Dear Habitat Supporter,
Welcome to the May edition of the Habitat Update! My apologies
if you received this message twice – technology hasn’t
been on my side this month!
The Habitat Update functions as a way to improve intra-organizational
communication, and will be sent once a month. If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact me!
As committee members, board members and other important volunteers,
it helps to know what is going on throughout the organization.
If you have information to send to others as part of the update,
or would like to make a suggestion in regard to the content or
style of the update, please contact me. If you prefer to have
a hard copy version sent to you or would not like to be included
on the list, please respond, stating your preference.
Take Care!
Mikaela
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MAY 2005 UPDATE
GROUPS ON SITE: Bristol-Myers
Squibb, Upper Perkiomen High School Contemporary Political Issues
Class, Episcopal Hammers, GE Betz, Delaware Valley AmeriCorps,
Weichert Realtors, Salford Mennonite Church, Thompson Memorial
Presbyterian Church
GROUPS PROVIDING LUNCHES: Bristol-Myers
Squibb, Bucks County Young Republicans, Villanova Executive MBA
Alumni Association, GE Betz, Upper Bucks Vocational Technical
School Life Skills Class, Ridge Valley United Church of Christ
NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER HOURS LOGGED
AT EMERALD HOLLOW TO DATE: 64,677
NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS AT HABITAT
BUCKS IN 2005: 210
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WELCOMING…
The Family Selection Committee announced the acceptance
of several families to Emerald Hollow! The following families
will be working toward homeownership in Phase II: Nicole Huhn
and Brian Johnson, with newborn son, Kayden, live in Quakertown.
They have an October wedding planned! Heather Bergey, with her
children, Hannah and Jacob, also live in Quakertown. Conditional
acceptance has been extended to Susan Policastro, who currently
lives in Doylestown with her son, Robert, and Marietta Forman
of Telford. We are delighted to have all of you join the Habitat
Bucks family!
The following volunteers have joined the Family Selection Committee
in recent months and have been hard at work reviewing applications
with current members, Bill Tuszynski, John Benincasa, Sarajayne
Fraley and Diana Stockwell: Marianne Brown, Elaine Jones, Jeanine
Kline, Lorraine Reed. Thank you for jumping right in to a very
busy committee!
Amelia Bulgarelli has joined our wonderful team of office volunteers,
focusing on the family program department. Welcome, Amelia, we’re
looking forward to getting to know you!
IN PARTNERSHIP…
Community Relations Manager, Dan, met with Delaware
Valley College Habitat club president, Mandi Shaw. Del Val has
filled-out the paperwork to become an official Habitat campus
chapter.
Dan attended a meeting that will hopefully lead to the birth
of a Central Bucks Interfaith Group. The goals, although not officially
decided yet, are to offer a place where different faiths can grow
together through the sharing of ideas and working on service projects
together.
AmeriCorps members from Montgomery, Chester, Camden and Philadelphia
counties joined the Bucks County crew at Emerald Hollow for the
chance to experience building at another affiliate. They worked
on foundations and landscaping and finished installing a split-rail
fence at the end of the Phase II property.
OUT + ABOUT…
The Mennonite Community Partnership Proposal meeting took place
in May at which there were five Mennonite churches represented
to learn about the project. Habitat hopes to partner with the
Mennonite Community in sponsoring a home at Emerald Hollow.
Dan, our Traveling Community Relations Manager, attended the
Care by Celebrating Children Day at Buckingham Elementary School.
The day was fantastic and brought various adults from the community
to view the great works accomplished by the students during the
school year. Each member of the community had a student ambassador
that guided us to a few classrooms. Our ambassadors were charged
with “getting-to-know” their guests and then to introduce
him/her to each class they visited. Once in the classroom, the
students talked, demonstrated and showed something they achieved
during the year. A first grader showed and explained to Dan her
entire portfolio of artwork and the stories behind them, showing
her “sloppy copies” (rough drafts) and final products.
Another classroom talked about the books they read and the play
they performed to act-out their emotions about a book the read
on the Holocaust.
Dan also talked with the Girl Scout Troop of Rolling Hills Elementary
in Holland, PA about Habitat and the reasons Habitat is important
to our community. The girls had many great questions and they
plan on providing lunches to our construction volunteers in June.
A meeting to plan next year’s Martin Luther King Day of
Service was held this month. Habitat hopes to once again offer
a Birdhouse Blitz Build and a workday at our construction site
to volunteers wanting to honor Dr. King’s legacy by serving
others.
Habitat staff met with representatives from Simple Technologies,
an electronics distribution company in Southampton, to discuss
partnership opportunities. The company, under the leadership of
Jim Rosica, wants to volunteer on site and raise funds to help
the Habitat mission. Currently, the business donates 1% of their
sales to the charity of their purchasers’ choice; Habitat
is one of the choices.
Habitat staff and volunteers from the Penn State Bucks Alumni
Association traveled to Bristol to paint the exterior of the New
Beginnings Mennonite Church. Habitat has previously partnered
with the church to set up a children’s library.
Habitat attended several community events in the past month to
distribute information on upcoming projects and to sell house
pins, Habitat fair-trade coffee, and Family Support Committee
t-shirts. Members of the Warrington Women’s Club and partner
family member Cheryl Moore staffed a booth at the Strawberry Festival
in Peddlers Village and partner family members Sherry and Jay
Stiles worked at the Arts Alive! Festival in Quakertown.
JOIN US…
Do you like making new friends and helping them to make their
dreams come true? Then have we got the committee for you! The
Family Support Committee is looking for several good folks to
join their ranks. Family Support Partners work closely with newly
accepted families through their time prior to homeownership and
through the year following the purchase of their homes. The Support
Committee plans workshops and family outings and they are the
only Habitat volunteers permitted to donate their hours to families—how
cool is that? For more information, contact Stefanie at extension
307 or s.clark@habitatbucks.org.
Faith Youth Week, 11 – 17 July: Partner with youth groups
and Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County and put your faith into
action by supporting the work of Habitat for Humanity. Make new
friends and help build a stronger community by praying, enjoying
fellowship, landscaping the grounds of the Emerald Hollow Community,
building homes, preparing and sharing meals and raising money.
Come one day or for the whole week. Help to provide safe, simple,
affordable homes for all people. For more information, please
contact Dan O’Connor at extension 312 or d.oconnor@habitatbucks.org.
Submit entries now for the 16th Annual Holiday Card Design Contest!
Entries should reflect the spirit and mission of Habitat for Humanity,
and should not be representative of one specific holiday. The
winning image will be printed as a greeting card and sold in Bucks
County to benefit the important work of Habitat Bucks. For an
entry form and information, contact Sam at extension 310 or click
here, http://www.habitatbucks.org/holiday%20card%2005_flyer%20%2B%20entry%20form.pdf.
GIVING THANKS…
Fort Washington Elementary School held their
annual Fifth Grade vs. Teachers’ Basketball Game and all
the proceeds from the event went to Habitat. As a representative
of Habitat, Dan was honored to play on the teachers’ team
– even though they lost the game! The gym of Upper Dublin
High School was packed with teachers, students, parents and friends.
There were cheerleaders, a rally band, a DJ and posters rooting
for their favorite players engulfing the gym. The event raised
$3,500; the school presented the check at their May Town Hall
Meeting (planned and implemented entirely by the students).
The First Habitat Bucks Bargain Barn Re-Sale was a great success,
despite a wet and chilly start. Generous donations of materials
to be sold were contributed by Astro Lighting, Deluca Homes, Mrs.
Chris Erikson, Haines Contracting, Monarch Construction, Mrs.
Jan Moyer, Shelly Enterprises Inc., Sterling Kitchens, Wehrung’s
Lumber and Home Center and Mr.& Mrs. Willard Wells. Thanks
to everyone for participating in this event, whether it was by
stopping in to purchase items or by making a donation or by telling
your friends about the sale. Because of you, nearly $9000 was
raised to support our mission!
The Second Annual Miniature Golf Tournament was held this month
at the Sylvan Golf Center. This year’s event was once again
sponsored by the Doylestown Moose Lodge and raised over $2700
to benefit Habitat – nearly twice the amount raised last
year! The day was fun for all ages with two groups taking home
the honors of best team: The Redhatters Club and Tyndale, Inc.
(also last year’s overall winner). Thanks to everyone involved,
especially event coordinator Eric Detweiler, in making this event
not only a success, bur also a great time!
Dan attended a Quakertown Rotary Club meeting at the Spinnerstown
Hotel and Restaurant where the group presented Habitat with a
check for $1000. Thanks for your continued support, Rotary members!
MAKING NOTE…
Support Habitat Bucks while getting
your caffeine fix! Through a partnership with Café Campesino,
a fair trade coffee company located in Americus, GA, you can now
purchase Habitat House Blend Fair Trade coffee. Soon, you will
be able to purchase the coffee online at our website, but in the
mean time, stop in to our New Britain office or the Doylestown
Bookshop to pick up a bag!
The Family Support Committee is planning a Habitat Family Outing
on Saturday, 20 August to the Franklin Institute. Details to come…
Do you have a will? Is Habitat named in it? Would you like us
to be? Three easy questions that could have a profound impact
on Habitat's future. Making a bequest is a simple process. For
more information, contact Joe Morrison at extension 303 or j.morrison@habitatbucks.org.
Building On Faith Week, 11 – 18 September: This weeklong
event is a true celebration of faith in action. Join and partner
with Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County and other congregations
as we express our faith through prayer, fellowship, advocacy of
Habitat’s mission, building homes, preparing and sharing
meals and raising money to help provide safe, simple, affordable
homes for those who need them. Come one day or for the whole week.
For more information, please contact Dan extension 312 or d.oconnor@habitatbucks.org.
WOMEN BUILDING A BETTER BUCKS…
Women Build continues to move forward by leaps and bounds –
so much so that is now has its own Habitat Update heading!
Training:
Warrington Lowe’s is going full steam ahead with training!
The next round of clinics will be held in June. The topics and
dates are listed below. Implementing feedback from the first round
of clinics, these sessions will each be 1.5 hours long, from 7-8:30pm.
To register for any of the clinics, please contact Laura at 215.348.2204
ext. 302 or l.mcclellan@habitatbucks.org.
· How to Safely Use Hand and Power Tools: Tuesday, 14
June
· How to Frame for Walls and Roofs: Tuesday, 21 June
· How to Install Insulation and Drywall: Thursday, 23 June
· How to Finish Interior with Paint and Trim: Tuesday,
28 June
Crew Leaders:
Advanced training for crew leaders has begun at Quakertown Lowe’s.
Leaders in training are being given intensive instruction in the
category of their choice. Approximately 20 women are signed up
to become crew leaders. If you are interested in training to become
a crew leader for Women Build week (or just in general), please
contact Laura at extension 302 or l.mcclellan@habitatbucks.
Construction has begun on Phase II of Emerald Hollow and training
days on site for crew leaders are being scheduled. Masonry crew
leaders have already begun and framing crew leaders will head
out to site in the next two weeks.
Planning Teams:
The Fundraising Team implements a campaign to raise the funds
for one house sponsorship plus the tithe ($70,000).
Next Meeting: Thursday, 9 June, 6:30pm, Habitat Bucks New Britain
office
Contact: Kelly Hile, k.hile@habitatbucks.org.
The Training Team arranges for construction skills and crew leader
training classes for Women Build participants. They coordinate
with other teams to publicize training opportunities and schedule
participants.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, 14 June, 7pm, Neshaminy Warwick Presbyterian
Church
Contact: Linda Andrews, landrews@bucksmontnari.org.
The Volunteer Team ensures that participating volunteers have
a quality experience. They help to determine appropriate partner
groups to target, strategies by which to reach out to them, and
contact groups. This team also works to involve girls in the event.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, 15 June, 7pm, Neshaminy Warwick Presbyterian
Church
Contact: Margie Horton, mmhortonpa@comcast.net or Christine Turturro,
mcturturro@mindspring.com.
The Activities Team enhances the Women Build event by organizing
an orientation, opening and closing ceremonies, and daily morning
speakers.
Next Meeting: Thursday, 16 June, 6:30pm
Contact: Theresa Durkin, hailjas@comcast.net.
The Public Relations Team enhances Habitat’s image while
educating the community about the plight of women and children
in poverty, the goals of Women Build and the mission of Habitat
Bucks.
Next Meeting: Thursday, 16 June, 7pm, Doylestown Public Library
Contact: Lauren Kirk, laurenkirk2004@yahoo.com.
The Food Service Team recruits individuals and groups to provide
breakfast and lunch during the build week as well as refreshments
or meals for specials events.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, 21 June, 7pm
Contact: Janet Pagenkemper, janfran@erols.com.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mikaela D. Martin
Marketing + Public Relations
Director
Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County
new address:
215 Matthews Avenue
New Britain, PA 18901
215.348.2204 x306
fax: 215.348.7988
It is the mission of Habitat for Humanity
of Bucks County to build affordable homes, better lives stronger
families and safer communities through partnerships with people
and organizations throughout Bucks County. |
