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The
Newsletter
for
DuPage Habitat
for Humanity
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It's all about the
families we help!
DuPage Habitat for Humanity
213
S. Wheaton Ave.
Wheaton IL
60187
630.510.3737
www.dupagehabitat.org
Sarah
Brachle
Executive Director
Jon
Peterson
Business
Manager
Brian
Harris
Construction
Manager
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Volunteering |
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Call the Habitat office
at
630.510.3737 or e-mail dhfh@dupagehabitat.org
There
is more to Habitat for Humanity than just
building. DuPage Habitat for Humanity now
needs volunteers with fresh ideas for
"behind the scenes" work as
well! Come to the next general meeting on
the second Tuesday of the month and join a
committee like
-
Construction
-
Faith Relations
-
Marketing and PR
and more!
Especially now, we need help on
our plans for our new
builds!
We
have a new volunteer
orientation at each month's general
meeting at 6:30 p.m. right
before the general meeting at 7
p.m. the second Tuesday of each
month at BP
America Inc., Cantera II, 28301 Ferry Road,
Warrenville (just north of I-88 and
west of Winfield Road). All are welcome! Bring a
friend.
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Did you
know? |
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A full-time miniumum-wage
worker in DuPage County must earn $17.98
per hour to afford a two-bedroom
apartment at Fair Market
Rent.
A minimum-wage DuPage
County worker would have to work
111 hours per week (or
almost three full-time jobs) to afford a
two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market
Rent. |
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top | |
| U.S.
Housing Facts |
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10.9 million individuals live
in housing with severe physical deficiencies such
as having no hot water, no electricity, no toilet
or neither a bathtub nor
shower. |
| Habitat Quick
Facts |
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More than 200,000 houses
built! |
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One million people now live in
safe, decent Habitat houses. |
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Houses are sold at no profit
with an interest-free mortgage. |
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Homeowners and volunteers
build the houses under trained
supervision. |
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IN THIS
ISSUE:
- Feature: Long Home
Dedication
- Feature: DuPage Habitat and
Thrivent at Kane County Cougars Game
- Get
Involved!: What's Happening in the Upcoming
Months
- Director's Notes: A Message
from Sarah Brachle
- Spotlight on: Laurie Lapas,
Volunteer Committee
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FEATURE: LONG HOME
DEDICATION |
 May 20 saw the dedication of
the Long family's new home. The event drew a generous
turnout and, according to Christina Darnell of the DuPage
Habitat special events committee, it took place in perfect,
sunny weather. Of the day's honorees, the Longs, Christina
said, "They couldn't have been a warmer and more
well-deserving family." The Longs, a family of five that
used to live in a two-bedroom apartment, have found that
their living space has more than doubled. Their new home is
also much closer to the school that their son with special
needs attends. "I was speechless that day, and I'm
speechless now," Brenda Long replied when asked about the
dedication of her family's home. She is noticeably moved at
the fact that, as she put it, "People were sacrificing for
us, even though they don't know us." Most of all, Brenda and
her family want to thank God and the volunteers of DuPage
Habitat for Humanity for giving their time, their resources,
and themselves to help create the Longs' new
home.
-- Dave
Bristol
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FEATURE: DUPAGE
HABITAT AND THRIVENT PLAY BALL
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 On June 14, the fourth annual
Thrivent Builds outing took place at a Kane County Cougars
game. The event drew a considerable turnout, and one in
every 14 fans at the game was there in support of Thrivent
Builds with Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, the day took
in some $4,000 in fundraising. As a part of the event,
Alicia Landrum, a DuPage Habitat partner family member,
threw out a ceremonial first pitch. "I was overwhelmed ...
really nervous," said Alicia, "but it was really fun!"
Thrivent representative Inga Theeke said, "The event has
always been a wonderful awareness and fellowship activity
for us. By including the partner families and affiliate in
key roles throughout the event, that makes the evening even
more special for the Thrivent Builds guests."
-- Dave
Bristol
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GET INVOLVED!: UPCOMING HABITAT
EVENTS |
 Tuesday, July 8: New volunteer
orientation meeting6:30 p.m., BP Conference Center,
Cantera II, 28301 Ferry Road, Warrenville,
IL
Tuesday, July 8:
General monthly Habitat meeting
7 p.m.,
BP Conference Center
Friday, July
11: DuPage Habitat at DuPage Dragons
game
7:05 p.m., Benedictine
University, Lisle, IL
50 percent of proceeds
go to DuPage Habitat!
Monday, Aug. 11: At HOME on the
Green
Join DuPage Habitat for
Humanity for our 1st Annual Golf Outing and Fundraiser Aug.
11 at Klein Creek Golf Course. We still need golfers and
sponsors! Cost to golf is $150 per person and entry fee
includes: welcome bag, lunch, green fees, cart and buffet
dinner. For more information or to register, visit www.dupagehabitat.org/golf.htm. Register today!
Saturday, Sept. 13: Annual DuPage Habitat 5K
Run/Walk
Stay tuned for details!
Saturday, Oct. 18: Next Open Homeowner
Application Session
St. Isidore's Catholic Church, Bloomingdale,
IL
DuPage Habitat Friends,
 As you may know, in 2009 we
will begin construction on Pioneer Prairie, an 11-home
subdivision in West Chicago. Pioneer Prairie will be the
cornerstone of Pioneering Affordable
Homeownership, a three-year initiative designed to
proactively respond to concerns about the lack of affordable
homeownership opportunities available to working families in
DuPage County.
Earlier this year, we brought in a
partner firm to conduct extensive market research throughout
the community in order to measure understanding about DuPage
Habitat, and to gauge levels of support for the initiative.
One of the things we learned from that research is that many
community members do not understand how DuPage Habitat
finances the homes we develop.
DuPage Habitat builds and sells homes to
working families earning 45%-60% of median income. Homes are not given
away, nor are they earned through sweat equity. Homes
are sold to partner families on the basis of need, ability
to pay a 30-year mortgage and willingness to partner with
Habitat and the community--all without racial and religious
discrimination. No profit is collected, and no interest is
charged on the 30-year mortgage. Habitat establishes the
mortgage principal based on the family's income and not by
the home's market value. The modest mortgage payments are
deposited into a Fund for Humanity and used to fund the
development of future homes. Covenant restrictions prohibit
a family from flipping a home as Habitat shares in the
appreciation.
Because DuPage Habitat is the mortgage holder,
we do not get "cashed out" by a bank when the home is sold
to a family. This means that every time we build a home,
we must raise ALL of the funds needed to develop it.
In wealthy DuPage
County, we typically must raise $200,000 per
home--the bulk of which goes to fund land costs.
In addition to raising cash, we solicit
donations of products and services to keep the development
costs as low as possible.
I look forward to talking with hundreds
of business, religious and community leaders over the course
of this initiative to clarify how Habitat works and how to
support affordable housing for DuPage's working
families.
In partnership,
Sarah Brachle
Executive
Director
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SPOTLIGHT: LAURIE LAPAS, VOLUNTEER
COMMITTEE
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 This month, we shine the
spotlight on Laurie Lapas, a DuPage Habitat volunteer who
has worked with the organization in many different
capacities. She's been volunteering in the DuPage Habitat
office once a week for about a year and a half. Laurie
started just by lending a helping hand around the office,
but has since become more involved in regular operations
within the organization, such as scheduling volunteers for
build sights. Lately, Laurie and her husband have even
participated in event planning by organizing the upcoming
DuPage Habitat golf tournament. When asked what she enjoys
most about volunteering, Laurie replied, "The same as
everybody ... seeing the families move in at the
dedication." She said that even though volunteering is
rewarding in the ways it helps other people, "You're the one
that's benefiting." Laurie also likes the fact that she can
do a lot of her work with DuPage Habitat from home, and she
was happy to find a role that didn't necessarily entail
serving on any one particular committee. Laurie's service is
just one illustration of the multitude of ways that anyone
can become involved with DuPage Habitat for
Humanity.
-- Dave
Bristol
"I've always been struck by the whole concept
of Habitat for Humanity ... very seldom do you get to
leave something behind that has such meaning."
--Tom Brokaw, former anchor, NBC
News
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FINAL THOUGHT FOR THE
MONTH |
"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it
is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were
great and
noble."
Helen
Keller
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top
DuPage
Habitat for Humanity is a Christian housing ministry
affiliated with Habitat for Humanity International. We welcome
all people dedicated to building decent, affordable housing
for families in need, while empowering families to help
themselves.
DuPage Habitat for Humanity
213 S. Wheaton
Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187
Phone: 630.510.3737 Fax:
630.682.4881
www.dupagehabitat.org
dhfh@dupagehabitat.org |
DuPage Habitat for
Humanity