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HABITAT HAPPENINGS Oct./Nov. 2009 | |
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| WELCOME NEW BOARD CHAIR BOB LEIDER! |
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Habitat Broward is excited to announce Robert W. Leider as the new chairman of its board of directors! He will take leadership of the organization from Kathy Craven, who completed her two-year term in September.
Leider, who is the Executive Vice President of Sunbeam Television Corporation and General Manager of WSVN-TV Channel 7, has been an active member of the Habitat board for more than a decade and has played a significant role in the creation and success of the Habitat Re-Store.
Through his position with WSVN he has also been instrumental in increasing Habitat Broward's presence in the community and in garnering support from key individuals and corporations, including WSVN's own sponsorship of 10 Habitat homes.
"We are looking forward to continuing to work with Bob Leider as he takes his involvement with Habitat Broward to the next level," said Jason Crush, Executive Director. "We are extremely grateful to Kathy Craven for her hard work and dedication over the years, and strong leaders like Kathy and Bob have helped propel Habitat Broward to where it is today, with more than 300 completed homes and counting." |
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THE HABITEAM PROGRAM
Take team-building to a whole new level!
With the HabiTeam program, your company or organization has the opportunity to participate in the ultimate team building activity while at the same time helping make homeownership a reality for a deserving family in need.
By combining volunteer teamwork with a much-needed financial sponsorship, you have the opportunity to strengthen camaraderie, morale and loyalty among staff, increase visibility for your organization and enhance your organization's brand image, all while making a long-lasting impact on the community.
For more information, contact Maureen Hodgson, Development Director, at (954) 396-3030 ext. 211 or [email protected]. |
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DID YOU KNOW?
Habitat for Humanity was recently named the 7th most valuable brand in
the nonprofit sector!
Click below to read the full CONE Nonprofit Power Brand 100 report.
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HABITAT RE-STORE |
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A Home Improvement Resale Store Open to the Public
505 W. Broward Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
The Habitat Re-Store is a retail outlet where quality used home furnishings and surplus building materials are sold at a fraction of the cost.
The Re-Store raises funds for the construction of Habitat homes while at the same time helping the environment by recycling good, usable materials into use.
Stock changes daily, so shop often! We carry:
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Hurricane Panels
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Lumber
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Carpet & Tile
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Appliances
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Tools
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Windows & Doors
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Cabinets
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Lighting
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Decorator Items
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Dining Tables & Chairs
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And much, much more!
The Re-Store also accepts donations of quality merchandise. For more information, call (954) 763-7771. | |
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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Now more than ever Habitat Broward is grateful to all of our dedicated supporters who, despite these difficult economic times, have continued to drive us forward in the pursuit of our mission to eliminate poverty housing in our community.
In the coming months we will be building the first 20 homes in our 30-home, LEED Silver-certified community in Fort Lauderdale, generously sponsored by the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, the Huizenga Family Foundation and the Hudson Family Foundation. Construction has begun on the first five homes, and we will start five new homes every two months until all 30 are complete. This inaugural "Green Build" has been in the works for several years and we are extremely excited to finally have it out of the ground!
It is also my pleasure to report that we will soon begin construction on six brand-new, single-family homes in unincorporated Broward, sponsored by JM Family Enterprises, Inc., Publix Super Markets Charities, the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation, American Express and King Automotive Group. All of these home sponsors have supported Habitat for many years and once again have stepped up to the challenge of helping to build a better Broward - one home, one family at a time.
In addition to these new projects, Habitat Broward is partnering with the cities of Sunrise, North Lauderdale, Pompano Beach and Hallandale through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to rehabilitate 20 foreclosed homes alongside hard-working, deserving Habitat homeowners.
Habitat Broward is blessed to have the support of our community businesses, individuals and municipalities as we strive to provide families with simple, decent, affordable homes in which they can grow and flourish. We are excited about the coming months of building and encourage you to stop by one of our jobsites, or the Habitat Re-Store, to see our progress.
Sincerely,
Jason S. Crush, Esq.
Executive Director |
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WHERE WE'RE BUILDING NOW...
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Our 18-home community in Dania Beach is nearing completion! Fifteen families have already moved into their homes, with the remaining three scheduled to move in by the end of the year.
Home sponsors include Advanced Roofing, Aetna, American Express, AutoNation, BankAtlantic, Citrix, City Furniture, Coldwell Banker, First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale, the Golden Nuggets, the Gordon Family Foundation, HIP Administrators, Janet Boyle and JB's on the beach, King Automotive Group, Marti Huizenga & the Huizenga Family Foundation, the Mead Family Foundation, Monica & Michael Maroone, The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation and WSVN Channel 7.
Miramar
Habitat Broward completed the first phase of our Miramar community in September. Four deserving Habitat families moved into brand new single-family, duplex-style homes sponsored by Lorraine Thomas, Publix Super Markets Charities, the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation, and WSVN Channel 7.
Fort Lauderdale
Construction on the first five homes of the Fort Lauderdale "Green Build" began in August!
Sponsored by the Hudson Family Foundation, the Huizenga Family Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the community will feature 30 new Habitat homes that meet or exceed the standards for LEED certification.
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Stay tuned for updates on these projects as well as upcoming builds in Unincorporated Broward, Sunrise, and more! |
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FEATURED SPONSOR:
 Wachovia recently merged with Wells Fargo, becoming a part of one of North America's largest and most diverse financial services companies providing banking insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance.
A long-time Habitat supporter, Wachovia most recently sponsored the Miramar home of the Turner Family, who moved in at the end of September, and the Dania Beach home of the Malo Family.
The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation is also sponsoring another home in Unincorporated Broward as well as Habitat Broward's Family Support Program, demonstrating a true commitment to improving the quality of life for these families and making a positive, long-lasting difference in the community.
In addition to the company's generous financial support, Wachovia associates regularly spend their Saturdays volunteering on the construction site, and Ian Berger, V.P. Retail Market Leader, serves as an active member of the Habitat Broward Board of Directors.
With support from community-minded corporations like Wachovia Wells Fargo, we are able to accomplish our goal of revitalizing neighborhoods and providing families with a safe, decent place they can call home.
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| HABITAT YOUTH SPOTLIGHT |
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 Meet Luticha, a 17-year-old participant of Blueprints4Life, Habitat Broward's Youth Enrichment Program, since it began in October 2007. Luticha has lived with her aunt for the past 11 years, and her family was forced to move frequently from one apartment to another due to poor living conditions and security concerns. As a result, Luticha rarely had the opportunity to interact and develop lasting relationships with other youth. In addition, Luticha was diagnosed with learning difficulties and a speech impediment. She is currently functioning at the level of a 6th grader, and consequently has often been the target of ridicule by her peers.
Despite the obstacles in her life, Luticha has demonstrated an increase in self-confidence and the motivation to accept new challenges and tasks beyond her comfort zone, thanks in part to the mentoring, education and support she received through Blueprints4Life.Throughout the program, Luticha actively participated in activities that required her to read aloud to the group, even though she knew she couldn't articulate as well as the other youth. She also demonstrated a growing maturity and sense of responsibility by offering to assist staff and volunteer mentors with cleaning up after the days' activities, and she frequently requested permission to play the piano while waiting for her aunt to pick her up.
 Her personal growth became even more apparent during our April
2009 workshop, when a local church ministry taught a workshop on
discovering gifts and talents. Knowing how difficult it was for Luticha
to express herself, her aunt was quite surprised when she requested
to participate in the drama and poetry sessions. Luticha not only
excelled at writing poetry, she also volunteered to read her poem
aloud to the group. Instead of experiencing ridicule from her peers,
Luticha received a heart-warming round of applause. This display of
support illustrated how much she and the group had matured and
developed mutually respectful relationships during the program year.
Since moving into their new Habitat home in June, Luticha's aunt has
been amazed by the impact Blueprints4Life has had
not only on Luticha, but on all of the youth who are now living in the
18-home Habitat community in Dania Beach. By participating in workshops together over the course of the past year, these youth not only gained the skills and confidence needed to help break the cycle of poverty, but they had a shared experience from which to build a solid foundation for lasting friendships.
To learn more about Blueprints4Life, Habitat Broward's Youth Enrichment Program, click HERE.
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Habitat for Humanity of Broward, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, is a non-profit, non-denominational Christian housing ministry, established in 1983, that has successfully built more than 300 safe, decent, affordable, homes, changing the lives of more than 1,200 children and adults. By engaging future homeowners, volunteers and community-minded businesses, Habitat revitalizes neighborhoods and empowers people to take an active role in determining a healthy future for their families. For more information, visit www.habitatbroward.org.
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