Dear Habitat Supporter,
Welcome to the May edition of the Habitat Update! The Habitat
Update functions as a way to improve communication about the goings-on
of Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County, and will be sent once
a month. 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 (m.martin@habitatbucks.org
or 215.348.2204 x306).
The May Habitat Update is also available to view online at www.habitatbucks.org/update200705.asp.
Read up on previous news at www.habitatbucks.org/update.asp.
If you prefer to have a hard copy version sent to you or would
not like to be included on this distribution list, please respond
stating your preference.
Take Care!
Mikaela
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MAY 2007 UPDATE
CONSTRUCTION VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH:
Neil Letcavage
GROUPS ON SITE:
Doylestown United Methodist Church, Episcopal Hammers,
Redeemer Lutheran Church
GROUPS PROVIDING LUNCHES:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church Youth Group, Buckingham
Friends School, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Blooming Glen
Mennonite Church, 1st Savings Bank of Perkasie
NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER HOURS LOGGED
AT EMERALD HOLLOW TO DATE: 90,974
NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS AT EMERALD HOLLOW
TO DATE: 10,166
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
As you may have heard, Habitat needs your help now, more
than ever. As reported by the Morning Call,
Habitat has experienced a “64 percent plunge” in donations
since 2002 (Habitat scrambles to keep building, Apr.
24). Considering that over 10,000 volunteer hours have been logged
at Emerald Hollow surely this drop in donations is not an indication
of lack of support for Habitat’s work! As you know, volunteer
hours aren’t all Habitat needs to build; our homes also
require funding and the affiliate requires advocacy (we like to
call this Act! Give! Share!). Habitat does not
sustain itself on government grants, but depends strictly
on the generosity and commitment of neighbors and partner families
to provide the necessary resources to make safe, affordable housing
a matter of conscience and action in our community. It relies
on the citizens of Bucks County to take action, give funds
and spread the word about the affordable housing crisis
in our wealthy community. With an estimated 26,000 Bucks County
residents living in substandard housing, we must
rally together the money and action needed to sustain the mission
of Habitat. Please, visit our website today to make a donation
(habitatbucks.org/donate.asp), and then
tell a friend what Habitat means to you. Every dollar
and every conversation helps. Help Habitat keep building!
WELCOMING…
The Family Selection Committee recently accepted Daniel Gicuki
and Salome Thiga of Bensalem. They currently live in a one-bedroom
apartment with their children, Brian and Bernice. We look forward
to welcoming you to Emerald Hollow!
Emerald Hollow homeowner, Amy Esch, married her sweetheart, Gary
Taylor, on Sat., May 26. They are honeymooning at the Jersey Shore—with
days full of relaxing and nights filled with eating out at fancy
restaurants. Amy’s two children, Abigail and Matthew, are
very excited to add Gary to their family, officially. Congratulations,
love birds!
ON SITE…
Roofing is complete on Cluster 11 and siding has been installed.
Drywall installation is complete in the first two homes in the
cluster, and volunteers have been painting and installing vinyl
flooring. Outdoors sidewalks are being installed in front of the
cluster. Foundation work is continuing in Cluster 10.
IN PARTNERSHIP…
Neshaminy Mall has selected Habitat Bucks as their charitable
partner for the next three years and will be holding several fundraising
events to benefit us throughout the year. Over Mother’s
Day weekend, a small house was built at the mall and decorated
with paper cutouts of families representing the number of families
in need of affordable housing throughout Bucks County. For one
dollar, mall patrons could remove a family and sign their name
on the house frame, symbolic of removing someone from substandard
housing. The event raised $315 to benefit Habitat Bucks, and we
are very excited about the future of this partnership!
An amazingly thoughtful and inquisitive group of students from
Buckingham Friends School visited Emerald Hollow for a tour and
provided lunch for our construction crew and volunteers on May
9. The group included representatives from each grade, as well
as some budding journalists who plan to do a recap of the excursion
for the school newsletters. We are grateful for this ongoing partnership
with BFS!
JOIN US…
Habitat Bucks recently extended the summer ReSale schedule and,
in addition to a sale on Sat., Jun. 9, we will be holding the
event on the second and fourth Saturdays of July, August and September
(Jul. 7 and 21, Aug. 4 and 18, Sep. 8 and 22). The ReSale is held
from 8am until 12noon at the Big Red Barn, 1733 Creamery Road,
Quakertown. The ReSale is currently featuring several brand new
dining room tables from a premier furniture retailer and fabulous
wall-to-wall carpeting, as well as doors, windows and other remodeling
supplies. For more information, contact Trish at t.schoor@habitatbucks.org
or 215.348.2204 x303.
Attention Justin Guarini Fans! Justin Guarini Fan Appreciation
Day is Jun. 12 and the fan site, J Man’s World (groups.msn.com/JMansWorldJustinGuariniTake2/_whatsnew.msnw),
decided to celebrate by asking fans to make a donation to Habitat
Bucks in honor of Justin’s involvement with the affiliate!
Justin’s family resides in Doylestown and has been long-time
supporters of the Habitat program. Most notably, Justin was a
highlighted guest at the 2004 HBA Blitz Build Celebration Day.
If you’d like to be included in this appreciation day, simply
make a donation to Habitat with a note that it be in honor of
Justin Guarini Fan Appreciation Day. You may make your donation
online (habitatbucks.org/donate.asp)
or by mail (215 Matthews Avenue New Britain, PA 18901). Thank
you, J Man’s World for including Habitat in your special
day!
Come see the Women Build-ers in action! This year the Women Build
crew leaders are leading the construction of flower pot stepstools
and assorted other wooden goodies for sale. Much of this building
will take place right in the public view on Sat., Jun. 23 from
10am-6pm at the Penn’s Purchase tent sale (Route 202 in
Lahaska; www.pennspurchase.com).
Some products will be available for sale at the booth or you can
place an order. Additionally, the Makefield Women’s Association
will once again join us to display their fabulous raffle baskets
and sell tickets.
Please join us for the next Home Dedication at the Emerald Hollow
community on Thur., Jul. 12 at 7pm. Celebrate with staff and volunteers
as we present five families with the keys to their new homes.
Following dedication, the homes will be open to tour, and light
refreshments will be available. Entrance to Emerald Hollow is
at the 1700 block of Creamery Rd., Quakertown. Contact Sam at
s.martin@habitatbucks.org
or 215.348.2204 x310 for more information. You’ve pounded
nails, now you can “pound” our families! Just bring
a pound of non-perishable goods (food, cleaning product, etc.)
for one of the new homeowners’ pantries.
We will soon be taking applications for the two remaining Emerald
Hollow One (zero-interest) homes! The Family Selection Committee
is planning an Application Day on Sat., Aug. 4 at Christ Lutheran
Church in Trumbauersville! Contact Stefanie for more information;
s.clark@habitatbucks.org
or 215.348.2204 x307.
GIVING THANKS…
Special thanks to all the volunteers who have participated in
the spring blitz of ReSales: Rick Ottinger, Kim Noble, Diana Kayes,
Neil Letcavage, Samantha Cowen, Sheila Hofmann, Mario Canales,
Mike Curley and Kelly Lewis. You rock – we couldn’t
have done it out without you! (If you’re interested in volunteering
at an upcoming ReSale, contact Laura at l.mclellan@habitatbucks.org
or 215.348.2204 x302.)
Just in time for spring, the Deep Run Presbyterian Church “56ers”,
a youth group of 5th and 6th graders, recently held a Birdhouse
Blitz Build. They sold the fruits of their labor to members of
the congregation and thereby raised $250! As members of a congregation
with a deep connection to our affiliate, we hope to grow this
young partnership by using this contribution towards landscaping
costs at Emerald Hollow and inviting the 56ers to come out and
do some planting.
Gorgeous weather made for a fantastic Peddler’s Village
Strawberry Festival this year! The booth shared by Women Build
and the Makefield Women’s Association was well-visited,
raising nearly $2000 in raffle tickets, $400 in merchandise sales
and distributing tons of information to many new potential women
build-ers. Thanks to Theresa Sheehan for organizing the booth
and to everyone who helped to make this event a success!
The Lutheran Church of the Resurrection recently collected a
5th Sunday offering to benefit Habitat Bucks and used the Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans matching program to maximize their contribution.
Following a brief presentation on the Habitat mission, $1200 was
raised in donations! Thanks to Thrivent, that will become $1600
towards our mission. We are grateful to Sandy Mullican, who organized
the presentation, and to all the members of this congregation
for their support!
MAKING NOTE…
The Bucks County Association of Realtors’ (BCAR) Neighbor
to Neighbor program has raised $40,031 to date! AnnaMarie Loretan
has taken over the administration of the program with the help
of Kelly Wenhold and the Affordable Housing Committee at BCAR.
Maggie Pollich is serving as co-chair of the committee with the
departure of Ken Krauter in January. Get ready for events! BCAR
will be holding a golf outing at Yardley Country Club on Sep.
10 and will once again sponsor Neighbor to Neighbor with an annual
“Idol” talent show that features the multitude of
skills found among the realty community. Stay tuned for updates
on this fabulous program!
A fabulous volunteer named Lisa Fish has created a Homeowner
Satisfaction Survey that was mailed to all past, current and future
Habitat homeowners. Several surveys have been sent to Lisa for
compilation. If you received a survey, but haven’t sent
it in yet, please do! Your input is extremely valuable to us!
We need trees and shrubs! Are you a landscaper? Work at a nursery?
We need your help! As our building project winds down at Emerald
Hollow, we need to start planting to make the outdoor space feel
as good as the indoor space. Contact Trish Schoor for more details
and how you can help at t.schoor@habitatbucks.org
or 215.348.2204 x303.
OUT AND ABOUT…
Members of our Faith Relations Committee will speak on Sun., Jun.
17, at St. John’s UCC in Lansdale.
Habitat Bucks participated in the Quakertown Home Show and Business
Expo at the Quakertown High School on May 15. Thanks to an anonymous
gift sponsoring our table at this Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce
event, Habitat Bucks was able to showcase the Emerald Hollow building
project and create interest in many of our programs.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mikaela D. Martin
Marketing + Public Relations
Director
Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County
215 Matthews Avenue
New Britain, PA 18901
215.348.2204 x306
fax: 215.348.7988
www.habitatbucks.org
From 2005-2008, Habitat for Humanity will
build 36 affordable homes in Bucks County. Each home will require
a commitment of 2000 volunteer hours and financial contributions
averaging $4,250 per day. Habitat relies strictly on the generosity
and commitment of our neighbors and partner families to provide
these resources, and to make safe, affordable housing a matter
of conscience and action in our community.
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