Habitat for Humanity volunteers are busy planning the next season of building affordable housing in Chaffee County. The building permits are in-hand for the duplex to be built next to last year's duplex on Crestone Avenue. This will be the 14th & 15th homes Chaffee County volunteers construct alongside local families.

 

Volunteers are still needed to coordinate meals, snacks, build days, volunteering and special events for this summer. If one of these tasks sounds fun or you have another idea, please call us to talk about pitching in.

 

Thank you to everyone who has already made a commitment.

New intern starts at Habitat office  

 

Rita Kiefer helps Habitat as a graphic designer, designing brochures, posters and business cards. 

 

"It's a nice way of giving something back. I can't build houses, but I'm good in building things on paper, so that is what I do to help," Rita said.

 

Her latest project was to design the ReStore brochure.

 

Besides working at Habitat, she also does graphic design work for other organizations, like the Buenea Vista Pregnancy Center, Human Society and her church. 

 

"I have to try to keep the balance between volunteering and projects for which I actually get paid. But I try to help whenever they need something," Rita said laughingly.

 

Kathy Roman

 

Kathy Roman helped out last summer at the Crestone site, supervising the "crowning" of boards to be used in framing.

 

"What I think I do best, is the cutting. I like to work with machines," Kathy said. "Besides that I like cutting, it is a nice way to give back to the community and also a way to fulfill my Christian commitment. I also have to mention, that I enjoy it!"

 

Kathy also volunteers with another Habitat group, which travels to New Mexico. She also sings with the Collegiate Peaks Chorale.

 

Kathy said that next month she will be traveling to New Mexico to work with Habitat, and plans to help out on the second duplex in Salida this summer. She is also working on her own home. 

 

Betsy Neas

 

Betsy Neas helps out Habitat working as a family coach, and working with volunteer support.

 

"Besides wanting people to have a home, it makes me feel absolutely wonderful," Betsy said.

 

Besides working with Habitat, Betsy also helps out out her church, Arkansas Christian Mission, and sings in the choir. She said being a family coach takes up a lot of her time, so that is all she's working on now.

 

"Being a family coach means working one-on-one with a selected family as they become a homeowner," Kim Brenner said. "Each coach works with families for a year after the family buys their home. Betsy is coaching Esther who just purchased her home in Johnson Village."

 

Rebecca Hauser

 

Rebecca Hauser helped out as an intern last summer for Habitat, working as a Construction Site Supervisor at the Crestone site. She said she volunteers because, "I love it, it's fun and makes you feel warm. I know it sounds corny but it's true and I love Colorado!"

 

She said she has also starting out at the Rotaract Club, and plans to help out with with the on the build site this summer, and will assist with subcontractors. 

 

Mark Kauffman

 

Mark Kauffman volunteers with habitat by taking pictures of projects and events.

 

"I think it's important and this is a good organization to give your time to," Mark said.

 

Mark said he is retiring from the school where he teaches, but will be helping supervising students at the job site this summer, helping the building project.

Ester Valladares is the newest homebuyer of a Habitat for Humanity home in Chaffee County. On February 27 Ester signed mortgage papers and began moving into her new home in Johnson Village.

Ester loves her new home and will share more with you in next month's newsletter. 

 

Thank you to each of you who helped build this house in 2012.

 

 

The Chaffee County Habitat for Humanity ReStore will now be accepting even more items. In the past, there were some items they had to turn away, because of overstock, or it was an item they just did not handle.

 

Now, they have made an agreement with arc Thrift Stores, who will provide a trailer that can be used to hold items the ReStore would not normally accept, and then ship those items to Denver to be re-sold up there at one of their arc Thrift Store branches.

 

There are still some items that the ReStore cannot accept:

 

• Mattresses
• Box Springs
• Wet or Dirty Clothing
• Hazardous Waste
• Televisions
• Computer Monitors
• Trash
• Broken Furniture
• Tires

This newsletter is dedicated to every volunteer, donor, and ReStore shopper. You are the reason families in this community realize transformed lives and homeownership. Thank you for believing in the mission that brings us together: Seeking to put God's love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.

Please keep us in your prayers as the community comes together to accomplish this transformational work.