Tripp Family
Washington, DC

Episode 708
Air Date: Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010

• Press Release
• Photos
• Video

The Tripp family was nominated by several parents, whose children have been helped by The Fishing School and the school minister. Nikema �Tripp�, 31, and Tamara, 30, have assumed responsibility for a bus ministry that Tripp�s father initiated for the Woodlawn Baptist Church more than 30 years ago, hoping to make his rough neighborhood a better place. Tripp, an electrician, and Tamara, a teacher�s aide, serve as bus captain and project coordinator, respectively, for about 40 kids each week and more than 90 children on holidays who board the �Big Blue Bus� for fun and safe activities. They often serve as mentors for many of these children who need a sympathetic ear from a caring adult outside their own home. Since their church cannot afford to fund the youth activities available through the Big Blue Bus, the Tripps pick up the tab themselves. And, given the modest salaries that they earn from their full-time jobs, Tripp and Tamara have had little funds left to repair what was a small, crumbling home. The modest 900 square-foot home that they shared with sons Micah, 5, Ethan, 3, and Aaden, 9 months had only two bedrooms and one bathroom.

Cosentino, the maker of Silestone natural quartz, joined with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to provide countertop surfaces, fabrication and installation with hands-on involvement from Counter Intelligence at the Tripp family and The Fishing School build sites. The Tripp family and The Fishing School share the same mission, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has brought them together through this massive build project. Cosentino donated Yellow Nile in the Main House Kitchen, Amarillo Sand in the Master Bathroom and Laundry/Mudroom for the Tripp family home. The Fishing School received Orange Cool in the Basement Kitchen and Unsui in the Second Floor Eat-in Kitchen. Click here for a sample of Silestone in these colors.