Countdown to Construction

Strong foundations to empower families in Orange County
BE INSPIRED
Neighborhood News........3
Construction Corner .......4
Family Success Stories ...5
Women Build News ..........7
Countdown to Construction
Top le and center photo: More than
30 business leaders gathered on Leaders’
Build Day to build the frames and
raise the first walls for a new home in
Huntington Beach.
Far le photo: Aer they finished building
the frames for a new home, Leaders Build
participants wrote upliing messages to
the family who will build and live in the
new Huntington Beach home.
Photos: Tonia Collinske
Walls for new home in Huntington Beach framed and waiting
Business leaders from all over Orange County traded their laptops for tool
belts to spend a day building frames for one of two new Habitat homes.
e frames will be used in Huntington Beach when construction begins on a
site near the Five Points Shopping Center at Beach Blvd and Ellis Street.
Please check our website www.habitatoc.org for the exact framing date.
Why do families need Habitat for Humanity of Orange County?
TA L K T O U S !
Please let us know how we
can make Cornerstone –
or any part of the Orange County
Habitat affiliate – better.
Please send your comments to
public.relations@habitatoc.org.
In Orange County, the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,506 (1st Quarter
2011). In order to afford this level of rent and utilities – without paying more than 30% of income on
housing – a household must earn an hourly wage of $30.46. Families served by Habitat OC typically
earn at or slightly above the minimum wage of $8 per hour. In order for them to afford the average
monthly rent, their household must include 3.8 minimum-wage full-time workers at 40 hours a
week year-round.
Annual Income needed to afford two-bedroom apartment in OC
$63,360
Annual Income earned by an OC Habitat family of four (50% of median)
$46,150
1 www.habitatoc.org
C O R N E R S T O N E | w w w. h a b i t a t o c . oSources:
r g HUD, National Low Income Housing Coalition, e Orange County Register, RealFacts.
Habitat for Humanity
of Orange County
Transforming lives and
communities by helping families
in need build and purchase
or renovate their own homes.
A MESSAGE
FROM
SHARON…
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
S HARON E LLIS
(714) 434-6200
Sharon@habitatoc.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
CHAIR
M ARK M ATHEWS
Toshiba America Business Solutions
Sharon Ellis, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, and Glenn Gray, CEO, Sunwest Bank, spent the day working
alongside 32 other “Leaders Stepping Up for Habitat” at Habitat OC’s third annual Leaders’ Build Day. Photographer: Tonia Collinske
VICE CHAIR
F. S COTT J ACKSON
Jackson | DeMarco | Tidus |
Peckenpaugh
e Redevelopment Agencies as we currently know them have been dissolved as part of
the State’s budget agreement. We are now working on a way to maintain funding for the
affordable homes built by the 49 Habitat affiliates throughout the State of California. Since
96% of the Habitat homes in Orange County have been built with Redevelopment funding
and/or land, a favorable resolution of this issue is
crucial for our affiliate. In collaboration with the
other California Habitat affiliates, we are developing
a more consistent statewide message as we work
with elected officials to help them be more informed
about the real value that Habitat brings to the
communities and families we serve.
SECRETARY
M ARK H OOVER
First American Title
BOARD MEMBERS
D AVE A LBERT
Stanley Black & Decker
D AVID B ANDUCCI
Harvard Card Systems, Inc.
F RANCISCA G ONZALEZ B AXA
Law office of
Francisca Gonzalez Baxa
E RIC B ELL
Bank of the West
R OBERT C ORBIN
Windes & McClaughry
K IM D ENGER
Community Volunteer
E DIE F EE
iNPOINT Advisors
F RANK F ERRARA
Hyundai Motor America
G LENN G RAY
Sunwest Bank
J EFFREY J OY
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
B OB L E F EVER
Consultant
K EN L ICKEL
VP & GM, Alcon (Retired)
J IM L IGHT
C.J. Light Associates
B RETT M ANSFIELD
Union Bank
R OBERT M EAUX
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
D ON M OE
Community Volunteer
R OB M ONTGOMERY
HOM Real Estate Group
K ELLY M OORE
Moore Benefits, Inc.
H UGO N UÑO
First Foundation Bank
J OE P ERRING
Community Volunteer
M ARK R OGERS
TRG Land
R.B. W EDEL
Brown-Forman
!
D
L
SO
Despite this somewhat unsettling situation, we are
happy to announce that we are moving forward.
Over the last few months, our volunteers have:
■ Built frames for one of two new homes to be built
in Huntington Beach later this year,
■ Remodeled and sold two of our four Neighborhood
Stabilization Program (NSP2) homes to first-time
low-income homebuyers,
Our first NSP2 home
in Mission Viejo was
purchased by a family
who was overjoyed to
finally find a home
they could afford.
Photo: Chris Eissenstat
■
Completed the first three Building United projects as part of our new partnership with
United Way OC,
■
Replaced roofing on two homes through our recently launched A Brush With Kindness
program, and
Performed weatherization and accessibility improvements on three homes in Rancho
Santa Margarita as part of the City’s Housing Maintenance Assistance Program.
We welcomed two new board members: Frank Ferrara, Executive VP Customer Satisfaction
at Hyundai Motor America, and Ken Lickel, retired Vice President and General Manager at
Alcon’s Irvine Technology Center. And, we said goodbye to board member Jeff Dickerson
who relocated to Seattle. We are so grateful to Jeff for his years of service.
■
With all that is happening around the world, it’s sometimes difficult to remember that we
have families right here in Orange County who are living in unsafe garages, over-crowded
homes and unhealthy apartments. ank you for continuing to keep them in mind and for
reaching out to offer them a hand up – not a handout – through your generous donations
and your volunteer service.
Blessings,
BOARD EMERITUS
PAT K APP
JP Kapp, Civil Engineer
2
Sharon Ellis, Executive Director
(714) 434-6200 | Sharon@habitatoc.org
News from the Neighborhoods
San Juan Capistrano
Heroes Among Us
San Juan Capistrano homeowners happy to live in a city
that cares about military families
BY DAVE S OLT
Gunnery Sergeant Joe Morales, USMC, returned from Afghanistan in
early May, delighting his wife and two daughters along with his neighbors
and the citizens of San Juan Capistrano. e Morales family purchased a
home in the neighborhood Habitat for Humanity of Orange County named
Habitat for Heroes and Foundations for Families.TM
Before his latest deployment, Joe was presented with the flag of the City
of San Juan Capistrano and asked to take it with him to Afghanistan. When
he pulled the flag out of his pack, the Afghan troops with whom he was
embedded were impressed and thanked him for the gi. Joe quickly explained
he was expected to bring the flag home again as it was a symbol of the support
he was receiving from the folks back home. e Afghan soldiers understood
and said they were pleased to help fly the flag honoring Morales’ “tribe, clan
and village.” Joe brought back photos of the flag flying in contested areas
along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border.
At a special ceremony in City Hall, Gunny Morales returned the flag and
received the heartfelt thanks of the people of his hometown. Wife Katia says
having the flag with him helped reassure her that Joe would remain safe so
he’d be able to bring it back.
Gunnery Sergeant Joe Morales, USMC and former San Juan Capistrano Mayor Lon Uso. Photo: Dave Solt
Costa Mesa
A Place to Call Their Own
Family calls Costa Mesa home aer 11 moves in 2 ½ years
BY R ACHEL P UGH
When Chrishelle Dempster was in high school, she volunteered with
Habitat for Humanity and enjoyed helping others build homes. But in 2008,
she realized that she needed a helping hand and applied for a home through
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County.
During the two-and-a-half years of the application process, Chrishelle
moved ten times with her seven-year-old daughter. Now that they have a place
to call their own, Chrishelle feels blessed that her daughter can have her own
room, which is decorated with butterflies and Justin Bieber posters.
“Stability is huge. We are getting our family values back together and I am
not as stressed anymore. We even started our own garden in the back,” stated
Chrishelle.
She now has time to focus on her daughter, and is going back to school to
acquire the skills that will help her provide a better life for her daughter.
e Dempsters are happy to have finally found a place to call home. Photo: Rachel Pugh
C O R N E R S T O N E | w w w. h a b i t a t o c . o r g
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Photo: Gladys Hernandez
Photo: Gladys Hernandez
Construction
Corner
Currently serving 2,761 women,
men and children.
Coming Soon! New homes in
North Orange County!
New Homes in Orange County
169 new homes serving 845 people
■ 167 for low and very-low income
families:* Anaheim, Brea, Costa Mesa,
Cypress, Fullerton, Huntington Beach,
Irvine, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita,
San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Stanton,
Westminster and Yorba Linda.
*Includes 5 Women Build-OC and 6
Thrivent Builds homes.
■ 2 for moderate income families (workforce housing): Yorba Linda.
Homes Built After Hurricanes
23 Operation Home Delivery (OHD)
homes serving 115 people in: Covington &
New Orleans, LA; Beaumont & Dallas, TX.
OC Tithe Builds Homes Around the
World
355 homes serving 1,775 people built by
OC tithes: Romania, Northern Ireland,
Mexico, Bangladesh, Egypt and Nepal.
Renovated Homes
■ NSP2 Homes in partnership with
Neighborhood Housing Services of
Orange County: 4 homes renovated,
and 2 sold serving 5 people
Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Anaheim,
Rancho Santa Margarita
Maintenance/Home Improvement
Programs
■ 3 homes in partnership with the
Rancho Santa Margarita Housing
Maintenance Assistance Program
serving 12 people in Rancho Santa
Margarita
■ 2 homes with A Brush With Kindness
Program serving 9 people in Orange,
Lake Forest
4
Thank you to our Superstar donors!
ank you to our generous donors of $5,000 and more from January 1, 2011 through
March 31, 2011. Your gis help build homes for families in Orange County.
$100,000+
$10,000 to $24,999 (continued)
e Estate of Frank J. Novarro
$50,000 to $74,999
Greenberg & Traurig
Stephen Edward Mead Revocable Living Trust
Sunwest Bank
Toshiba America Information Systems
rivent Financial For Lutherans
$5,000 to $9,999
$25,000 to $49,999
Astech Engineered Products, Inc.
First American Title Company
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Haske
Orange County Association of REALTORS®
$75,000 to $99,999
California Bank & Trust, WISH Program
Opus Community Foundation
$10,000 to $24,999
DSEA Wong Foundation
ank you to Antis Roofing & Waterproofing, Inc., Irvine, for donating their roofing services for our
first Building United project at Casa Youth Shelter in Los Alamitos, and for our first A Brush With
Kindness project for a family in Orange.
Many thanks to the 647 donors whose gis of $4,999 or below during the first quarter of 2011 also helped Orange County families.
If you feel that your name should have been included in this list, please contact amy@habitatoc.org.
Change lives today – leave a lasting legacy for tomorrow
Your gi of any size can help you leave a lasting legacy while you help
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County meet critical needs and change
lives.To learn more, please contact Heather McKenzie-Densmore, CFRE,
714-434-6200 ext. 232, or heather@habitatoc.org
Learn More about Habitat’s
Work in OC
Conducted twice a month, a one-hour
“Building Dreams” tour will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about Habitat’s
work in Orange County and around the world.
To learn more, please visit our website
www.habitatoc.org, or contact Paula at
714-434-6200 ext. 206 or paula@habitatoc.org.
HfHOC board member Brett Mansfield wrote a message of hope on frame he built during Leaders’ Build Day. Photo: Tonia Collinske
Families wanted for homes to be built in North Orange County.
Visit our website www.habitatoc.org for more information and new-family orientation dates.
Family Partners needed for new families to be selected this summer.
For more information, please contact kim@habitatoc.org
Family Success Stories
Placentia
Dreams of Being a Nurse Come True
A stable home and loving neighbors make all the difference
BY R ACHEL P UGH
Maria Nungaray is all smiles and ready for finals aer completing her first year at California
State University, Long Beach. With the help of financial aid and good grades in high school,
Maria is currently studying to prepare for the nursing program and is eager to start this new
chapter in her life.
She and her parents used to live in one poorly insulated room, which they had to share at her
grandmother’s house. en they moved to Placentia and became a part of the Habitat family!
She always dreamed of having her own room when she was younger, and thanks to Habitat, this
dream became possible.
Maria Nungaray
has just completed
her freshman year
of college and is
studying to become
a nurse.
Photo: Rachel Pugh
Living next door to Carla Ortiz, and Carla’s twelve-year-old son Luis, has also helped her reach her goals of becoming a nurse.
Carla encouraged Maria to pursue her education and work hard to make her dreams come true.“We are practically one family.
We even spent Christmas together,” says Maria. She admires Carla for her ability to embrace change and her dedication to her
students at the preschool where Carla teaches.
On June 30th, Maria entered a Licensed Vocational Nurse program – the next step towards her goal of becoming a Registered
Nurse. She would like to thank the donors for providing the opportunity for her family to purchase a Habitat home … a home
that is now the strong foundation from which she can accomplish what she always wanted.
Luis dreams of a home funded
by children
BY G LADYS H ERNANDEZ & A IMEE S IBET
Twelve-year-old Luis Ortiz and his mother, Carla, moved into their
Habitat home in Placentia in 2006. Since then, Luis has been on a mission
to raise enough money to build a Habitat home in Orange County funded
by children. From garage sales to recycling, Luis has been hard at work.
On April 19, 2011, Placentia Mayor Scott Nelson presented Luis with a
Certificate of Appreciation, during a City Council meeting, in recognition
of his work.
One of Luis’ many fundraising ideas involves Luis Houses – little house
banks that can be assembled by children. Last May, the San Juan Capistrano Habitat families had a community garage sale. Homeowner Lisa
Varela didn’t have anything to sell, so she and her daughter decided to
sell Luis Houses and have some of the neighborhood kids build and
decorate the houses at her place. e Luis Houses were a big hit, and the
money raised will help make Luis’ dream of a home funded by children
come true.
C O R N E R S T O N E | w w w. h a b i t a t o c . o r g
Above: Sharon Ellis, ED, HfHOC, joined Luis Ortiz as he received
a Certificate of Appreciation from the Mayor of Placentia.
Photo: Gladys Hernandez
Le: Children all over Orange County are building “Luis Houses”
to help raise money to build a home funded by children.
Photo: Aimee Sibet
5
DISCOUNT HOME IMPROVEMENT CENTERS
| www.ReStoreOC.org | Donation Hotline: (714) 434-6202
Shop Donate Volunteer
Save at Habitat ReStores in Orange County Today
Appliances | Doors | Windows | Hardware | Lighting | Bath and Plumbing | Tile | Paint | Carpeting | Counter Tops | Kitchen Cabinets
Photo: Robert Rooks
Designer merchandise
hitting the ReStore Shelves
Habitat ReStore News
Free Electronics Recycling
now available at ReStore
Garden Grove
Sinks, bathtubs, and faucets offer upscale
choices to ReStore shoppers
You can now recycle your electronic
items at the Garden Grove ReStore. We’re
open seven days a week to accept your
computers, monitors, printers, cell phones,
televisions, VCRs, DVD players, scanners
and more – for free!
DeConstruct Services is
looking for:
Appliances, kitchen cabinets, exterior
and interior lights, windows, doors, vanities,
molding and more. To donate, please
call Janet at the donation hotline at
714-434-6202.
For more information, please visit our
website www.ReStoreOC.org.
ReStore says thank you to…
■
■
Habitat OC board member Dave Albert
for his leadership role in making the
Orange County ReStores so successful.
Albert has recently stepped away from his
advisory role with the Habitat ReStores in
order to accept a promotion at Stanley
Black & Decker. We congratulate him
and offer our sincere thanks for his
guidance and direction as we moved
forward to make the Garden Grove and
Santa Ana ReStores bigger and better.
BY G ABE M EDEIROS
Caption: Eurobath and Tile’s extravagant faucets
currently on display at the Santa Ana ReStore.
Designers and Do-It-Yourselfers should not pass
on these.
Eurobath and Tile has served Hollywood stars, producers,
and even Saudi royalty. e Costa Mesa company has also been
a key partner with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County.
Aer 33 years of service to Southern California, Eurobath
and Tile president Hans Rindfleisch is retiring and donating his
Photo: Gabe Medeiros
remaining inventory to the Habitat for Humanity of Orange
County ReStores. Instead of liquidating his remaining stock, Hans is donating brand new designer
sinks, bathtubs, and faucets as a final gi to honor his seven-year partnership with Habitat’s OC
ReStore. e final inventory was valued at over $500,000.
ReStore shoppers got a sneak preview of the Eurobath and Tile merchandise in late July, with the
majority arriving at the Santa Ana ReStore by early August.
“ese beautiful special order designer items are great for home remodelers and designers, and
we are selling them at deeply discounted prices,” explained Noe Rivas, Acquisition Manager, Habitat
for Humanity of Orange County. “For example, we have a Robern bath mirrored cabinet and sink set
that retails for $9000.00 that will sell at the Santa Ana ReStore for only $1,999.00.”
New and gently used home improvement materials at discounted prices.
NEW ITEMS ARRIVE EVERYDAY – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
If you would like to receive e-mail notifications of upcoming Habitat ReStore-OC sales, please e-mail gladys@habitatoc.org.
GARDEN GROVE RESTORE
12827 Harbor Blvd.
(between Garden Grove & Lampson)
Phone: (714) 590-8729
Mon- Fri: 9 am - 8 pm
Sat: 9 am - 6 pm | Sun: 11 am - 5 pm
All the volunteers who served on the
ReStore marketing committee. Your
devotion to the OC ReStores has been
so appreciated and so valuable.
SANTA ANA RESTORE
N E W B A R G A I N S E V E R Y D AY !
2200 South Ritchey
(Between Warner & Edinger)
Phone: (714) 434-6266
Mon. - Sat.: 9 am - 5 pm
Recycle. Reuse. Reduce. Rebuild.
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C O R N E R S T O N E | w w w. h a b i t a t o c . o r g
Women Build OC News
News Briefs
Women Build conquers
Lake Forest A Brush
With Kindness Project
Raising the roof during National Women
Build Week 2011
BY J ENNALEE W RIGHT, A MERI CORPS M EMBER
National Women Build Week 2011 was a fabulous
week filled with training clinics at Lowe’s Hardware in
Tustin, a 5k fundraiser with the Pediatric Cancer
Research Foundation, and a build day at our A Brush
With Kindness site in Lake Forest.
AmeriCorps member Jennalee
Wright helped to replace a roof as
part of National Women Build
Week 2011.
Photo: Ellis + Lane
HfHOC volunteers kicked off our Building United
partnership by completing a variety of repairs at the
Casa Youth Shelter. Photographer: Christina Garcia
■
Our training clinic included lessons on interior
painting, removing wallpaper, and performing patching,
texturing, shadowing, and faux finish painting. anks
to our favorite Lowe’s employee, Jason Murray, many of
us le feeling confident about being able to use these
skills in our own homes.
Fieen of us participated in e Pediatric Cancer
Research Foundation’s 5k Race fundraiser as an innovative way to promote Women Build’s efforts, and some
even joined in the 5k Walk right aer racing.
Our last event was re-roofing Linda Grammatico’s
home as part of our A Brush With Kindness
home repair program. As Grammatico
led us around her property, it was clear
that our efforts would make a big impact.
ere wasn’t one woman at our site
who didn’t want to be on the roof,
whether they were operating a nail-gun
or using a power tool to secure our plywood
baseboards. Actually, the ground was the
place they avoided.
It was a great week and a real honor for
me to work with our team of motivated,
energetic Women Build-OC volunteers.
Women Build volunteers helped a Lake Forest
homeowner by replacing her badly leaking roof.
Photo: Gladys Hernandez
If you’d like to get involved with Women Build-OC,
please contact womenbuild@habitatoc.org.
C O R N E R S T O N E | w w w. h a b i t a t o c . o r g
■
Building United Habitat OC has
formed a brand new partnership
with United Way OC. rough our
Building United partnership, Habitat
OC volunteers will perform repairs
for small nonprofits in Orange
County. Costs for the materials
needed for these repairs will be
shared by United Way OC and the
nonprofit receiving the services.
We have completed our first four
projects, and are looking forward
to using our construction skills to
help more nonprofits make needed
repairs to better serve their clients.
Play Golf! You’re invited to
play in the Charity Classic Golf
Tournament to benefit Habitat
affiliates in Southern California.
e Charity Classic will be held on
September 2, 2011, at Pelican Hill.
For more information, please visit
www.habitatoc.org.
7
Women Build volunteers have fun as they learn how
to use a variety of tools. Photo: Gladys Hernandez
Get Involved!
They did it!
You can make a difference!
Rancho Santa Margarita Celebrates 20th Anniversary!
Pioneering families pay off their mortgages
■ Attend Habitat Night new volunteer
orientations at 6:30 p.m. on the first
Tuesday of every month at St. Joseph
Center, LaVeta & Batavia, Orange.
is year, Rancho Santa
Margarita is celebrating
the 20th anniversary of
this 48-home community,
Habitat’s first neighborhood in Orange County..
Photo: Courtesy of Habitat
for Humanity OC
BY R ACHEL P UGH
■ Volunteer to build and/or work
on a committee or at the ReStore.
Contact volunteer@habitatoc.org.
It takes a special family to be among the first to finish paying off the mortgage on their home.
And today, that is an accomplishment that several Rancho Santa Margarita families are celebrating!
■ Get your faith community involved.
Contact judi@habitatoc.org.
e families making their final mortgage payments this year are among the first to break the
cycle and provide a decent home for their families. ey are thrilled that their dreams of paying
off a mortgage have finally come true.
■ Join the WomenBuild-OC team
of volunteers. Fun, exciting, and no
experience necessary. For more information about WomenBuild, please
contact womenbuild@habitatoc.org.
■ Visit our website and keep up with
all the Habitat OC news or make a
donation to help build more affordable
homes for families in OC:
http://www.habitatoc.org
■ Shop at the ReStore and find great
bargains. Proceeds build more affordable homes in OC.
■ Take a “Building Dreams”
tour at our Santa Ana office. For
more information, please contact
Paula at 714-434-6200 Ext 206 or
paula@habitatoc.org.
Donate your vehicle through
Habitat’s Cars for Homes
program.
Contact: Paula Neal Reza, CFRE,
(714) 434-6200 x206,
paula@habitatoc.org.
Blanca Lara sees this opportunity as being lucky. “I count every blessing in this home and now
I have a roof over my head for the rest of my life,” she says about owning her home.
e Tello family is eager to finish paying off by the end of the year as well. Rosa Tello claims,
“Habitat saved our lives. We would like to thank the donors and Habitat when we were facing
hard times in our lives.” Rosa went back to school aer they moved into their home and is now
a teacher’s aide at a local school. Her daughter is also a teacher and volunteers with children.
ey feel good about giving back to the community because they appreciate everything that the
community has done for them.
Once the families finish paying off their homes, they plan on hosting a party to celebrate this long
journey. e Oseguera family is excited to celebrate this accomplishment, and they look forward to
showing their children that the struggle to pay off their home has been worth the effort.
Farewell AmeriCorps
Our 2010-2011 AmeriCorps members have finished their
year of service and are winging their way back home. From
the construction sites to the DeConstruct sites, and from the
family services, volunteer services, and construction/land
acquisition offices to the ReStore, these dedicated people
made a huge impression and many valuable contributions.
We wish them much good luck wherever their life’s journey
takes them next. ey will definitely be missed.
Photo: Jaymie Fisher
Cornerstone is a publication of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, 2200 S. Ritchey Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705
T (714) 434-6200 | F (714) 434-1222 | Email public.relations@habitatoc.org | www.habitatoc.org.
Editor: Joan Dolan Ziegler. Staff Writer: Gladys Hernandez. Contributing Writers: Gabe Medeiros, Rachel Pugh, Dave Solt,
Aimee Sibet, Jennalee Wright. Photographers: Tonia Collinske, Chris Eissenstat, Ellis + Lane, Jaymie Fisher, Christina Garcia, Gladys Hernandez,
Gabe Medeiros, Rachel Pugh, Robert Rooks, Aimee Sibet, Dave Solt. Graphic Design: Trixie Design, San Clemente.
Special thanks to Amy Gregory.