Habitat Hammerings - Northwoods Habitat for Humanity

Habitat Hammerings
Volume 1, Issue 31, Fall 2015
Board of Directors
Dean Helgeson, President
Jeff Halverson, Vice President
Judy Reese, Secretary
Dave West, Treasurer
Tim Flathers
Esther Covert
Mary Auger
Jim Pinsonneault
Thad Bowman
Joan Nelson
Laurie Buehler
Jodi Schroeder
Chris Hamilton
Robert Kirchman
Staff
Geri Hickerson, Exec. Director
Sandra Erpelding, Admin. Assistant
Danny O’Sullivan, ReStore Manager
Dan McColley, ReStore Asst. Manager
Experience Works
Key Volunteers
Barb Kemmer
Pat Kowalkowski
R.S.V.P.
Jerry Drebelbis
Gregg Wilimek
Dean Helgeson
Contact us
P.O. Box 1067
Bemidji, MN 56619
Office: 218-751-4649
ReStore: 218-444-6398
Fax: 218-444-3105
Email: habitat@paulbunyan.net
Website: www.habitatbemidji.org
Facebook: Northwoods Habitat for
Humanity
Office and ReStore located at
1357 Exchange Avenue SE,
Bemidji
A bi-annual publication of NHFH
Our Mission ...
Building simple, decent, affordable homes in
partnership with God’s people in need in
Beltrami and Clearwater Counties.
President’s Message
2105 has been a busy and exciting
year for Northwoods Habitat For
Humanity. With the help of an
AmeriCorps NCCC team, we
completed our 47th home. We have
also been working on a recycled
home that was deeded back to us,
getting that ready for a new Habitat
family. In addition to new home
construction, 14 A Brush With
Kindness projects were completed by
our volunteers this summer.
The new Restore staff, along with AmeriCorps Vista and NCCC
volunteers cleaned out and cleaned up the cold storage space and
surrounding grounds. This will help in evaluating what space we need
in the future for receiving, reconditioning, and displaying merchandise.
We are also in the process of reviewing the type of merchandise we
accept and whether changes are needed. We welcome suggestions as to
how we can better serve the public.
Over the next couple of months we are planning to put together a
publication celebrating our 25 years of service to the community. It
will highlight past building projects as well as the current building and
remodeling projects enabling residents to continue living in their
homes. It will also clarify how families qualify for a Habitat home and
the sweat equity hours they must contribute to
What’s Inside...
"earn their way in." We are actively seeking
volunteers who share the vision of Habitat.
AmeriCorps NCCC
We have numerous opportunities for service
Happenings!
and support. Please visit our website at
habitatbemidji.org for more information. We
Director’s Report
appreciate your support and look forward to
ReStore Review
continued service to Beltrami and Clearwater
counties. Dean Helgeson, Board President
Blitz Build 2015!
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Habitat Hammerings
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NCCC - National Civilian Conservation Corps
NCCC is part of AmeriCorps, a network of
national and community service programs
that engage 75,000 Americans each year in
intensive service to meet critical needs in the
areas of natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation and urban and rural development. The
NCCC is a team-based, full-time, residential
program for men and women between the
ages of 18 and 24. Members are based at
regional campuses in several states. Since
1994, more than 18,000 people have served
in AmeriCorps NCCC, providing assistance
to hundreds of thousand of Americans. This
past summer, Northwoods Habitat hosted a
team of eight NCCC team members who helped build a home on
10th Street. Thanks to First Lutheran Church Bemidji for providing
living space for our team. It is through partnerships such as those
with NCCC and First Lutheran Church that we are able to continue
to build homes and hope in our community.
Se
e
o
Since moving into the ReStore in 2007, our location has been difficult to find (to say the least!). Google users
were routed 1/2 mile away and were frustrated that they were unable to find us. UPS, Fed Ex, and trucking
companies - even though they are all located in the same Industrial Park area - were also unable to locate us with a
GPS. We are pleased to announce that the days of searching in vain for our location are over! The City of Bemidji
has renamed the street in front of our location. Previously named “Industrial Park Drive SE,” it is now
EXCHANGE AVENUE SE. We have retained our street number, 1357, and hope that this change will make it
much easier to find via Google and GPS. Thanks to the City of Bemidji for recognizing the need for a change.
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Volume 1, Issue 31, Fall 2015
e
dat
e
v
tati
on!
Ten locati
and
Save the date!
You won’t want to miss
these events!!
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Gala
Join us for “Serious Fun”!
Live Auction, Raffle, Live Entertainment
Bemidji Town & Country Club 5 p.m.
Page 4
Habitat Hammerings
Snippets from the Director…
Expectancy: a feeling that something is going to happen. I believe
“expectancy” about sums up the state of our world. Something is going
to happen - good or bad. We are bombarded by the media with stories of
death, bombings, shootings, and disasters. Where, I wonder, is the hope
for a better world?
It lies in the expectancy of our every day lives. For many of us working
with Habitat for Humanity it is distinct in the eyes of the families working
hard to fulfill the many hours of sweat equity they must earn in order to
build a home, for those waiting for the final documents to be drawn up by
an attorney so they can sign a mortgage and close on their new home, and for those hopeful that they will be selected
into the Habitat program so they, too, can begin the journey of escaping poverty. It may seem insensitive to state the
obvious, and so publicly, however it is the harsh truth. Families selected to purchase a home from Habitat are
working and earning poverty wages. Are they lazy? Absolutely not! Like many families in our area, working full
time does not guarantee a living wage. Habitat provides the hand-up families need to escape the bonds of poverty,
and it is not an easy path.
Habitat expects much from its partner families: good credit; income enough to afford a mortgage and all that comes
with the privilege; at least 300 hours of sweat equity per adult completed prior to purchasing a home; completing a
financial fitness program; continuing to be a good ambassador for Habitat after purchase. Is all that work worth it?
Absolutely. Families have conveyed their gratitude in many ways: repaying their mortgage on time and, in some
cases, years in advance; serving on Habitat committees; volunteering to work on Habitat homes; volunteering in our
ReStore; and so many other ways.
Habitat creates an atmosphere for our partner families that allows the miracles - the small, mundane miracles of life to happen. In the words of our partner families: “We are so grateful and very appreciative of Habitat for Humanity
for selling us this amazing house and all of the opportunities that have come with it.” “Home is security and the
priceless feeling of stability. Our home is where friends and family gather, memories are made and cherished. Truly,
a dream come true!” “With hope, faith and friends, all things are possible. Even owning your own home.”
As you celebrate Christmas, or any of the many Holidays this year, I invite you to think about how one small act can
be the impetus for a miracle.
Merry Christmas! Geri
Spotlight on…
Before…………………..……..
After!
Launched in 2011, A Brush With Kindness has become a very busy program for our affiliate. We have
completed 49 projects of various caliber - some small, some quite large, but all very necessary. With funding
from various sources, our volunteers have been able to make quite an impact in our community. We are
exploring the viability of this program. Resources have become scarce due to the sun-setting of a huge
funding source through Federal Home Loan Bank. We are, however, hopeful that the ABWK “Fund for
Humanity” will sustain itself much like our Fund for Humanity (mortgage payments) has become selfsustaining. We continue to seek volunteers to lend a hand as we continue to provide a hand-up to our
neighbors. Contact us if you have an hour or two and want to make a positive impact in our community!
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Volume 1, Issue 31, Fall 2015
ReStore Review
The ReStore recently reorganized the service
counter area and has been adding some new signs
and displays. Thanks to our RSVP Volunteers, a
large 4’x 8’ sign now explains in the simplest
terms possible exactly how donations help the
ReStore and Habitat.
Hours of Operation:
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm
Donations Accepted:
During store hours &
Tuesday from 10-3
Thanks to Board Member Laurie
Buehler for designing signage
about Northwoods Habitat’s
building program - building
statistics and facts have been
clearly posted and the feedback has been very positive. Many people are not aware that
the Habitat for Humanity ReStore is proudly owned and operated by Northwoods
Habitat for Humanity to serve our mission of building homes, communities and hope.
If you have not been to our Facebook page in a while, make sure you give us a like,
share our posts, and ask your friends to like us as well. We have increased our
marketing and updates on Facebook and have already seen results increasing awareness
and sales.
We are in serious need of cashiers! A new volunteer, Pat, has been running the service
counter three days a week and doing an amazing job. We are so happy that Pat has
joined our group of volunteers. The month of October we had 342 hours of volunteer
time and ideally we could use about 360 hours of volunteer time. Even an hour per
week makes a difference. Volunteers are always needed and always welcome.
Thank you donors!
Business
Benusa Appliance
St Michel Furniture
Promotion
Paul Bunyan Broadcasting
RP Broadcasting
Paul Bunyan Communications
Individual Donors
Thank you to our many donors!
The Restore is different every time you
visit. Somedays things are going out the
door as fast as they are coming in. Items
we need the most are dressers and major
appliances. If you know of anyone downsizing, please remind them of the
ReStore’s needs and let them know we
are able to pick up donations if given time
to arrange for volunteers to lend a hand.
WISH LIST
Dressers
Appliances
Kitchen Cabinets
Hardware
Furniture
Volunteers
Cashiers
(Wednesday- Saturday)
Drivers
(pick up donations)
Danny O’Sullivan,
ReStore Manager
Proud Supporter of Habitat!
P.O. Box 1067
Bemidji, MN 56619
It’s Blitz Build time!
June 4 - 12, 2016
Headwaters Builder’s Association in Bemidji will, once again, join
forces to build its 4th Blitz Build home in Bemidji. General Contractor
Steve Inkel of Diversified Builders will coordinate professional builders as
they build a home in just over a week.