Building for a better tomorrow

Transcription

1 The 2015 Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County Board President Brad Board Vice President Matt Spindler Secretary Jan Beatty-Taylor Treasurer Christie Bettencourt Board Members Seth Benevento Kristi Bryan Linda Crase Robyn Graham Matt Gaebe Tom Hornburg Venita Jourdan Sheri O Hara Jason Vasquez Harry Wood The 10th Annual Birdhouse Auction Thank you to all the sponsors and guests who joined us at the 10th Annual Habitat for Humanity Birdhouse Auction on Friday, May 1, This unique event brings together community leaders, creative artists and local flavors to support the vision that every man, woman and child should have a decent, affordable place to live. This years event raised more than $50,000 to help low-income homeowners in Tulare County with much needed home repairs. We look forward to expanding both the home repair and home ownership programs in the next year. Thank you to Amy Shuklian and Pete Vander Poel III for helping us with the M.C. and auctioneer duties and for entertaining the crowd during the evening. Building for a better tomorrow Rick Alonzo painting during the event. Pictures by Frank Contact Us: 727Photograpy

2 A great group of women (and a few men) from the PTO Coffee Club at Roosevelt School, Cigna Health, South Valley Vascular, Financial Credit Network, Evolutions Fitness, NAS Lemoore & The Tulare Fire Department joined Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County staff at the Women Build projects in Tulare the first week of May. On May 5th, 2015, County Supervisor Pete Vander Poel III joined the volunteers at the start of the construction day to support the ongoing efforts of Habitat for Humanity in Tulare and in the county. Women Build Week During the national Women Build Week, affiliates across Canada and the U.S. take on projects designed to help their local community and to shed light on the popular trend of women learning more construction trades. Volunteers learn how to work with power tools, apply different paint products, repair drywall and other tasks at free Lowe s clinics held in the weeks leading up to Women Build Week. Many then take this new knowledge to Habitat job sites. The number of women on Habitat for Humanity jobsite has grown considerably over the past several years, and we thank Lowe s for helping to teach and inspire us, so Let s Build Something Together!

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4 A Brush With Kindness Success Our Habitat for Humanity home repair program has been a very strong program since it was first implemented in Knowing that there are so many homeowners in our community who, because of age, disability or circumstance, find it nearly impossible to do simple repairs to the house they own, gives us a strong incentive to serve more families in Tulare County. The projects we have completed range from grab bar installations, wheel chair ramp construction, heating and air conditioning repairs to yard clean-up. As part of our participation in the National Women Build Week, we canvased homeowners in the neighborhood around our newest home ownership project in Tulare asking if they needed help with home repairs. We met several wonderful homeowners who needed help with yard clean-up, painting and fence repair. One of the homeowners we met was Mava. She worked at Valley Medical Transportation for many years starting as a driver then working her way up to office manager. Mava doesn't consider herself officially retired as she still works on call as a dispatcher for the company. Mava has been struggling to keep up with her home repairs since her husband passed away seven years ago. Some of the wood on the exterior of her home had been damaged by dry rot and the house desperately needed a new paint job. The timing was perfect. We needed a home repair project for a large group of volunteers and Mava had a great, volunteer friendly, house project. 10 volunteers from NAS Lemoore came out and painted the whole house in one day! As part of the A Brush With Kindness home repair program, Mava will repay the cost of the program with small monthly payments that fit with her budget. If you know a low-income homeowner who needs help with home repairs or you would like to donate to or volunteer on a job-site, please call Habitat for Humanity at Donate on-line today at or use your checkbook as a hammer! Send check to Habitat for Humanity ~ P.O. Box 848, Visalia, CA 93279

5 Why We Build Habitat for Humanity believes that every person deserves a decent, affordable place to live. Towards this end, Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County has been building, renovating and repairing homes in Tulare County with low-income families for over 20 years 60 families have become first-time homeowners by building in partnership with Habitat volunteers and staff; in addition, Habitat has assisted more than 250 low-income homeowners with repairs that have improved their living conditions. Our entire community is healthier and stronger when all people have access to decent housing. What We Build Homeownership Habitat provides opportunities for families with limited incomes to become first-time home owners. Each homeowner-partner does sweat equity on her/his future home by working alongside community volunteers; the home is purchased with a no-interest Habitat loan. Habitat builds new homes and acquires and renovates existing homes. Currently, Habitat is working with Juanita and her two young sons on the total rehab of a small two-bedroom house in southwest Tulare which had been donated to Habitat by Wells Fargo Bank late last year. Juanita has been working with Habitat a couple of days each week to satisfy her sweat equity commitment. HFHTC is trying to acquire several foreclosed homes and lots in North Visalia and a house in Porterville over the next couple of months that will be sites for its next homeownership program efforts. Home Repair Program - A Brush With Kindness works with low-income homeowners who need assistance with home repairs because of challenges from age, disability or circumstance. Community volunteers and homeowners work with Habitat staff to address these needs. The homeowner repays Habitat for the costs, generally through a no-interest loan. This program focuses on seniors through the Aging in Place initiative approximately 70% of the ABWK participants are 50+ years old. As part of this year s National Women Build Week in May, Habitat volunteers assisted three homeowners in the Roosevelt School neighborhood of Tulare with exterior painting and yard clean-up while other volunteers worked on the house rehabilitation down the block. The goal for the coming budget year is to raise enough funds to assist at least 80 more households with critical home repair and maintenance issues. On the schedule for this summer is Habitat s first roof replacement and a couple of wheelchair ramps along with various smaller electrical, plumbing and accessibility projects. The Board of Directors and staff appreciate your support of the Habitat vision that... Everyone in Tulare County will have a decent, affordable place to live.

6 P.O Box 848 Visalia, CA RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Phone Fax A Building Materials Thrift Store Donate - Shop - Volunteer Building Materials, Lighting, Furniture, Doors, Windows, Lumber, Flooring New & Used Building Materials Like us on Visalia ReStore Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday - 9am to 5pm Saturday - 9am to 4pm Closed Sunday Donations are Tax Deductible Call for Pick-up 637 S. Lovers Lane, Visalia