From the Executive Director
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 Dear Friends of
Habitat, I enjoy promoting Habitat in the
community and almost always get a positive response when someone sees the
Habitat logo on my shirt or hat. One only has to think of the Nike "swoosh" or
the McDonald's "M" to realize how effective a logo can be as an advertising and
brand awareness tool. This Easter season, I am reminded that two thousand years
ago the cross was a "logo" of sorts - a symbol of the most gruesome form of
Roman execution. When people looked at it, they thought of horror, agony, and
death. Today, the cross is still a "logo" of sorts - a symbol of Christianity. When people look at it, they are reminded of a suffering Savior who came to bring
love, hope, and life. The founder of Habitat, Millard Fuller, was a deeply
committed Christian who looked at the ministry of Habitat as an expression of
his faith; the symbol of the cross was important to him. This Christian
distinctive, however, need not be exclusive. We welcome people of other faiths
and of no faith to partner with us in the mission of ending poverty housing.
Together, we can do great things. Jim |
Notre Dame students mark completion of home
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 Join us on Sunday, April 18, at 3 p.m., for a blessing of the 2009-2010 Notre Dame Student Build house. The blessing will take place at the home, located at 1431 Campeau Street in South Bend. All volunteers, sponsors, students, faculty, family members, friends and neighbors are welcome! Please come celebrate with us as we welcome partner family Melissa Jones and her sons to their new home.
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Habitat's response to Chile earthquake moves ahead
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 The first phase of Habitat for Humanity's long-term response to last month's devastating earthquake in Chile is getting under way. Volunteers have begun to clear debris to prepare for the construction of the first 36 permanent homes. The earthquake left more than 1,000 people dead. Over 1.5 million homes were damaged with another 500,000 houses suffering serious structural damage. Shortly after the quake, HFH Chile sent assessment teams to evaluate damage in the most affected regions of Santiago, Talca, Puerto Saavedra, Los Angeles, Temuco, Curepto and Gualleco. The first construction is expected to take place in Curepto, where an estimated 70 percent of the houses are uninhabitable, leaving countless families homeless. Read more.
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It's not too late - join the Homeward Bound Walk!
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 Homeward Bound Walk is...
- A 5K fundraising walk-a-thon sponsored by St. Joseph County area homeless and affordable housing service providers in partnership with the Indiana Association for Community Economic Development (IACED). The event will take place Sunday, April 25, 2010, with registration beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the College Football Hall of Fame.
- A local event (that is also being held statewide in 11 locations) that will raise more than $40,000 for area homeless and affordable housing programs.
- Individuals and teams coming together from dozens of companies and community organizations to show their commitment to making a difference in the lives of men, women and children who are homeless or may become homeless.
- An opportunity for our affiliate to grow the amount of donations (last year almost $1,000) and raise the public awareness of the number of families that are being served through the work being done here in our community.
How you can help:
- Put together a team of walkers
- Walk yourself
- Make a monetary donation
- Become a corporate sponsor
- Provide in-kind support (promotional giveaways or refreshments)
Donations can be earmarked for Habitat for Humanity of St. Joseph County or even for a particular build of the current build season.
Contact Elena Flynn at the Habitat office (288-6967) or via email to receive more information. You can also visit the Homeward Bound website to register to walk.
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Support Habitat through Sprite tabs program
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 During the months of April and May, purchase any Sprite canned beverage with a green tab and support your local Habitat at the same time! Look for specially marked Sprite cans in your local grocery or convenience store, bring your green tabs to either the Mishawaka or South Bend ReStore, and Sprite will in turn donate 10 cents per tab - up to $500,000 - to Habitat for Humanity. Tabs must be received by May 30, 2010. For more information and other ways to support Habitat through Sprite, visit www.SpriteTabsforHabitat.com.
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NAP: Deadline for donations is June 1
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As we wrote several weeks ago, the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) is
a state donation program that offers tax credits to donors at 50% of their
contribution amount.
For example, if John Smith donates $2,000 to our affiliate,
he has $1,000 (50%) subtracted from his state income tax liability. Everyone wins in this situation as there are
benefits to both the affiliate and the donor!
We still have some tax credits available through June 1, 2010, and if you haven't
received a NAP credit NC-10 form to fill out (required to be sent with your
donation), or if you would like more information, please contact Elena at the affiliate
office.
Please consider being
a winner and making us one, too, by donating through this great program!
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ReStore Sale--50% off 2nd can of paint
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 Get 50% off a gallon of paint when you purchase one at regular price this month at both the South Bend and Mishawaka ReStores! Plus, join us for our Earth Day celebration on April 22 and 23. Use of our paper shredder is free, and all shreds will then be donated to a local animal shelter! For information on either the South Bend or Mishawaka stores, click here. |
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Thank you for all you do to support our mission and eliminate poverty housing in St. Joseph County!
Sincerely,
Habitat for Humanity of St. Joseph County |
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| Partner Family Spotlight:
Elwathig & Zineb Abdelaziz
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The proud homeowners of the ReStore build on Division Street in Mishawaka will be Elwathig Abdelaziz and Zineb Albolk and their children. This home is the first to be fully sponsored by the South Bend and Mishawaka ReStores. To find out more about the Abdelaziz family and their build, click here! |
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