The Orth`s family journey to a home

Habitat News
Habitat for Humanity of Washington and Dodge Counties
Winter 2014
The Orth’s family
journey to a home
Each week Nick Orth travels to Municipal Drive to take
a photo of a lot once covered by trees and poison ivy.
Nick and his wife Jennifer are excited for
their three children Levi (18 months), Ava
(3) and Olivia (6) to have a safe home
after a long road of struggle.
Landscaping had brought the Orths to
homeownership, though in the most
unfortunate way. In 2009, Nick fell
twenty feet from a tree and broke both
his arms.
“Even though I got injured,” Nick said,
“we still tried to maintain things like
credit to be responsible.”
The choice was made to downsize to a
smaller place to help the finances, but
the living conditions were not healthy
with growing mold and a leaking roof the
landlord refused to fix. When the family
had difficulty securing a traditional loan
for a home they desperately needed, the
decision was made to contact Habitat for
Humanity.
Chuck McCall, mentor and West Bend
ReStore manager, visited the family as
part of the application process and said,
“The living conditions were substandard.
It really tugged at your heartstrings.”
McCall also noticed a list of bedroom
rules on sheet of paper on the wall in
Olivia’s bedroom. “I knew these people
were well organized and took care of
things,” he said.
Despite all efforts, the children’s health
was suffering, so when a mother-in-law
type apartment became available in
Jennifer’s mom’s
home the family
moved.
Olivia remembers her pink
bedroom and already has drawn a
picture of her new pink room when the
house is ready.
Nick works construction during the day
and works his landscape business on the
side. For his required “sweat equity”, he
works for Restore, or helps Habitat with
things like clearing trees or repairing
small engines. But for Nick, the giving
back doesn’t end there.
He built a chair that was auctioned off at
the Habitat annual fundraising event on
Nov. 9. He has younger friends he brings
to the Habitat work site to help them get
experience in construction. Despite all
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279 S. 17th Ave. Suite 7, West Bend, WI 53095
(262) 338-0690
the work, he admits to having fun and
meeting long time friends. With all of this
hard work the Orths have almost all 500
sweat equity hours done that are
required.
Jennifer admits her confidence with tools
has exceeded her expectations, and she
is curious about the process of building a
home. Her favorite skill learned thus far
has been her first experience of pouring
concrete.
“I’m amazed,” she said about Habitat for
Humanity. “I’ve never met a group of
people that love what they do more.”
Sitting on the couch with Ava and Levi
splitting a peanut butter sandwich, Nick
says he is excited to work on the outside,
he said, “It’s going to be like a little
botanical garden out there.”
“At times it feels like it isn’t real. It’s hard
to wrap around the idea we’re going to
have a house,” Jennifer said. The Orths
have decided to host Christmas in 2014,
since they will have the space. Nick
himself has three brothers and one
sister, all of whom have kids of their
own.
“God put us in the direction we are
supposed to go,” Nick said about the
journey his family has taken. “So many
good things have come out of it.”
www.hfhwashco.org
Our affiliate collected over
1 ton of shoes last year.
We are able to do a
winter build this year….
A Habitat Home
for the Holidays
The holidays are a time to spend with
friends and family to celebrate all the
love and support throughout the year.
On Saturday, Nov. 24, at the 26th home
dedication for Habitat for Humanity of
Washington and Dodge Counties on
Eastern Ave. in West Bend, the doors
were open to guests as the affiliate
celebrated the completion of another
home.
The house was started in May 2013. It
took 1,100 volunteers and more than
8,200 hours to build this house. Now,
the family is able to call the house their
home.
Joe Bohn & Tom Frailing give Beauty her home keys
“I’m not going to cry,” Beauty
Wadlington said each time another
speaker came up to present her and her
four daughters a house warming gift.
When Joe Bohn, site supervisor, gave her
the keys and occupancy permit, Beauty
wasn’t the only one wiping their eyes.
Winter 2014
Thanks to the Gen6 Foundation for donating $50,000
towards the build and the partnership with Moraine Park
Technical College. The partnership with the school gives
the students on the job training two and a half days a week.
Habitat
2014:
The Same Hammer and
Nail Jesus Bore for Us
One of the more difficult questions I get
asked every year is “what is Habitat’s
plan for next year?” It seems like this
should be easy to answer because like
many non-profits, our staff and board
does budgeting and strategic planning.
But it seems like the more we plan and
attempt to chart a path, the more the
Lord changes our course and imposes His
will. As the years go by, I am more and
more convinced that this is happening
because of me and my inability to totally
live by faith and trust that His plan exists
and it is simply a matter of waiting for it
to be revealed.
Habitat’s plan for 2014, as I see it, is to
build two units in Dodge County, two in
Washington County and twenty A Brush
with Kindness projects. We are diligently
working to raise sufficient funds, recruit
enough
volunteers
and
budget
appropriately for support staff. As easy
as that was to write, and as clear as that
seems in my head; I am also convinced
that my planning is wrong. Like many, I
really struggle to turn everything over to
God, including my job and especially the
planning.
In the Gospel of Mark it is written that
“…the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to
give His life a ransom for many.” This
short sentence is loaded with
implications about Habitat for Humanity
and how we need to operate. When
charged to minister we are forced into a
read and react philosophy where
detailed planning rarely works. When we
build, renovate or repair, it is not about
us or even the family served. It is totally
about our relationship with Jesus Christ
and our hearts longing to worship and
serve Him. God intimately knows each
and every one of us and will use Habitat
to minister to those in need. Some say
that the repair projects or new home
construction is what Habitat is about; I
believe that God uses the hammer and
nail to demonstrate His love to those
struggling to find Him.
My friends of Habitat, 2014 will be a year
of building and repairing both in Dodge
and Washington Counties. But unlike
how the world sees Habitat, it will be a
year building and repairing broken
relationships with Christ. Our mission is
to demonstrate the love and teachings of
Jesus Christ by building and repairing
homes for families in need. May 2014 be
a year where volunteers, staff and our
partnering families rebuild and repair
their relationship with the one true and
living Savior and may it be accomplished
through the same hammer and nail that
he bore for us.
Russ Wanta
Russ Wanta
Executive Director
Habitat for Humanity of Washington and Dodge Counties
Featured Fundraiser:
Nickels
for Nails
Did you know it takes nearly 6,525 nails to build a Habitat for Humanity
house? It costs $326.25 to buy those nails. Make a difference through
Nickels for Nails and see first hand how donating extra change can make a
difference for one deserving family. Contact our office, (262)338 -0690, to set
up a Nickels for Nails drive with your school, office, organization, family, etc.
Our Affiliate recycled over 75,000 lbs.
of metal at our ReStores last year.
Can you
imagine?
Being a homeless young
mother in Washington
County and...

being connected to Family Promise
and given a safe place in churches to
eat and sleep with your children …
during the day going to the Day
Center to receive job placement
counseling and support as you
prepare to find a job… and then
getting that job!

Now you are eligible to move into
transitional housing at the Housing
Resource Center in West Bend – with
your new income you can afford to
pay the rent.

While you are adjusting to your new
lifestyle you can attend classes to
learn necessary life skills that will
prepare you for permanent housing.
At this point in your journey – after living
in permanent housing for a year or so –
you know that you are prepared to live in
a house and apply to Habitat to be a
Partner Family!
This is the dream that those who sat at
the table of the Homeless Coalition have
– being able to address the problems of
homelessness in Washington County
with a strategic approach. Bringing
families with the greatest need from
Homelessness to Affordable Housing …
and providing those services from one
location.
728 Elm Street, West Bend, WI 53095
We are excited to share that the dream
will become a reality in April or May
when Habitat for Humanity moves to
the new Housing Resource Center along
with Family Promise of Washington
County and the homeless programming
division of Youth and Family Project.
Each of these agencies will have their
administrative offices on the first floor.
The second and third floors are being
converted into eight rental units, a pair
of three bedroom apartments, two
bedroom apartments and four studio
apartments. The lower level will be used
for the day center.
Sharing facilities, providing educational
opportunities and on-site support will
take our mission of “giving families a
hand up – not a hand out” to the next
level.
Russ Wanta wants our volunteers to
know that Habitat is a big part of the
renovation of the new site which is
located in the old Restat Building at 728
Elm Street, West Bend. This will be a
wonderful winter project because all of
the work will be inside a heated
building!!
If you are looking for
something to do during the long days of
winter, please contact Emily Jennings
our Volunteer Coordinator at the office (262)338-0690, and she will connect
you with this exciting project.
Habitat for Humanity of Washington and Dodge Counties
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a
resale store for new and gently used
building supplies at discounted prices.
All of the profits of the store go to
Habitat for Humanity of Washington and
Dodges Counties to build and repair
homes in the communities.
Beaver Dam Habitat ReStore Volunteers and Staff
The Habitat ReStore runs on volunteers,
just like the Habitat build sites. The
store is always looking for new
volunteers to help with everything from
cashiering to donation processing to
truck driving.
Volunteer times are
flexible and the Habitat ReStore is willing
to work with your schedule.
Beaver Dam ReStore
West Bend ReStore
Tues.-Sat. 9 AM-5PM
Mon.-Sat. 9 AM-5PM
1022 Madison St.
508 N. Main St.
Beaver Dam, WI 53916 West Bend, WI 53090
(262)334-1801
(920)885-4518
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Habitat Restore of Washington and
Dodge Counties
Winter 2014
This year we will
be building in...
Dodge County:
Single Family Home
Juneau, WI
Washington County:
Duplex
Jackson, WI
Sign up now for a group build day for this upcoming
build season on our website! www.hfhwashco.org
In need of partner families
For some, homeownership is a dream just out of reach, but Habitat for Humanity for
Washington and Dodge counties want to make their dream...
a reality. The only thing stopping a
family is applying for the chance.
Word of mouth has been one of the
most successful ways to advertise
about partnering with Habitat to
become a homeowner.
Mary
Holleback,
chairperson
for
the
Selection Committee, explained the
best way has been through partner
families themselves. A partner family
shares their experience with Habitat
to a friend or co-worker.
Trying to reach out has had
challenges though. Media attempts
like newspapers or church bulletins
have
been
successful with
multiple parties
calling
with
inquiries,
but
Volunteer
Highlight:
Habitat for Humanity of Washington
and Dodge Counties has been blessed
by the volunteerism of Tom Frailing for
many years. He has given countless
hours and worked on a lot of Habitat
projects.
Our Site Supervisor, Joe
Bohn describes his ‘Right Hand Man’
the best:
“The extent of Tom's knowledge on
structural
engineering
and
best
building practices are exceeded only
by the size of his generosity. He is not
unfortunately, after the initial phone
call, people fail to continue the
application process. The reasons could
be as simple as failing to meet the
criteria required such as income limits
or current location. For some, the
paperwork could seem intimidating to
complete, or families are embarrassed.
Sometimes the problem could be
simply a language barrier.
Potential families need to know these
problems are not big.
Habitat for
Humanity of Washington and Dodge
County staff will assist families with
the application process after the
necessary paperwork is collected by
the applicant. Habitat for Humanity
will try its best to help guide the
applicant in the right direction if other
problems arise in the application
process. Mentors are assigned to help
only willing to show up and work hard
in the harsh elements every day, he
will also pour over blueprints after the
work day to ensure that all of our
homes are built with the correct
hangers and fasteners for maximum
structural strength.
Tom is so
passionate about building high quality
homes.
He takes great pride in
designing elements of our houses with
the latest technological advances so
that the homes are as strong and
energy efficient as current scientific
knowledge will allow.
Habitat for Humanity of Washington and Dodge Counties
Latest Habitat Build
the
family’s
continued
success
throughout the entire process of
becoming a homeowner.
Habitat for Humanity not only strives
to help people become homeowners,
but Habitat also works to build a good
home that is affordable for the
homeowner. All the Habitat homes
are energy star homes, which cuts
energy costs for the homeowner.
Habitat Partner families pay a low
cost, no interest mortgage. All of
these aspects show how Habitat works
with partner families to become
successful homeowners. Help
by
spreading the word about becoming a
partner family to continue this cycle.
Tom is also not afraid to roll up his
sleeves and get his hands dirty in
whatever physical work is required on
the job site each day. Our affiliate
benefits from Tom's constant research
on efficiency breakthroughs in tools
that will shorten project times. He has
been known to donate these to HFH as
well. Our affiliate is blessed to benefit
from Tom's extensive giving. Not to
mention, I really enjoy being greeted
on the job site every morning by Tom's
warm smile.”
Thank you for all you do, Tom!
Winter 2014