Discover Habitat - October 2009 Edition

October 2009

Vol 2, Issue 7

Let's Get Together for Habitat for Humanity!
The World's Biggest House Party is a Habitat for Humanity fundraising and friend-raising event for 5 affiliates in Southeastern Michigan. House party guests will learn about Habitat's mission and make donations to support Habitat house projects for local families in need. We are hosting two public parties in Washtenaw County.

Join us on Friday, October 2 from 7-10pm at the Arbor Brewing Company Tap Room, located at 114 E. Washington Street in Ann Arbor. Mingle and be merry as you celebrate the work of Habitat! This event is free and open to ALL! Cash bar. Chips and salsa provided.

Join us on Sunday, October 25 from 7-9pm as we take over Go Comedy!, located at 261 E. 9 Mile in downtown Ferndale one block east of Woodward, for a night of giggles and laughs! Tickets are just $10 and can be reserved online at www.gocomedy.net, by email at reservations@gocomedy.net or purchased at our office or the ReStore located at 170 Aprill Drive in Ann Arbor. Purchase a ticket and be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift card to the ReStore!

Through these events, we're raising funds, friends and awareness for our local Habitat!
We hope to see you there!

World Habitat Day- October 5th

The first Monday of every October is designated as World Habitat Day - a day to call worldwide attention to the dire need for affordable housing for all.

Raising awareness and advocating for change are the first steps toward transforming systems that perpetuate the global plague of poverty housing. World Habitat Day serves as an important reminder that everyone must unite to ensure that everyone has a safe, decent place to call home.

Please join with us in October as we call attention to this need and educate those around us about the severe housing problem and the work that Habitat for Humanity is doing to address this problem. You can participate by educating those around you, signing up to volunteer with Habitat, familiarizing yourself with this national plight, making a financial donation at www.h4h.org or by simply taking a moment to appreciate what you have and recognize those around you who are without.

Thank You!

A Special Open House

Habitat celebrated with approximately 100 people at a special open house on Thursday, September 10. We mixed and mingled at the Good News House project at 1226 S. Congress Street in Ypsilanti with Habitat volunteers, board members, supporters, staff, homeowners, neighbors, friends and family. Habitat's Executive Director, Sarah Stanton, spoke about our success in renovating homes and our future goals to rebuild neighborhoods, one renovation project at a time. We also recognized Jim and Gwynn Sterken, our Volunteers of the Year, for their dedicated service and continued support of Habitat's mission.

Jim and Gwynn Sterken

To talk with a Habitat representative and hear more about our strategic plans to renovate foreclosed homes in our community, please contact Theresa Finney Dumais or Sarah Stanton at the Habitat office. We are thrilled about our plans for the future and love to talk with our community about Habitat's position to create positive change in our neighborhoods.

Habitat gets a SAM

Corrigan Moving Systems has been partnering with Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley for over a year now by helping our new homeowner families move into their homes - for free! They have now taken our partnership to a new level by donating two SAM containers for our use. SAM (store and move) units are portable storage containers that are approximately 16' long, 8' wide and 8' high and can hold the contents of a typical 1,500-square-foot home! We are using our SAM units to store building materials both at our home office and at one of our homes being rehabbed. The units' smooth fiberglass-reinforced walls, unique tie-down rings, waterproof design and heavy-duty security latch provide a safe, waterproof place for us to store items.

Photo of SAM Storage Unit