The Brick and Mortar - Houston Habitat for Humanity

The Brick and Mortar
2nd Quarter
~KPRC Dedicates 2nd Home~
April 2015
Houston Habitat Partner Family member Sandra Barrera
dreamed of a home where she could take care of her two
children and her elderly grandmother in a safe and healthy
environment.
KPRC and their corporate partners came together earlier this year to build a home fitting of
those dreams. Despite a few broken nails, and building in the cold and wet Houston winter, the
build teams kept their spirits high and worked hard to finish the home.
On Tuesday, April 7th Houston Habitat, KPRC and the KPRC Habitat Home corporate partners
came together once again to celebrate the Barrera family and welcome them into their new
home. It was a day of love, laughter and tears as volunteers and corporate partners took turns
sharing stories of what inspires them to give back to the community and how the volunteer
experience changed them for the better. Ms. Barrera said it best when she exclaimed, “I just want
to thank everybody for helping me accomplish this goal … Thank you all and may the Lord
bless you all!”
Houston Habitat is grateful for the hard-work and passion that KPRC and KPRC Habitat Home
corporate partners: Star Furniture, Shipley, Pappa’s Restaurants, Noble Energy and Coventry
Homes put into helping us build a quality home that the Barrera family can love and grow in for
many years to come. We look forward to building with them again soon!
Click here to see the “The Making of a Habitat Home' special on KPRC 2”
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www.houstonhabitat.org
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~ Houston Habitat goes Global~
The Village School of Houston participated in a Habitat for
Humanity Global Village trip to Nicaragua, and we asked
Aanchal Jaggi, The Village School Habitat Club’s President a
few questions about the groups’ mission trip:
What was your most memorable moment?
In such an experience, it is difficult to choose one out of the
many memorable moments, but one that will stay with me
forever was when we dedicated the house to the family.
Everyone who worked on the house and the whole family that
was going to live in it, joined together to ask for God's
blessing, while touching the walls of the house.
What most surprised you?
Before leaving for Nicaragua, we all had this image of hygiene problems and poverty, painted in our
minds. When we reached there, however, we found that despite the economic issues of the country, it
was beautiful, clean, and the people were warm and loving. Even more so, after we met the family of the
house, we were pleasantly surprised by, despite their problems, how they were also smiling. The country
is surprisingly scenic, and has a rich, cultural heritage.
How did you feel when you finished?
We felt incredible. It was a very fulfilling experience, and we felt so happy because we couldn't believe
that with us being there for five days, we could see a house almost completely ready. At the same time,
however, we were all sad because after spending a week with the family, we got attached and we wanted
to see them moving into their house, and properly getting settled, and we wished that we could do a little
more.
What were your thoughts on the way home?
"When can we do this again?" We made a strong bond with everyone in the family and with the Habitat
Nicaragua Staff and we would love to see them again next year. Next time we come to Nicaragua, the
first thing we would like to do is visit the family and see how they're doing.
For more information about Global Village Volunteer Program, go to: http://www.habitat.org/gv
See the video of Village
School’s Habitat Nicaragua trip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38-HFHVam0I&feature=youtu.be
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www.houstonhabitat.org
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~NEW HOMEOWNERS!~
Houston Habitat for
Humanity presents keys to
new homeowners!
Ms. San Miguel is a single mother of a 3
year old son, she had been leasing a
property in the Fifth Ward Area of
Houston for more than 5 years. Ms. San
Miguel lived in a very unsafe home with
heavy machine equipment in her front
yard making it difficult for her child to
play outside without getting hurt. She
promised herself and her son that she
would become a home owner to have a
safe environment for her child. “I want to
a safe place where my son can have the
liberty of playing outside and I don’t
have to worry about him getting hurt.”
Many families come to us with
hopes and dreams of owning a
house they can call home. The
process is not for the faint of
heart! It takes a lot of hard work
and homeownership training to
earn a Habitat home. Houston
Habitat is proud of the families
that stuck it out and made it to
the finish! We celebrate them
every month, every week, every
day!
Ms. San Miguel became a proud
homeowner in March, 2015
Tiphanie Wilson became a Houston Habitat
Family Partner in the hopes of one day
owning a home where she and her two
children could feel secure. Ms. Wilson’s five
year old son, Ken’dell suffers from a form of
epilepsy that has left him unable to walk or
talk and needed a safe environment where he
could comfortably work with his physical
therapist. “I have always dreamed of having
a place I can call mine … a place where my
kids and I can be comfortable.”
Ms. Wilson and her children found that safe
place in their Habitat Home in April 2015!
Eric and Micheline Gasongo envisioned having
a home to call their own, a home where their
four children could have bedrooms to call their
own. The Gasonogo family lived in a small two
bedroom apartment before becoming a Houston
Habitat Partner Family, and with three boys and
a little girl on the way, the cramped apartment
left little room for the growing family. “We
want a house because we have children and we
want to make it a home for them.”
Through hard-work and dedication their
dreams became a reality in April 2015 when Mr.
and Mrs. Gasongo closed on their Habitat
Home!
For more information about how you can become a Habitat Homeowner, go to: http://houstonhabitat.org/homeowners/
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~Celebrating Women!~
Houston Habitat for Humanity’s 2015 Women Build kicked off on Thursday, April 9th with fun and
cocktails at a coming together of the build teams and a unique fashion show highlighting active wear
from Athleta, and outer wear from Whole Earth Provisions!
This event was just the beginning of something special. This eclectic mix of women build teams from
our sponsors: HEB, Lowes, Schlumberger, Vaco Resources, Women Working Wonders and Hoover
Slovacek will come together to build a home for a deserving and hard-working single mother
beginning in May.
Help us continue the journey! Additional funds are needed to complete the Women Build
house. We are almost there! Be a part of the movement to empower women to pursue the
dream of home ownership!
To donate click on button below and under the fund tab, click on “2015 Women Build”
Donate Today
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www.houstonhabitat.org
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~Realtors Building Homes in Houston, TX~
Realtors Building Homes in Houston, TX
Giveback Homes is a trusted network of real estate professionals
dedicated to creating social change. Simply by choosing to work with
a Giveback Homes real estate agent, you will help build a home for a
family in Central America or right here in Houston, TX! Home for
Home. The company has partnered with Habitat for Humanity both
domestically and internationally, and has so far built 23 homes
for families in Nicaragua, and coordinated several Build Days with
Habitat Affiliates in Los Angeles and Dallas. We are thrilled to
officially partner with Giveback Homes and welcome their members
to start building and changing lives in Houston, TX!
Members of Giveback Homes donate a portion of their commission to the cause, and 100% of their
contributions go directly to the field through the Habitat for Humanity partner of their choice. “We can
create social change, simply by making the everyday transaction of buying and selling a home through a
Giveback Homes agent,” said Giveback Homes Founder, Blake Andrews, and we couldn't agree more!
If you are in the market to buy or sell your home, please consider using a Giveback Homes Realtor. Click
here for a complete list: http://givebackhomes.com/find-a-member
Giveback Homes is currently looking for social good Realtors to join their movement! Click here to learn
more: http://givebackhomes.com/join-giveback-homes
Habitat for Humanity named social services nonprofit brand of the year in
Harris Poll EquiTrend® study
ATLANTA (March 30, 2015) – Habitat for Humanity has been named the “Brand of the Year” in the social
services nonprofit category in the 2015 Harris Poll EquiTrend® study, an annual survey that measures the
brand equity of an organization in the U.S.
This year’s study marks the first time Habitat for Humanity has been recognized as a top ranked brand
in its category.
“We are deeply honored by this award and the public opinion that informs it. Each day, Habitat
volunteers and sponsors worldwide partner alongside families in need of a safe and decent home to help
them build a path out of poverty,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “We
believe this award provides great validation that our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to
live is shared broadly by both our supporters and the American public.”
The announcement by the Harris Poll comes at a time of immense growth for the global nonprofit
housing organization. During its 2014 fiscal year, Habitat for Humanity served more than 300,000
families — about 1.6 million people in more than 70 countries — through home construction, renovations
and critical home repairs or increased access to improved shelter through products and services. Founded in
1976, Habitat’s global mission is made possible thanks to the hands and hearts of more than 2 million
volunteers and the financial support of its many generous donors.
Harris Poll’s EquiTrend® study is based on the Brand Equity Index, which is comprised of three key
factors—familiarity, quality and consideration—that result in a rating for each brand. For this, the 27th
annual study, more than 38,000 Americans assessed more than 1,400 brands across 148 categories.
Visit harrisinteractive.com to read more about the Harris Poll EquiTrend® study.
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www.houstonhabitat.org
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~Energy Star Awards~
Houston Habitat for Humanity is thrilled to announce
that for the eighth year in a row, we have been awarded
a prestigious Energy Star Award from The EPA for our
commitment to protecting the environment through our
green building and energy efficiency initiatives!
Houston Habitat strives to leave a small carbon
footprint while continuing to leave a large footprint in
the growth and development of our community. We
utilize numerous green energy building practices, such
as Advanced Framing Techniques. This building
technique cuts down the amount of lumber in the home
and makes it easier to insulate. Our contractors and
volunteers frame all of our wall sections in our
warehouse. This allows us to reduce the amount of
waste lumber. All of our construction waste, both in the
warehouse and in the field, is recycled. These practices
do not stop on the build site; we furnish our homes with
high efficiency air conditioning units and energy
efficient appliances. These cost-effective initiatives not
only protect our environment for future generations, it
also keep energy bills low for our Partner Families!
3750 N. McCarty St.
Houston, TX 77029
Houston Habitat for Humanity, with thousands of sponsors and volunteers, has built over 950 homes for hard-working, low-income
Houstonians. Habitat Partner Families contribute 300 hours of “sweat equity” and complete training on home ownership to purchase
homes at cost with zero-interest mortgages. For more information about Houston Habitat for Humanity, and the Houston Habitat
ReStore – a nonprofit home improvement store and donation center open to the public, go to www.houstonhabitat.org, or call 713-6719993. Houston Habitat for Humanity is a tax-exempt 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.
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www.houstonhabitat.org
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