Reflection 

At the end of the year, I like to take stock in how our organization has performed for the past twelve months.  Some years are better than others and I have to say, even in a weak economy, this has been a good year for Montgomery County families we serve. 

 

This year we have so many things to celebrate! 

These are all tremendous accomplishments and we are very pleased to have made a difference, but there is little time to reflect with so much more to do.  With the economy worsening and families being stretched to the limit, next year could be our most challenging yet. My faith helps me know that with the hope and belief I see in our volunteers, families, board, and staff, we will continue to make an even greater impact thoughout the county.  In this issue, we will reflect on some of those past accomplishments and the people and organizations who made them possible. 

 

Wishing you a very joyous holiday and a hopeful new year,

 
Brenda Egolf-Fox

Executive Director

 

Saturday, December 13, was truly a holiday miracle!  Habitat handed over keys to two new families in Upper Dublin.  Although the day was bitterly cold, more than 100 people came to welcome Kelly and Kim into the community. 

 

Kim's mother had the crowd in tears of joy reading the prayer of dedication toward the end of the ceremony, but happy emotions could be felt all around as both families walked through the door to their new lives for the very first time. 

 

The day was made possible through a very generous grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans - Thrivent Builds with Habitat program and the Montgomery County Lutheran Churches.  Additional sponsors like Barton Partners were on hand to see the completion of the wonderful architectural design they contributed to the project.  Thanks to help from Montgomery County, Mulhern and Kulp (engineers on the project), Liberty Property Trust, Griffith Exteriors, Radcom Technologies, Daniel Costello Tiles and Floor, Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceuticals, Lowe's of Plymouth Meeting, ModSpace Job Trailers, KPI Cabinets, Whirlpool Appliances, Square D Electrical Supplies, Renaissance Tile, Valspar Paints and Liberty Roofing and Supply, Habitat was able to finish this project in just a few short months!

 

The day of the dedication, the families received some wonderful gifts including quilts from the Lutheran Churches, bins of home supplies from the Grace Lutheran Church - Royersford Youth Group, photograhpy by Megan Onuskanych, Art from the Heart by Bernadette Sylvester, Gift Cards from an anonymous donor and home goods from Innoviant Pharmacy. 

 

Habitat would like to thank everyone who helped on this project, but extend special gratitude to 368 volunteers contributing more than 5000 hours. Without them, Kelly and Kim would not have a place to call home. 

 

   

 

 

 

Every year, the members of the Delaware Valley International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) build with Habitat as a way to give something back to the community.  Bob Hoernlein, the organizer, helps coordinate not only the volunteers but a generous gift from participating sponsors as well. 

 

On Friday, December 5, 12 members came out to Linden to help finish the twins for the dedication.  Before beginning their assignments, the volunteers gathered at a nearby Habitat house.  There they were greeted by the recipient-owner of a Habitat house and learned how this program is dependent on volunteers to meet the goals of building more homes in Montgomery County! They see firsthand how much can be accomplished when a group such as ISPE spends a day or two a year volunteering their time and resources.
 
Volunteers worked to ready the twins for dedication removing all construction debris from the yards of the 3 bedroom duplex units. Eight members of the crew moved indoors to complete trim painting, millwork and kitchen installations. Since two homes were simultaneously being finished, the ISPE volunteers had double the work to attend to. Further down the street, members spent a chilly afternoon attaching vinyl siding to the outside walls of the Episcopal Unity Build (EUB) home. Though the day was chilly, each volunteer surely went home warm with the knowledge of their contribution.

 

Habitat would like to thank the following volunteers and sponsoring companies: 
 
John Fay of Environmental Tectonics, John Fay Jr. of Merck & Co., David Frenze of Trident Engineering Inc., Hardeep Gahunia of SNC Lavalin, Bob & Eileen Hoernlein of AES Clean Technology Inc., Kevin & Connie Martin of CQV, Allen & Andrew Mudalel of Tech Source, C.J. Thouret of AMEC E&C Services, Inc., Jeremy White of Mainstay Engineering Group, Inc.
            
Habitat would also like to thank the following comapines for their generous contributions toward our Montgomery County projects - CQV, IPS, Mainstay Engineering, and Tech Source.