanon.
The three partners of MCN Build, Rudy Seikaly, Bassem Boustany, and Joseph Khoury, all hail from Lebanon, and it’s our priority to help the places we call home and the areas most in need of aid. It’s our responsibility and vision for the world.
El Salvador
In 2021 we completed the state-of-the-art digital and public library in San Salvador, El Salvador.
The library features free fast wifi, 3D Printers, thousands of books, software, robotics gear and more. The design, by Shinberg Levinas and Guillermo Altamirano features a cantilevered structure, open to the elements. The interior design features furniture and art from local artists such as Lula Mena, who employs dozens of at-risk women and focuses on using recyclable materials.
Over 400 native trees were planted around the park and we partnered with NGOs and Universities to create a center for learning and curiosity in the capital.
This project was spearheaded by Mayor Muriel Bowseras part of the sister-city agreement between the two cities. It also represents our appreciation for the hardworking Salvadorans who contribute so much to MCN Build and the Washington DC area. As with all of our projects, engaging the local community is important. Our partners, the social enterprise CREA consultores and Grupo M Construction were pivotal in engaging with local stakeholders to make this project a reality.