Community Garden
at Island Terrace
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Garden Work Party a Huge Success!
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Over the Fence, HRB enews
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The Need is Now
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Help for
Helpline House
Helpline House has put out the word that their food bank is in serious need of some items. They are especially low on food that is kid friendly such as these five items: Helpline House accepts donations between 9 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday. They are located at 282 Knechtel Way between Erickson and Madison Ave. on Bainbridge Island. Or feel free to drop off your donations at Town & Country Market Helpline bin by the front door.  |
Upcoming Events
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CLT OrientationSaturday, June 6th 10am-noon at HRBInterested in a sustainable, affordabe new green built home? Learn more about the Community Land Trust (CLT) model as an affordable means to homeownership and whether your household qualifies. To register email Joan Marsden, or call her at HRB (206)842.1909. Soup KitchenSaturday, May 23
5 to 7 pm, Downtown
Bainbridge IslandMadrona Lane
The purpose of this one-evening venture is simple: to provide a free meal, entertainment, and camaraderie to locals who have been kicked around by the recession. There will be bands on hand along with the Island's Community Singers, and kids are more than welcome to join us (look for us on Madrona Lane, across the street from the ice cream store). You can read more about the event at the Soup Kitchen blog. |
Join HRB!
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HRB Membership Makes a Difference
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Small Steps Can Change the World
Greetings!,
 Greetings neighbor! These tough economic times challenge all of us. Add to that the overwhelming needs of fellow community members in crisis and we may just want to throw up our hands in despair. The problem is so large it paralyzes us. But there's a different response, as some students at Hyla Middle School demonstrated recently. It is the response that flows from the ideals of community that we share. We may not be able to solve the world's problems BUT WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR SOME! The students at Hyla, after studying the problem of homelessness, decided they wanted to make a difference. They held a fundraiser to benefit HRB that will help keep a couple of island families from losing their homes. It is a reminder to me of how every large problem is solved. Not in one fell swoop, but with each of us helping to make a difference, one small step at a time. I owe a big thank you to those students, both for making a difference for some families in crisis and for reminding me that I cannot solve huge problems like homelessness by myself but that I can join others in taking steps. Imagine with me what would happen if we each followed the Hyla students' example!  --Carl Florea, HRB Executive Director |
Ten Things You Can Do to Help End Homelessness
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 What are the ten things we can do to help end homelessness? We have featured several of the suggestions from Hyla students throughout this edition of our e-news. We also put together a short slideshow of all 10 things you can do to help end homelessness. Take a look to see how you too can do something today to change the world. Click here for PCClick here for iMac |
Ferncliff Receives National Recognition
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 Featured on national website
The HRB Ferncliff sustainable, affordable project has already been recognized for outstanding efforts to engage the community. The website Green Communities is featuring the Ferncliff eco-charrette, developed by project architect Julie Kriegh as a resource for other green affordable developments throughout the country. Presented last summer - the eco-charrette was especially rare in that it invited public input long before the project entered the formal permitting phase, where public comment is usually taken. Still in preplanning, Ferncliff has not yet been submitted to the city for permitting. Green Communities is featuring the Ferncliff eco-charrette as a great example of stakeholder engagement, including breakout sessions that explored the issues of site systems, building exterior and materials. |
Help Build Community with HRB
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 Do you know how you can make a difference?
Do you have a particular skill or talent you would like to share?
HRB is in need of volunteers in areas such as graphic design, marketing, and an upcoming membership campaign.
Everyone has something to give and something to gain when they share in this effort to solve the housing needs in our community. Help us promote a spirit of compassion, break down barriers and celebrate the growing hope of a sustainable Bainbridge. Call us at the HRB office at (206)842.1909 to make a difference -- today.
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There's No Place Like HomeShare
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 HRB program changes lives for the better
HRB has recently launched a home sharing program that has become an instant success. Home sharing is a win-win situation. Individuals and families seeking immediate housing are matched with homeowners who have spare rooms or unused living space.
For seekers, HomeShare offers to:
· Keeps families and individuals from becoming
homeless
· Offers a low cost, sustainable living arrangement
· Inspires a spirit of community, gratitude and
reciprocity
For providers, HomeShare:
· Brings in extra income to ease the strain of living
costs
· Creates a work-trade opportunity for providers who
need help with house or yard work
· Provides the security of having someone else nearby
HomeShare benefits our community because it:
· Generates a sustainable and collaborative solution to
local housing needs, building a sense of
connectedness and community
· Takes pride in being part of the solution
· Thinks creatively about housing options
· Thinks creatively about housing options
· Builds a spirit of cooperation by being proactive
If you have a spare room and are interested in HomeShare, or if you need immediate housing, contact Joan Marsden at HRB at (206)842.1909. Joan has already made ten successful matches in the Bainbridge community. The HomeShare Program at HRB continues to grow and create a positive, proactive solution to our community's housing needs.
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Meet your Neighbor, Danielle Risdon
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 "HRB helped us find and maintain a home during the most challenging times for our family."
HRB does more than provide affordable housing for working families. HRB inspires service to our community by raising awareness. This new awareness creates opportunities for residents of Bainbridge Island to volunteer or donate what they can to families in need.
As a returning board member, Danielle Risdon is a valuable asset. Danielle can empathize with families who are struggling to make it on their own. Early in her life, Danielle became a single mother while her children were only 3, 5, 6 and 7 years old. In recent years, her background as an HRB client gives her further understanding of the island's need for affordable housing.
As her children grew into adulthood, Danielle found opportunities for home-sharing. Her fruitful and successful experiences resulted in life long bonds and friendships. She spoke of one particular home-share with an elderly man in Lake Forrest, Illinois.
"His daughters were looking for someone to live with him and provide him with company. I was looking for a place with affordable rent. We enjoyed each other's time together; cooking, talking...but we also had our own independent lives outside of our shared living space. It was ideal. "
Home-sharing fostered a spirit of cooperation and met the needs of both parties. She encourages residents to look into similar opportunities here on the island.
"This is a time to open our doors and investigate every alternative to providing affordable living for Bainbridge Island residents."
In her retirement years, Danielle's housing needs changed. Both her daughters had moved to Washington and were both expecting their first child. Danielle left her home in Chicago to move to Washington where she could be close to her two daughters and granddaughters. However, affording a home in Bainbridge on a modest Social Security check was challenging.
All this changed when a friend of her daughter's referred her to HRB.
"Because of HRB I have a beautiful home that I can be proud of. I am an integral part in the lives of my children and grandchildren. Without HRB's help, none of this would be possible," says Danielle, "As a board member I hope to bring awareness to the community that many [residents] are being quiet about their hardships and what it is like to be struggling."
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