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HABITAT HAPPENINGS February/March 2010 | |
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LETTER FROM BOB LEIDER, BOARD CHAIR
Dear Friends,
This year got off to an unexpected start for Habitat Broward, to say the least!
After receiving word of the devastating earthquake in Haiti on January 12, Habitat staff, board members, volunteers and community partners quickly banded together and mobilized a massive donation drive at the Habitat Re-Store.
It was truly amazing to see the outpouring of support from our local community in response to the disaster - our phones were ringing off the hook, and thousands of individuals came to the Re-Store on Broward Boulevard to drop off donations and lend a hand.
We were fortunate to have strong partnerships with Suddath and Food for the Poor, which enabled us to ship and distribute desperately needed food, water, medical supplies and more to those on the ground in Haiti. To everyone who helped out with the donation drive, I cannot thank you enough for your compassion and generosity!
Habitat Broward plans to continue to assist with the rebuilding efforts in Haiti through Habitat for Humanity International, while at the same time continuing to provide safe, decent, affordable housing to families right here in Broward County. With your help, we truly are making a difference!
Sincerely,
Robert W. Leider
Chairman of the Board | |
HABITAT ASSISTS WITH HAITI RELIEF EFFORTS
Through a recent donation drive the Habitat Re-Store raised more than $35,000 and was able to ship 250 pallets of much-needed supplies to Haiti, helping to assist with the recovery efforts of the earthquake-ravaged nation.
Thanks to a partnership with Suddath Relocation Systems Inc., the supplies have already been transported to Haiti and will be distributed through Food for the Poor, the largest international relief organization in the United States.
With promotional efforts by WSVN-TV Channel 7 and Mobile Mike, word of the donation drive spread quickly and thousands of individuals from across South Florida came to the Re-Store to donate materials, time and funds to support the Haiti relief effort.
"We just saw an amazing outpouring of kindness from the community," said Nancy Daly, Habitat board member and Re-Store Chair.
Daly said that during one 16-hour stretch of the donation drive, individuals who just happened to be driving by began jumping out of their cars to assist in unloading and sorting donations of food, water, medical supplies and more.
Funds raised through the drive will be given to Habitat for Humanity International, which has had a presence in Haiti for 26 years and will use its local expertise to address immediate relief efforts and find long-term shelter solutions for low-income families. | |
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During the month of March, approximately 200 college students from across the country will come to Fort Lauderdale to volunteer as part of the Habitat Broward's annual alternative spring break program, Collegiate Challenge! Participating schools include James Madison University, University of Maryland-Baltimore, University of New Hampshire, Randolph-Macon College, Ivy Tech Community College, Bucknell University and Purdue.
This year's Collegiate Challenge participants will be working on Habitat Broward's "Green Build," a community of 30 brand new homes that meet or exceed the standards for LEED Silver certification.
Stay tuned for more on this exciting month-long event! | |
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CALLING ALL GOLF FANS!
On March 9-14, the 2010 World Golf Championships-CA Championship will again host the best golfers from around the globe at TPC Blue Monster at Doral Golf Resort & Spa.
Through a unique fundraising initiative called TICKETS Fore CHARITY, supporters of Habitat Broward can experience the best of professional golf while at the same time making a difference in the community.
When you purchase a $40 Any-Day Grounds Pass using the promotional code below, 75% of proceeds will go to Habitat Broward, helping fulfill our mission of building safe, decent, affordable homes for low-income families in need!
To make sure the proceeds go to Habitat Broward, please enter the Ticketmaster code: CAEOKA when purchasing your tickets here. | |
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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As Executive Director of Habitat Broward, I recently had the pleasure of participating in the home dedication ceremony for four new homes in our first-ever Miramar build.
One of my favorite Habitat traditions, the home dedication ceremony gives our sponsors the opportunity to present the new homeowners with the ceremonial "gold" key and to see first-hand the impact their contributions have had on these deserving families. A huge thanks to all of the sponsors and volunteers who helped make the Miramar build possible, as well as everyone who attended the ceremony and helped us celebrate these families as they embark on the next step of their journey into homeownership.
But the Miramar dedication was just the start of what is shaping up to be a busy year for Habitat Broward!
During the month of March, we will once again host more than 200 college students from all over the country who will spend their Spring Breaks helping out on our Ft. Lauderdale site. We are currently putting the finishing touches on the first four homes in this 30-home "green" community, and we look forward to having these hardworking students join us as we move forward with the second phase.
Speaking of "green," we are also gearing up for the kickoff of the annual JM Family build, which this year will take place in Unincorporated Broward. The three homes in this build will be LEED-Gold certified, which means they meet the highest standard for green design and construction set by the U.S. Green Building Council.
We look forward to updating you on the progress of these and other projects in the coming months. On behalf of everyone here at Habitat Broward, thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Jason S. Crush, Esq.
Executive Director
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HABITAT BROWARD DEDICATES FOUR NEW HOMES IN MIRAMAR |
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On Saturday, January 30, 2010, Habitat Broward supporters, community leaders, homeowner families and friends celebrated the completion of construction on four brand new homes with a dedication ceremony in Miramar.
Home sponsors for Habitat Broward's first-ever Miramar build include Miramar Park of Commerce/ WSVN-TV Channel 7, Publix Super Markets Charities, Lorraine Thomas, The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation and Premier Beverage. During the ceremony, the sponsors were able to congratulate and hand over the ceremonial keys to the new homeowners: the McNeal, Merrell, Turner and Wright families.
"Many of these sponsors have been long-time supporters of Habitat Broward, and thanks to their passion, commitment and generosity we have been able to make the dream of safe, affordable homeownership a reality for four more deserving families," said Jason Crush, Executive Director of Habitat Broward.
Following the dedication ceremony, attendees were able to tour the new four-bedroom, two-bathroom, attached single-family homes, which were made possible due to generous sponsors, donated materials, volunteer labor, and the dedication and commitment of the homeowner families.
"I am so proud and blessed to have a new home to call my own," said new homeowner Arnetta McNeal, pictured above with sons Daniel and Reggie and Miramar Commissioners Barbara Sharief and Winston Barnes. "I was there every step of the way and helped with everything from the foundation to the roof of my home."
Like all Habitat homeowners, these families contributed a minimum of 500 hours of "sweat equity" working on the construction of their home and the homes of others and participated in educational programs designed to strengthen the entire family and help to ensure their success as new homeowners.
The new homeowners will continue to make monthly payments on a low-cost, no-interest mortgage, which in turn will go toward building more Habitat Broward homes.
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FEATURED SPONSOR:
Founded by brothers Bill and Joe Feinberg, Allied Kitchen & Bath recently celebrated its 25th anniversary of providing premier design and remodeling services to Broward, Dade and Palm Beach Counties! The company's growth continues with the recent construction of a two-story, 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art showroom located at 616 W. Oakland Park Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. 
Allied specializes in kitchen and bath design, installation, supervision, and other designs for new and existing homes, including family rooms, home offices, custom closets and bar units. In addition, Allied does window design and installation and features one of the largest and most extravagant selections of home hardware in the area.
The family company is well-known for its philanthropic work throughout South Florida, and Habitat Broward is proud to be one of the many organizations they support!
 In 2002, Habitat Broward named a home in Davie after Allied Kitchen & Bath in honor of their significant contributions to the Habitat Re-Store. Since then the company has continued its support by delivering weekly truckloads of donations of new and slightly used cabinets, lighting, fixtures, plumbing, flooring, hardware and more to the Re-Store, where they are sold at reduced cost to raise funds for the construction of additional homes for low-income families.
Allied Kitchen & Bath also has several upcoming volunteer days scheduled out on the construction site, where employees will get their hands dirty to help build homes for their future neighbors at the nearby Fort Lauderdale Green Build!
"It is so important for us at Allied to give back to the community," said Bill Feinberg, president and co-owner of Allied Kitchen and Bath. "When we initially partnered with Habitat, we had no idea that this would develop into a relationship that has lasted more than 7 years. We are so proud to be a part of helping to build safe, affordable housing for those in need within our community, our neighbors."
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HABITAT SPOTLIGHT: VALENTINE'S DAY EDITION
Gina & Eduardo Caballero
Gina Caballero (then Lorusso) started out as a staff member with Habitat Broward, where she worked for four years, and she has continued her involvement as a regular volunteer. She met Eduardo Caballero on the job site of the 2003 Blitz Build, and it was love at first sight!
The not-so-shy Gina needed a little help getting the attention of the quiet and reserved Eduardo, and the other regular volunteers were more than happy to help her in her pursuit. By the end of the build, the two were dating, and they were married two years later.
The couple's favorite volunteer task together is raising the trusses on the first day of a build, and to this day the 2003 Blitz Build is still their fondest Habitat memory (and not just because it's where they first met.)
"There were cranes for trussing, tons of work to get done each day, hoards of people, sometimes the same lunch for days in a row, but there was always a huge sense of accomplishment at the end of the day," Gina says.
Rob Collett and Alicia Ewen
 Rob Collett first became involved with Habitat Broward in 2000 when he organized a group from the Florida Panthers Booster Club to come out and volunteer. Over the last 10 years, he has been one of Habitat's most active volunteers and is usually the first one up on the roof on a Saturday morning.
Through his experience with Habitat, Rob has gained many skills that he has utilized in the construction of his own home, and he has learned the importance of giving back to the community for the good of others. "It is quite enjoyable and rewarding to teach both homeowners and volunteers that barely knew what a hammer was how to build a house," says Rob.
Rob met his girlfriend, Alicia "Lish" Ewen, in 2004, and a year later he convinced her to join the Habitat team as well - the two have been volunteering together ever since!
Like Rob, Lish's favorite task is roofing, but she always enjoys getting "down and dirty" on landscaping days. Lish says she appreciates the relationships she has formed with other volunteers over the past five years as well as the time she has spent getting to know the homeowners and their families.
  In addition to their work as volunteer leaders for Habitat Broward, Rob, Lish, Gina and Eduardo have all participated in several of the annual Jimmy Carter Work Projects, joining Habitat volunteers from all over the world to help build homes for low-income families. Most recently they traveled to Thailand, where they helped build 82 homes in 5 days!
Habitat Broward sincerely appreciates the hard work and dedicated leadership of these two couples -
you make a great team, both on and off the construction site! |
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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, Habitat Broward 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.
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