| Join Our List
|
|
|
|
Welcome
to the June edition of the Habitat Update!
The big news this month, of course, is that we've moved! Please update your records: Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County
31 Oak Avenue, Suite 100 ● Chalfont, PA 18914 ● (phone) 215.822.2812 ● (fax) 215.822.6086. As always, our web address is www.habitatbucks.org. Our new facility provides updated office space, much-needed warehouse space and the room to open our very own ReStore operation: http://habitatbucks.org/restore.asp. Based on our successful ReSale events, the ReStore will be open to the public and sell donated, new and gently used construction materials and home furnishings; we expect the ReStore to open in August, though we are accepting donations now. Also in this month's news, you'll find a welcome to our new partner families (Welcoming), all the details on our July 20 event at Holly Hill Boutique (Join Us), a Women Build recap and a call for help regarding an unfortunate theft at Emerald Hollow (On Site).
Thanks for being a part of Habitat for Humanity's vision -- enjoy this month's news!
Take care,
Mikaela, Marketing & Public Relations Director
215.822.2812 x306 | m.martin@habitatbucks.org
AS OF JUNE...- Number of hours logged at Emerald Hollow to date: 100,346
- Number of volunteers at Emerald Hollow to date: 10,654
- Groups on site: Women Build, Lowe's, First Savings Bank of
Perkasie, Goldman Sachs, Bensalem United Methodist Church, Wells Fargo Home Mortgagek
- Groups Providing Lunch: Boy Scout Troop 230, Deep Run
Presbyterian Church, Merck Retirees, Sondra Weidman, Mary Meister, Applebee's
of Quakertown, Blooming Glen Mennonite Church, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
|
| WELCOMING... |
|
Jeannie
Horst went to settlement on her home June 20th and is moving into
Cluster 10. Congratulations, Jeannie, on all of your hard work that has lead to
this tremendous accomplishment. Welcome to homeownership in Emerald Hollow.
The
Family
Selection Committee and Family Program Department welcome two
newly accepted families into the homeownership program. Mohammed Sackor and
Fatmata Diarraso, and their children, Moussa, Youssouf and Hamed live in Telford. Edgar Burgos and Julia
Heredia, and their daughter, Laura live in Quakertown.
|
| GIVING THANKS.. |
|
|
We love our Women Build sponsors -- thank you to our $55,000 Legacy Builder, Lowe's; $10,000 Leadership Builder, The Patricia Kind Foundation; and $5,000 Independence Builders, First Savings Bank of Perkasie and Jones Apparel.
As Women Build Independence Builders, First Savings of Perkasie heeded the call and came out to build with our Women Build volunteers. Despite temperatures that reached over 100 degrees, the women from First Savings were there in full force. Frederick Shea, president of First Savings, came on site to help present a check and provide much needed relief to his employees with a delivery of water ice!
Thank you to Shawn Velez, State Farm Agent in Doylestown (www.shawnvelez.com) for donating a wonderful raffle prize of a fall foliage weekend getaway to Hollister Hill Farm Bed and Breakfast in Marshfield, VT. Our winner for this four day, three night
weekend, $100 gas card and a half-gallon of the farm's very own maple syrup is Suzanne
Meyers of New Hope, PA.
It was like
Christmas in summertime for our construction staff, thanks to
Marty Leicht who selected Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County for his Eagle
Scout project. Marty coordinated a two day tool drive at local Lowe's
stores, asking customers to make a donation of materials for our construction
site. Marty collected close to $1,000 in
tools and supplies! Volunteers and construction staff were very
excited to see all that was donated and had a ball checking out all the new toys. What a great project, Marty -- thank you!
We
thank the efforts of Bridge Valley students and staff who recently donated a collection
of nearly 316,000 Habitabs, totalling 240 pounds. We appreciate all the work and coordination that went into that
effort. It is amazing what our youth can
do!
|
| IN PARTNERSHIP... |
|
Despite
our experience with helping Bucks County families move into a home of their
own, with our own move, we still had to put a few things on the back
burner. Hopefully, many of you noticed that
you had not yet received our annual Spring Appeal letter. Due to much of the uncertainty connected with
the move to the new office, this appeal 'sprang' into summer, but it's finally gone out! Many opportunities are
presenting themselves for our affiliate to make a significant difference in the
lives of many of our neighbors, but we can't do it without the help of our partners -- that means you! If you haven't mailed in your donation yet, please consider doing so today, or visit http://habitatbucks.org/donate.asp to make your donation online. Thank you for supporting the Habitat for
Humanity of Bucks County mission!
Habitat
for Humanity of Bucks County has been awarded a $50,000 grant from Lowe's as part of the home improvement company's
ongoing national partnership with Habitat for Humanity and the Women Build program. The grant supports the
construction of a Women Build project in the Emerald Hollow community in Milford Township and Trumbauersville. In addition, employees from Lowe's Quakertown
spent a day on site working side-by-side with our Women Builders and Habitat
partner families on Friday, June 13. Lowe's and their employees truly know the
meaning of partnership!
Instead of tossing your used cell phone or printer cartridges,
bring them to us. We are partnering with the FundingFactory Recycling Program
to generate income for the Family Program Department. According to
FundingFactory, an estimated 350 million inkjet and laser cartridges and used
cell phones will be thrown away this year alone.
Help decrease this number and support Habitat while you're at it! > Contact Nancy at 215.822.2812 x304 or n.oconnor@habitatbucks.org for more information!
|
| ON SITE... |
|
Cluster
10 is now complete
and we will be submitting for the UGI energy grant shortly. Cluster 9 is moving ahead with roofing
being completed and rough-ins complete. Cluster 13 foundations are under
way.
Also, we are very disappointed to report
that there was a break-in and theft at two homes under
construction in
Emerald Hollow. Copper line sets for the mechanical systems, worth about $400,
were removed. In addition to the materials cost loss, Habitat for Humanity will
have to pay professional subcontractor labor charges associated with re-installing the lines, of around $500. Most
upsetting however, is the delay this theft puts on our homebuilding schedule, as
two families are awaiting settlement on their homes at the end of this month. This ordeal could jeapordize their settlement dates, causing hardships. If anyone has any information regarding this please contact Dublin's State Police Department at
215.249.9191.
> From Construction News Wells
Fargo sponsored a day with the Bucks County Association of Realtors (BCAR) on
June 26 as they worked to complete their home for Mary Beth and
Corey Fisher. They had a busy and productive day! We appreciate the tremendous support of
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and all they have done to make homeownership a
reality for this family. BCAR
and their alliance partner, Wells Fargo, have committed to raising $100,000 and contribute sweat equity alongside the family to bring this dream of
homeownership to reality through the Neighbor to Neighbor program.
On
June 19, employees from day sponsor Goldman Sachs joined the Habitat crew on
the Emerald Hollow construction site to work on the foundations of four homes.
Day
sponsor Merck/Schering Plough spent May 29th working with Habitat on
framing and painting at Emerald Hollow.
Thank you for your support!
Women Build-a-thon wraps up a week of building and empowerment. We had an incredible week with a record-breaking heat wave, yet our volunteers and Crew Leaders did not wilt!  Habitat for Humanity's Women Build program, nationally underwritten by Lowe's, brings women from all walks of life together to learn construction skills and then use those skills to be part of the solution to poverty housing. Women Build-a-thon Week (June 7 - 14) was dedicated solely to women on the Habitat for Humanity construction site. Volunteers worked on six townhomes, and each volunteer earned her spot on the build-a-thon crew by gathering sponsor pledges. This year, Women Build-a-thon participants contributed nearly 900 volunteer hours and raised over $8,000 for the project! Joining the Women Builders were daily motivational speakers Tammy Schoonover of the Bucks County Opportunity Council, County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, Ifeoma Aduba of A Woman's Place, Jeanne Mantell of Bucks County Women's Fund, State Representative Marguerite Quinn, and Reverend Amelie Sell of Pleasantville United Church of Christ. Breakfasts and lunches were provided by Steering Committee member Mary Meister, Deep Run Presbyterian Church, Merck Retirees, Sondra Weidman, Boy Scout Troop 230 and Applebee's of Quakertown. > To learn more, visit the Women Build page habitatbucks.org/womenbuild.asp, or contact Laura at l.mcclellan@habitatbucks.org; 215.822.2812 x302.
|
| JOIN US... |
|
Join Habitat for Humanity at the Holly Hill Boutique (www.hollyhillboutique.com) for a block
party in support of the Women Build program!
The event will be held on Sunday, July 20 from 12noon-4pm
at the Holly Hill Boutique at 302 West Butler Avenue (Route 202) in New Britain, and will feature food, fun, giveaways and great deals! Be sure to come out for mingling with special guests Miss Southeastern
Pennsylvania and Miss Keystone State, and shop for a cause.
Save this date: Thursday,
September 18, 6pm - 8:30 pm. Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County will be hosting an
event at the Chaddsford Winery Tasting Room in Peddler's Village to benefit Women Build
2008. It's sure to be a night of fun, great
women and fabulous prizes! Tickets to go
on sale next month; stay tuned to our website for all the details.
|
| MAKING NOTE... |
|
Volunteers
are needed to assist with the Habitat for Humanity ReStore once it opens in
late-July.  Volunteer tasks will include
unloading deliveries, cleaning and testing donations, stocking merchandise and
assisting customers. Volunteers must be
at least 16 years old. > Please contact
Laura at l.mcclellan@habitatbucks.org
or 215.822.2812 x302 if you are interested in volunteering.
As
mentioned in previous newsletters, Habitat for Humanity will next be
working on new home designs for the Bristol-area with a focus on
sustainable/green building.
We are submitting applications to the Bristol Township zoning
hearing board soon, and should have final decisions by August. Also, we have put in a bid on a 1920 circa building in Perkasie to
convert into two-bedroom condos. We have submitted a bid on the property and are
currently working with Gilmore & Associates, Inc., compiling environmental
information to complete the sale of the property. > As always, we're looking for land or
properties in the county for our next homebuilding initiatives. If you have
information about possible projects, please contact Mike Fallon at the
Habitat office; 215.822.2812 x312 or m.fallon@habitatbucks.org.
It
is that time of year! What better way to
give thanks to your moms and teachers than with a gift that gives back? When you purchase Pins by Lucinda through us, we receive a portion of the sale. And remember, you can always make a donation in your favorite teacher's honor. For your contribution, we'll send a personalized note for you
to sign, a "golden hammer" pin and Habitat for Humanity of Bucks
County window sticker to share. Show the specail people in your life how much you care with these unique and meaningful gifts. > Contact Beth Adams at 215.3822.2812 x305 or b.adams@habitatbucks.org to
get your order in today!
|
|
It's about...
Act! Give!
Share!
Habitat Bucks is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization
that extends the opportunity to purchase simple, decent, affordable homes to
local families who would not otherwise have that chance. Three key resources
are necessary in order to make homeownership a reality for Habitat partner
families: funds, volunteers and advocacy. |
|
|
