|
The
Newsletter
for
DuPage Habitat
for Humanity
|
|
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
Sarah
Muench
Youth
Coordinator
|
Volunteering |
|
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.
|
Back to
top | |
|
|
|
|
Did you
know? |
|
Be green and save! For every
degree you lower your heat in the 60-degree to
70-degree range, you'll save up to 5 percent on
heating costs (Source: California Energy
Commission). |
Back to
top | |
| U.S.
Housing Facts |
| |
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 |
| * |
More than 300,000 houses
built! |
| * |
One and a half million people
now live in safe, decent Habitat
houses. |
| * |
Houses are sold at no profit
with an interest-free mortgage. |
| * |
Homeowners and volunteers
build the houses under trained
supervision. |
| |
|
|
|
IN THIS
ISSUE:
- Feature: Pioneering Affordable
Homeownership Crosses Halfway Point
- Feature: DuPage Habitat Youth
Host Santa's Workshop
- Feature: 2008
Volunteer Appreciation Reception
- Get
Involved!: What's Happening in the Upcoming
Months
- Director's Notes: A Message
from Sarah Brachle
- Spotlight on: 2008 Volunteer of
the Year Dennis Harvey
|
|
PIONEERING AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP HALFWAY
POINT |
On Sept. 23, 2008, DuPage Habitat launched Pioneering
Affordable Homeownership, a three-year initiative to raise
$4 million, build or rehab 16 homes, and reach out to
more than 500 business, civic and church leaders. Just four
months later, in December 2008, the initiative crossed the
halfway fundraising mark with $2.5 million currently pledged
in cash and products. The project's cornerstone, Pioneer
Prairie, will begin infrastructure development this month
with home building to commence in the summer. Eric Patton,
president of the DuPage Habitat board of directors, said,
"We are happy and humbled to have engaged so many partners
in this effort, particularly in this difficult economy. But,
with $1.5 million still to raise, we are continuing to move
forward with our extensive outreach plan." Leadership team
sponsors of the initiative include: Thrivent, Ambitech,
Matrex Exhibits, Tyndale House, Goldman Sachs, Air-Rite
Heating and Cooling, ComEd, Mark Fessler, Painter's and
Allied Trades Union, Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Showalter
Roofing.
-- Sarah Brachle
|
|
DUPAGE HABITAT YOUTH
HOST SANTA'S WORKSHOP
|
DuPage Habitat's Youth Program held a birdhouse
build in December 2008 as a way to  creatively engage
the young adults who aren't able to be active on Habitat
build sites. According to youth coordinator Sarah Muench,
the goal of the workshop was to build 35 birdhouses, one for
each Habitat homeowner in DuPage County. "They built and
painted the birdhouses with a lot of creative flair," said
Muench, who says she particularly enjoyed watching some of
the teen girls discover their inner builder. "The girls
often found out that they enjoyed wielding a hammer a little
more than they thought they would," she said. The build was
held, appropriately, at the nearly finished Habitat house in
Villa Park. The youth are currently distributing their
birdhouses to DuPage Habitat
homeowners.
-- Dave
Bristol
|
|
2008 VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION
RECEPTION |
The 2008 Volunteer Appreciation
Reception was held at the Oak Brook Hills Marriott, which
has hosted the event gratis for two consecutive years. The
purpose of the annual event is to recognize the volunteers
of DuPage Habitat, who, said board member Steve Walsh, "are
involved in every aspect of operations including raising
funds, finding property, selecting and supporting qualified
families, engaging volunteers, working with churches,
corporations, and local governments, planning construction,
managing our financials, and maintaining our technical
systems." Billy Jo Baker noted that, while special awards
were given such as Veteran of the Year, Ambassador of the
Year, and Go-Getter of the Year, the event is intended to
"recognize all volunteers throughout the year who have
contributed to the organization's mission." The event was
organized by the volunteer relations committee, which Baker
noted "did a great job recognizing all board members,
committee chairs and other volunteers who went above and
beyond in 2008."
As a nonprofit organization, DuPage
Habitat is reliant on the work of volunteers in
accomplishing its mission. "While the paid staff is
playing quarterback for the team," said Walsh, it is the
volunteers who, through 10 established committees, are
"running the plays." DuPage Habitat hopes, he said, that
through the event volunteers were able to reflect on what
has been accomplished and are inspired by recognizing the
contributions of their fellow
volunteers.
-- Dave Bristol
|
|
GET INVOLVED!: UPCOMING HABITAT
EVENTS
|
Tuesday, Feb.
10: New volunteer
orientation meeting
6:30 p.m., BP Conference Center,
Cantera II, 28301 Ferry Road, Warrenville,
Ill.
Tuesday, Feb. 10: General monthly Habitat
meeting
7 p.m.,
BP Conference Center
Saturday, Feb.
28: DuPage County Homeownership Fair/Homeownership
Application Session
Tuesday, March
10: New volunteer
orientation meeting
6:30 p.m., BP Conference Center,
Cantera II, 28301 Ferry Road, Warrenville,
Ill.
Tuesday, March 10: Monthly Habitat
meeting
7 p.m.,
BP Conference Center
DuPage Habitat Friends,
I have recently been thinking about the Grimm
Brothers' story "Stone Soup." According to the story, some
travelers come to a village,
carrying nothing more than an empty pot. Upon
their arrival, the villagers are unwilling to share any of
their food stores with the hungry travelers. The travelers
fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in
it, and place it over a fire in the village square. One of
the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing.
The travelers answer that they are making "stone soup,"
which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit
of garnish to
improve the flavor, which they are missing. The villager
doesn't mind parting with just a little bit to help them
out, so it gets added to the soup. Another villager walks
by, inquiring about the pot, and the travelers again mention
their stone soup, which hasn't reached its full potential
yet. The villager hands them a little bit of seasoning to
help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding
another ingredient. Finally, a delicious pot of soup is
enjoyed by all.
This story has a lot in common
with DuPage Habitat. We have two full-time and two part-time
employees. Alone, there is no way that the four of us would
be able to build homes and serve families. We would be the
stones in the pot. But when you add our volunteers' skills
and talents, and the donors' support, then the impossible
becomes possible.
None of us could have done it
alone. All of us are doing it together. Together, the
volunteers of DuPage Habitat have built 33 homes in 13
years, serving 38 families. Together, we will build 16 homes
in the next three years. When we are done, 56 families will
have become homeowners because caring people said, "I will
help."
Whether you donate, volunteer or
just cheer us on, thank you for helping to make the
impossible possible.
All my best for a wonderful
2009,
Sarah Brachle
Executive
Director
|
|
SPOTLIGHT ON: DENNIS HARVEY,
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
|
Dennis Harvey came to DuPage Habitat in the
winter of 2008. In just a few short months, Dennis was recruited as a
co-house leader on the Long home. Dennis also helped to
create new tools to improve the efficiency on the
construction site, including a master construction schedule,
build day best practices, a common house design, a core
process and more.
At the same time, he was helping the board and
executive director think about how DuPage Habitat could move
the organization from building 1-2 houses a year to 4-5
houses per year. Dennis has a passion for good processes,
clear roles and measurable benchmarks. He has worked
tirelessly to bring the best practices he learned and
implemented in the for-profit world to Habitat. Executive
Director Sarah Brachle said, "More than any other volunteer,
I believe Dennis' contributions this past year helped DuPage
Habitat to become a stronger organization. I am very
grateful that he chose to volunteer with
us."
-- Sarah
Brachle
|
|
FINAL THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
|
"Keep away from people who try to belittle your
ambitions.
Small people always do that, but the really great
make you feel
that you, too, can become
great."
Mark
Twain
Back
to 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