We build happiness.
If you know us, you know that we all live where we work, and we love where we live and what we do. What does that mean for you, our neighbors?
We don’t just care about our customers, we’re also passionate about our community and are eager to stay involved locally. We invest in the areas where we build because it makes all of us better people, and it makes our communities great places to call home.
Giving feels awesome.
One of the cornerstones of our business from the very first moment Chris Schell started Schell Brothers in 2003 was the idea that “giving feels awesome.” We love when our community is smiling because of one of our acts of kindness.
We acknowledge that one of the greatest benefits of being successful is the opportunity to give back, and that has become a proud passion of ours.
Learn about our cultureMaking Magic Happen at Schellville
In 2017 we dreamt of a magical Christmas village called Schellville. We delighted our Coastal Delaware community in our first season with 9 miniature houses decorated beautifully with plenty of activities and Christmas trees.
Now, Schellville is no longer just a “Christmas lane,” but instead, families can enjoy an Enchanted Winter Celebration, providing hours of FREE fun and entertainment.
Nothing beats seeing the wonder in the eyes of our guests, young and old. We cherish bringing this free event to so many families in our community, including those who may not be able to afford to go to other area holiday light shows.
Learn more about SchellvilleProject Kudos Feeds Sussex County
In 2020, when we realized that school closures due to the pandemic meant widespread hunger for many families in Sussex County, we knew we had to take action.
So, we partnered with our friends at Harry K Foundation, jumped on the Project Kudos bus, and got to work. Our corporate warehouse was transformed into a donation and assembly hub where hundreds of volunteers safely came together several days a week to put together boxes of food. The boxes were then loaded onto the Project Kudos bus and taken to some of our area’s most in-need communities, where families could pick them up without contact. At last count, we had delivered 208,000 meals to deserving families in the county.
Learn more about Project Kudos
Commitment to Parks and Shared Spaces
In 2022, we committed $200,000 to help preserve land right here in Sussex County and we promised to donate $1,000 for every home we settle this year.
But our love for our area doesn’t end there; we helped preserve land for the Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek, and we love partnering with area parks, little leagues, and gathering spaces.
Lewes Canalfront Park
Schell Brothers and the Schell family have played a vital role in the Lewes Canalfront Park since its inception, from monetary donations to volunteerism, and ending with the entire Schell Brothers and Ocean Atlantic family coming together to construct the final portion of the park.
Local Sports Complexes
We love sports and kids, so we were happy to step in and provide some improvements and a little old-fashioned hard work. The Rehoboth Little League field was in desperate need of lots of TLC at the end of 2020, so we painted, we scrubbed, we built batting cages, and we put up new siding. Overall, we have contributed $50,000 toward these ball field improvements.
In addition, the Schell family along with Schell Brothers helped open Sandhill Fields in Georgetown, Delaware, a sports complex that encourages diversity and embraces everyone.
Sandhill Fields' vision and mission
Area Beautification
Every year we happily donate to Lewes in Bloom and Rehoboth in Bloom to help keep our area blossoming.
We also participate in the Highway Beautification Program and our team participates in a massive highway clean up several times a year. Over the last 3 years, we have donated over $10,000 and countless hours toward these initiatives.
Supporting Local Businesses and Causes
We’ll never stop shouting from the rooftops how much we love where we live, and we love to show it by supporting our local businesses and causes wherever we can.
Whether it’s helping our community raise awareness, supporting local businesses during the pandemic shut down, or donating to our community resource centers and animal rescues, you will often see us sponsoring community events that our people have deep passion for.
Download Our Charitable Giving SummaryComing Together in Times of Need
When tragedy strikes a member of our community, we know how far a little bit of kindness can go. We have each other’s backs in good times and bad.
Building Hope for Kids Fighting Cancer Through the Power of Play
In March of 2021, Schell Brothers teams from Delaware and Richmond partnered with the Roc Solid Foundation in Richmond to build a playground for 5 year old Aubrey, currently battling pediatric cancer.
The Roc Solid Foundation has built hundreds of custom playsets in the backyards of kids fighting cancer all throughout the US through their Play It Forward and Roc Solid on Demand programs, and we were honored to be a part of their mission.
Building for Ben
In the fall of 2011 the Knapp family’s son Ben, the oldest of three children, suffered a medical emergency which caused him to stop breathing for a significant period of time and left him physically disabled.
Their world was turned upside down, and the family home, which had always served them well, was now woefully unsuited for their new situation. A friend of the Knapp family brought their story to our attention about a year later, and as part of our ongoing community outreach program we decided to get involved and made improvements to their family home to make it more livable and accessible for Ben. Include the video for Building for Ben
Our Healthcare Matters
We have been community partners with Beebe Healthcare since our company began. But as Sussex County grew, Beebe knew they needed to as well! Thus, they underwent a major capital campaign to build new and improved facilities for our homeowners and, let’s face it, for us! After all, so many of us have “Beebe babies.”
We knew we wanted to be an essential part of their growth plans. We committed $500,000 and then partnered with them for Kudos for a Cause to raise an additional $96,796 for Beebe Medical Foundation. The best part was how their team felt after a month of giving kudos!
Learn more about Kudos for a Cause
Many thanks to Schell Brothers for their strong and loyal support of Beebe Healthcare!
Not only did the Kudos program engage our community and donors, but also our team members. Everywhere I walk around our health campuses, I see Kudos stickers on bulletin boards and file cabinets thanking someone for doing an exceptional job. It helped us raise the spirits of our team here at Beebe while also raising extra funds to help us offset all the extra expenses incurred during COVID. Kudos to everyone at Schell Brothers!
- Dr. Tam, President and CEO of Beebe Healthcare
Education is the Future
We are committed to education. We have funded the construction of a pool and tennis court at Sussex Academy Charter School.
Additionally, we consistently support STEM, STEAM, Odyssey of the Mind, and robotics programs. In fact, over the last several years, we have donated over $2.5 million to area schools to fund educational initiatives. Most recently, we supported a team of HOB Elementary school girls who attended a national robotics championship! #GirlPower
Extreme Home Makeover
On August 31, 2011, together with thousands of volunteers from the community, we moved that bus for the Dunning family!
Our team at Schell Brothers is proud to have been selected as the builder for such an important endeavor. The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project allowed us to help a deserving family right here in our county, and that fits perfectly with our company culture and mission. There’s no doubt it was a lot of work but rewarding for all of us, and it was an experience we’ll never forget. Recently, we celebrated the tenth anniversary and helped the Dunnings create a literacy center for adults.
What would you like to see us do?
We’re always looking for new ways to get involved. Do you have a cause you think Schell Brothers should be a part of? Submit your ideas to us!
Submit your cause