By Jennifer Heebner, Editor in Chief
Mark Loren’s love of exotic gems is known throughout the jewelry industry, but his philanthropic efforts in and around Fort Myers, Fla., where his eponymous design business and store are located, are due for a well-deserved spotlight.
For 11 years, Loren has donated his time, talents, jewelry, and labor to Habitat for Humanity of Lee & Hendry Counties, Inc. (his business is in Lee County). Loren utilizes a 20-year-old government program that is unique to the state of Florida. Called the Florida Community Contribution Tax Credit Program, it is administered by the Division of Economic Development, FloridaCommerce. Through it, Florida-based businesses can elect to redirect either sales tax or corporate income back to affordable housing efforts implemented by qualified nonprofit organizations including Habitat and others.
Mark Loren and his Mark Loren Designs, Inc., team building a house in the Fort Myers, Fla., area in spring 2024.
“I write a check to Habitat for the sales tax, and then I get a check from the state,” says Loren. “It’s one of the state’s most successful programs.”
“Mark’s compassionate and generous personality have made him a community icon,” explains Becky Lucas, CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Lee & Hendry Counties, Inc. “He has sponsored six homes through the program and participates every year. He has also donated jewelry for events to raise funds for Women Build, a campaign that supports affordable housing for female-headed households. He partnered with us early on and helped us make that program what it is today.”
Besides funding the building of homes, Loren also puts boots on the ground to help with construction. And not just his own two hands are present for the hard work; he brings staffers with him.
Mark Loren and Becky Lucas, CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Lee & Hendry Counties, Inc.
“Just this past spring, he shut down his business on a Saturday to give his employees the opportunity to volunteer,” adds Lucas.
“When we first started, I brought two of my three daughters, and the youngest was 13,” says Loren. “She was able to handle a large masonry drill to drill through the base of the wall into the concrete to lock in the walls for hurricane strength.”
“For my staff, it’s a team-building exercise,” he continues. “I thought I would get more resistance from the staff about swinging hammers and wearing work boots, but they like it—they like being together even in their off hours. I was so proud of the fervor of their participation. We start at 8 a.m. and finish by 2 p.m., lifting and installing walls—it’s called a wall raising. I had about 10 staffers help in the spring.”
A finished Habitat for Humanity house in south Florida.
A piece of jewelry donated by Mark Loren to a fundraiser to raise money to build houses for those in need.
The fruits of the labor and donations from Loren and other businesses that donate, combined with the genius of this Florida-only program, build about 60 houses annually just in Lee and Hendry Counties. The dwellings are available in several floor plans and are primarily 3–4 bedrooms with 1,650 total square feet, including a one-car garage. Habitat goes to great lengths to vet families in need and help them prepare for home ownership, and they also expect them to put in 300 hours of sweat equity helping to build either their home or someone else’s.
“This program has had an amazing impact on our state,” says Lucas. “Currently, it’s well funded, but it has seen less-robust levels of funding as well.”
Mark Loren at a wall raising for a Habitat for Humanity house this spring in south Florida.
Loren is happy to keep participating thanks to the sales tax redirection by the state to Habitat. Even some of his clients, including a surgeon, pitch in.
“You can choose what you want to do—painting, plumbing, or electrical,” he says. “Sometimes we’ll bring our grill from the store to the build site and some of my guys will cook. I love my job as a goldsmith, but I also love building houses.”
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