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Habitat Headlines A Monthly E-Newsletter
February 2012
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Habitat's Impact as of February 2012
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Homes Under Construction: 36
Homes in Planning: 56
Communities Under Construction: 5
Communities in Planning: 3
Families in Homes: 323
Family Members Served: 959
Children Served: 558
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In Memorium: Annette Blank
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We mourn the passing of Annette Blank, who died on
January 21, 2012. Annette, who was profiled in our January newsletter, spent her life sharing a passion for books and
stories with countless children of all ages. For years to come, Habitat homeowners and their children will share this legacy through her donation to Habitat of the many hundreds of books she collected during her lifetime. Books are now a
part of every Habitat event and we think fondly of Annette
Blank every time a child chooses one of her books to treasure.
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Garden Preview Party
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Presented by
Sponsors
WBCM
Arris, a Design Studio, Inc.
Cotton Duck Title Company
Gorfine, Schiller & Gardyn, P.A.
Richardson LaGrant Group of Remax Advantage
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Meet Mike Posko: Habitat's New CEO | |
Mike Posko, a native Marylander, has resided for 50 years in Anne Arundel County and has spent his entire career in the greater Baltimore area, with 17 years at the federal reserve bank of Baltimore and the past 10 years in executive leadership positions serving the real estate construction industry with Struever Brothers, Eccles and Rouse, and Cross Street Partners.
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Mike Posko volunteering
in Baltimore. |
Mike has been actively involved over the last 12 years serving the nonprofit world in various board, committee and volunteer services, which led to his interest in joining our Habitat for Humanity affiliate as CEO. He officially assumes the position on a full-time basis on February 13. In the interim, he will be spending time getting to know the board and staff, building a foundation for collaborative teamwork.
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Mike Posko participating in a Habitat Global Village trip to Nepal. |
Mike has refined his leadership skills through his participation in both the GBC and Maryland Leadership classes. He brings these skills to
an organization serving several diverse constituencies. Under Mike's guidance, the board and staff will develop a shared vision for the HFHC organization by meeting with employees, board members, homeowners, faith groups, volunteers, youth service workers and business partners.
Please join us in welcoming Mike Posko to the
Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake team!
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Meet Tony Watson
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Tony Watson has joined Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake
as manager for faith and education based organizations.
A Baltimore native who traveled the world and came back home again, Tony has years of experience in educational, political, nonprofit, corporate and interfaith organizations, with continuing work as a teacher and coach. Tony's background includes a diverse set of experiences ranging from business to interfaith work. For the former, he worked in the telecommunications industry, primarily for British Telecom in helping develop markets in Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East, West Asia and Australia. His interfaith work includes research and program management with The Pluralism Project and Islam in the West programs at Harvard and ongoing course offerings at McDaniel College and Johns Hopkins University on topics related to Christianity and Islam.
He is a founding member of CHOICE Neighborhoods, a West Baltimore coalition that has worked
toward transformation of neighborhoods between Eutaw Place and Pennsylvania Avenue. These efforts
were among the most recent in his long history of working toward stabilizing communities in Baltimore.
Tony is an active member of Memorial Episcopal Church and, as a former goalie for Hopkins lacrosse,
frequently serves as a lacrosse coach at area schools.
He holds a BA and MS/ITS from Johns Hopkins University, an MDiv from Harvard University,
and recently defended his PhD in History from the University of Cambridge.
Tony lives with his wife, Anna, and two children, Alexandra and Angus, in Baltimore.
Welcome, Tony!
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Sweetheart Gift
|  This Valentine's Day, show that special someone in your life how much you care by making a gift in their honor to Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. For a suggested minimum donation of $10, you will be sent a printable Valentine's Day card (seen right) to send the recipient, notifying them of your generous gift! Click here to contribute in honor of a loved one |
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Habitat Hosts U.S. State Department and Foreign Journalists
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A team of about a dozen U.S. State Department-sponsored foreign correspondents joined Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake's AmeriCorps members on January 11 at
East Baltimore construction sites to learn how national and community volunteer service improves lives and strengthens communities in our nation. The MLK Day of Service provided an opportunity for foreign correspondents to learn more about why thousands of U.S. citizens are committed to the concept of
national and community volunteering.
We welcomed and thank the following journalists for taking an interest in our organization and mission:
Ana (Ani Sandu) Coman from Romania
Begona Cortina from Spain
Dirk Hautkapp from Germany
Gwang Jang from Korea
Beatriz Juez Moreno from Spain
Satomi Kato from Japan
Nigar (Nikki) Kazimova from Azerbaijan
Taeho Kwon from Korea
Nicolae Melinescu from Romania
Chao Sun from China
Alena Taranova from Slovak Republic
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Martin Luther Kind Jr. Day of Service
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Four AmeriCorps members assisted with the installation of a landscape trellis at the
Orleans Street garden in East Baltimore along with staff and AmeriCorps members from
Civic Works and staff from Living Classrooms and community volunteers.
  
Eight AmeriCorps members volunteered with staff and students at
Baltimore Civitas Middle & High School for a school clean-up day.
Six AmeriCorps members held a fruit drive for Paul's Place prior to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. On the holiday, this group joined other volunteers at Paul's Place, assisting clients in the completion of surveys that will help improve the services they receive.
Friends School of Baltimore, Park School, Chairman Douglas Nazarian of the Maryland Public Service Commission and other volunteers joined together on the construction site in Pigtown for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
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Argentina: Before and After
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Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake contributes $3,000 per house built by our affiliate to the
international effort to eliminate global poverty. Last year, 70% of this donation went to Argentina and
30% went to disaster relief in Haiti and Japan.
Because the majority of our tithe went towards eliminating poverty housing in Argentina, Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake hosted a Build Louder trip to the country. The purpose was to promote advocacy and help build Habitat homes. Staff, volunteers, donors, homebuyers, board members and city officials traveled on October 7 to spend 10 days with our Habitat for Humanity partners in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
It costs $30,000 to build a Habitat home in Argentina. That means for every 10 homes that Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake builds, we contribute enough money to construct one complete home in Argentina.
Below are before and after pictures of the trip to Buenos Aires as well as a fantastic advocacy video
featuring Cynthia Wiggins, a Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake homeowner.
    | | Advocacy in Action |
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ReStore
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The Pasadena ReStore will host Felicia Morgenstern of
Studio Segundo for an upcycle, reuse and repurpose design workshop called "Upcycling Salvaged Treasures."
The workshop will take place on Saturday, February 18
at 2:00 pm, during the President's Day sale.
Felicia frequents Habitat for Humanity ReStores and
architectural salvage shops on both coasts and as an artist
and interior decorator with an appreciation for detail and quality design, she is always excited to uncover treasures to repurpose.
Her artwork will be on sale as well, and 50% of the art sales will
go to Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake.
If you are interested in attending the "Upcycling Salvaged Treasures" workshop, call the Pasadena ReStore at 410-437-7755 or email Heather Cummings at hcummings@habitatchesapeake.org.
The Pasadena ReStore is located at
8101 Ft. Smallwood Road, Pasadena, MD 21226.
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Women Build |
Join Women Build 2012!
Women have the capability and determination to be part of the solution by working with Habitat for Humanity's partner families.
Women Build enables women to help eliminate poverty housing by building homes and communities. Through Women Build, thousands of women volunteers and homeowners gain the confidence and skills to lay bricks, pound nails, raise walls and create hope. Women Build supports local projects here in Baltimore and Annapolis, helping women reach the goal of homeownership.
Volunteers help on builds, trainings, fundraising, and advocacy efforts. Women Build is not about excluding men; it's about including women and serving more families. Women Build volunteers serve alongside Habitat's partner families to actively address the problem of families living in poverty.
Take action today: join us!
Sign up to be on the Women Build newsletter to learn about a February planning meeting.
Volunteering on the 2012 house is set to begin this spring.
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Anne Arundel County Land Donation
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 Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake has a solid presence in Anne Arundel County---and we're looking to grow.
However, the cost of land in the county is very expensive. Won't you please consider donating property to Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake?
You could save Habitat valuable dollars per lot and help provide housing for families in the region.
Acquiring land in Anne Arundel County is a critical priority for our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so we hope to hear from interested donors. A gift of real estate -- now or through your estate plans -- may be used to provide affordable housing to deserving families who are waiting to begin their dream of homeownership. By donating property, you can avoid capital gains tax and receive an income tax charitable deduction equal to the fair market value of the house.
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| Cars for Homes | 
Shift your giving into a different gear this year!
Donate your car, truck, RV, boat or motorcycle to our Cars for Homes program. Your generous vehicle donation helps us provide more families in the Baltimore region with safe, decent and affordable housing. Revenue from the vehicle sale goes directly back into our affiliate to help us build more homes. How to Donate A BIG thank you to this year's Cars for Homes donors! You have helped us raise $16,871.61 since January 2011. Let's keep it up in the new year! If you have questions, please email Madeline Manlove at |
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February Homeownership Orientations
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 Interested in homeownership or know someone who might qualify?
We are looking for individuals and families who are willing to partner with Habitat to make their dreams of homeownership a reality.
The first step toward becoming a Habitat homeowner is to attend an orientation session.
Tuesday, February 7 at 6 pmMcElderry Park Community Center
611 N. Montford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205
Wednesday, February 15 at 2 pm
Enoch Pratt Library - Brooklyn Branch
300 E. Patapsco Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21225
Saturday, February 25 at 10 am
Amazing Grace Lutheran Church
2424 McElderry Street, Baltimore, MD 21205
All orientations last approximately one hour. Attendees do not need to bring anything except a smile -- and perhaps an interested friend. Please share this information with someone you know!
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| Red Hats | |
Want to become a Red Hat?
Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake is currently growing our base of Red Hat volunteers. Red Hats are a team of skilled and semi-skilled volunteers with construction experience, personality and leadership skills. They are capable of leading both small and large groups of volunteer teams to construct healthy, stable and energy efficient homes for our partner families. Prior construction experience is not required. We will be delighted to train you! Red Hats are asked to commit to a regular volunteer schedule of at least two days per month. Volunteers are often assigned to specific projects so that they can enjoy continuous progress together with their team. Regular training sessions are now underway for new Red Hat volunteers. Please get involved today by contacting Eric Bernhardt at ebernhardt@habitatchesapeake.org or 410-366-1250 x118.
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Youth Service Saturday
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Youth Service Saturday is an out-of-the-box way of sparking your child's interest in philanthropy.
This fun and unique Habitat program helps youth, ages 5-15 years old, understand the meaning of philanthropy and the value of service to others through an enthusiastically-led session of games, art and entertainment.
The event takes place at the Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake office (3741 Commerce Drive, Baltimore) and is free of charge with a suggested donation of supplies. The list of needed supplies for our homebuilding projects includes new paintbrushes, paint rollers, painter's tape, permanent markers, tape measures and Home Depot or Lowe's gift cards.
Learn more about our Habitat youth programs.
Youth Service Saturday's next date: February 18, 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Please contact Bobby Kirby to sign up:
rkirby@habitatchesapeake.org or410-366-1250 x105
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Volunteer Opportunities
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Budget Builders: Family Partners
Budget Builder coaches are volunteers who work one-on-one with future homeowners to reinforce and support new Habitat families as they set their financial goals, learn wise budgeting habits and practice goal-oriented spending habits. Budget Builders is a three- to four-hour commitment per month for participating volunteers. The program lasts approximately four months and hours are flexible.
If you are interested in empowering families and building a relationship with a future Habitat homeowner, please contact Deborah Conklin at dconklin@habitatchesapeake.org or 410-366-1250 x150.
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Administrative Office Volunteer
Are you interested in volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, but the construction site isn't for you? Are you detail-oriented and enjoy seeing tangible results from your work? Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake is looking for dedicated volunteers to work alongside our staff to manage daily tasks in our office. This position will include performing administrative duties, such as mailings, answering phone calls and greeting visitors. To inquire about this volunteer position, please contact Renee Ferguson at rferguson@habitatchesapeake.org or
410-366-1250 x131.
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Thank you for your continued support of Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake!
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