News In Brief
Join us for Breakfast this Thursday!
Waquoit Congregational Church 15 Parson's Lane, East Falmouth
Thursday, March 7th at 8:00am
Don't miss it!
Interested in Disaster Relief?
Contact Dawn Walnut or
Fred Yarger if you want to receive updated information about the trip to the NJ area in early May.
 Calling All Bike Riders Join Team Habitat in The Last Gasp on September 15th to raise funds to help sponsor this year's Women Build house in Orleans. Men as well as women are definitely welcome on the team, of course! The day consists of a 62-mile bike ride, a Cape Cod Bay cruise following the ride, and an authentic Cape Cod clambake to end the day. We are allied with Cape Cod Young Professionals in this ride. CCYP is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Cape Cod a better place to work and live; their mission is to advance, engage and advocate for the emerging workforce on Cape Cod. We are very excited about our partnership with CCYP!  Contact Dawn Walnut ( dawn@habitatcapecod.org or 508-362-3559 ex. 16) with your name and contact information to let us know you are interested in participating in The Last Gasp. Information on how to register for the ride can be found here.
Thanks to Bob Collins!
Bob Collins is a regular volunteer at our Eastham and Truro build sites. He is also an avid tool collector. Recently, he loaned Habitat his wall board lift, arriving a few days early (before a snow storm) to set it up for us in Truro. He then worked several days with volunteer crews to install the blueboard, before disassembled his lift to take it back home. We know the crews appreciated not having to lift that blueboard up themselves, and Bob was a terrific crew leader. We are so lucky to have volunteers like Bob!
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Bob Collins operating his wall board lift with a crew from the Truro Police Force.
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Construction Update
Eastham The homes have been dedicated and we are completing punch list items for house number one, with a bit more interior work to finish on house number two. You can view pictures from the Dedication Ceremony here.
Mashpee
Kitchen cabinets have been installed, appliances still need to be installed, and we are doing finish work in preparation for a Dedication Ceremony on April 4th.
Truro
Blueboard installation is complete, and we are now awaiting the plastering stage. The home will re-open to volunteers later this month.
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Thanks to a hard-working crew from the Chatham Coast Guard, for helping with our Truro build.
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Falmouth, Centerville, Mashpee, OrleansSite clearing has begun in Orleans, and all of these sites are in various stages of infrastructure work and permitting. Once permits are in place, we will announce dates for Community Kick-Offs, and schedule our first Wall Raisings of 2013!
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Save the Date
Thursday, March 7th Church BreakfastWaquoit Congregational Church 15 Parsons Lane, East Falmouth8:00am Thursday, March 21st Church BreakfastFederated Church of Orleans 162 Main St, East Orleans8:00am Saturday, March 23rd Church BreakfastFederated Church of Hyannis 320 Main St, Hyannis8:00am Thursday, April 4th Mashpee Dedication Ceremony24 Russell Road, Mashpee 5:30pm 
Donate a car to Cars for Homes™ - Habitat's official car donation program now by calling (877) 277-HFHI (4344) toll free or donate vehicles online. Donate from Cape Cod or specify Cape Cod and funds go to our affiliate.
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Greetings!
We are so pleased to welcome Wendy Cullinan to the Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod staff. Wendy has come on to replace Sarah Tribuzio as Director of Resource Development.
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Introducing Wendy Cullinan, Habitat's New Director of Resource Development
 Wendy Cullinan brings 20 years of experience to her position with us, specializing in event planning, staff management, media relations, and fundraising program implementation. She has joined us at a very busy time here at Habitat - with ten builds gearing up - but she has jumped right in with enthusiasm! Formerly with Development Solutions of New England, Wendy has worked closely with several of Cape Cod's non-profits as a fundraising consultant since 2005. "I've always admired Habitat for Humanity but until now never realized the true scope of work being done by the Cape affiliate. Wrapping up work on the 5 homes built in 2012, there is already land secured for 10 homes to be built it 2013...truly amazing. I'm excited and honored to be joining this great team." says Wendy. A 30 year Cape Cod resident, Wendy lives in Sandwich with her 3 children. She is active in local theatre, performing with the "Books Alive Players," a reader's theatre group.
We are very happy to have Wendy join our Habitat family. If you would like to say hello to her, she can be reached at wendy@habitatcapecod.org.
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Women Build Coming to Orleans
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2006 Women Build in Chatham
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Habitat's Board of Directors has approved designating one of the five homes we will be building later this year in Orleans as a Women Build home. Women Build is a initiative of Habitat for Humanity International, designed to invite more women to build with us. HfHI describes the Women Build program in this way: The Women Build department of Habitat for Humanity International has one mission: empower women to take action against poverty housing conditions. The more people we can train to become effective volunteers, the better equipped we will be to fight poverty housing. Women Build brings together women from all walks of life to address in a concrete way the housing crisis facing millions of women and children across the globe. Women Build is not about excluding men. It is about including women and opening new doors of opportunity. Men are often involved in our training programs and build projects in supportive roles and as subcontractors when women from the necessary trades are not available.
A Women Build Steering Committee has been meeting since last summer, making plans, preparing training materials, and getting ready to make the build a success in every way. Kudos to the Steering Committee members for their efforts: Joanne Broderick, Margie Cummings, Sue Ernst, Marilyn George, Kathy Herrick, Carolyn Kennedy, Susan Lauber, and Ellie Martin.
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Unveiling the Faith Relations Committee!
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Faith Relations Committee Serving Breakfast
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Recently, our Church Relations Committee changed its name - it is now officially the Faith Relations Committee. This name change came about as a direct result of feedback we received from groups who wished to become more involved in our work, but felt that the name Church Relations Committee did not include them or reflect their beliefs. And although Habitat is a non-denominational Christian housing ministry, from our founding we have welcomed people of all faiths - or no faith - to partner with us as volunteers, donors, supporters, and leaders. We think this new name reflects our inclusive nature while honoring our foundational principles and traditions.
The Faith Community is important to Habitat's work. We rely on mission-driven groups to support us in so many ways, and we consider them true partners in helping us build homes, hope, lives, and community on Cape Cod. With this name change, we hope to create more interfaith opportunities at Habitat. Already, we are pleased to welcome the support of the Falmouth Jewish Congregation, who have stepped forward to support our Falmouth build and have also invited us to participate in their yearly Day of Service - Mitzvah Day. Here's to many more such partnerships!
For an interesting article on an Interfaith Habitat Build in East Baltimore, click here.
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Volunteer Spotlight
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Carolyn Kennedy as a Team Leader for Women Build in Brewster
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Carolyn Kennedy decided to try her hand at learning to shingle when members of a local church held a Shinglethon at Habitat's Danver's Way build in Hyannis. After all, she had a whole house covered in shingles that needed work, so why not spend a half day learning how to do the work herself? She says once she met Pat Taylor, Habitat's then-Director of Construction, she was hooked! She has now worked on nine Habitat homes.
She continued to volunteer with Habitat because of the "wonderful fellow volunteers and the homeowners who are both incredulous and grateful they have been chosen for home ownership." This is a story we hear again and again at Habitat - our volunteers enjoy the camaraderie and community they find at our build sites, along with the tangible feeling that they are making a difference in someone's life.
For Carolyn, it became especially meaningful to work with Habitat on Women Build projects. She first got involved with Women Build in Chatham in 2006, where there were skills training sessions prior to the build. A blitz week on the Chatham house "really united a great group of women." Soon she was invited to take crew leader training, and used her new skills to become a team leader on the Brewster Women Build house in 2008. Carolyn feels Women Build is an important program. "Many women find it intimidating to walk onto a Habitat site where it 'looks' like everyone knows what to do and how to do it. So teaching and doing, splitting tasks into smaller pieces, and feeling a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day are all important parts of the formula for a feeling of success. Women find themselves doing things they never imagined possible!"
One of the things Carolyn never imagined for herself was shingling the top of a house to its peak. "I have never liked to be at heights above the ground. But slowly I have learned to build sturdy and safe staging. It is a great feeling to put those last shingles into place! And now I have taught others how to do it as well."
If you are interested in getting involved as a volunteer at a Habitat construction site, Carolyn suggests you "come in comfortable clothes ready to get your hands dirty, ask questions, jump in, and learn new skills you can use in your own home. The folks that are in charge at each site are welcoming and very willing to teach any skill needed that day. Enjoy the opportunity to meet new people and soak up a bit of the energy and commitment they bring to the process."
We hope you will follow Carolyn's advice - you, too, may find yourself doing things you never imagined possible! To volunteer with Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod, contact Dawn Walnut at dawn@habitatcapecod.org or 508-362-3559 ex. 16. |
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What's YOUR Habitat Story?
Have a funny, poignant, or interesting story about your experiences with Habitat? We want to hear about it - call or email Dawn Walnut dawn@habitatcapecod.org or 508-362-3559 ex. 16.
Your stories are important to us. | |
Thanks to the US Coast Guard for a great team day in Truro
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