As August 3rd 2010 approaches marking the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we owe it to our children to make sure we do a better job of defending them in the wake of the next catastrophe.
Lakeland Habitatsupports this just cause. From pediatric care, nutrition and counseling to child-friendly shelters and temporary schools, defending kids in the coursework of emergencies requires that nonprofits, businesses, and federal, state and local governments work together.
Habitat for Humanity is working with Congress and the President to establish the National Commission on Kids and Disasters to be sure that children are never an afterthought in a catastrophe again. Read more and sign our petition today!Click Here…
Make a donation today and support Lakeland Habitat’s Housing efforts to help the less fortunate.
With poverty rates becoming increasingly lofty, the US has become home to over 100 million homeless people. These rates continue climbing as one third of the people in the US are having difficulty paying their housing bills. Millions of families are forced to live in poor housing conditions which are often unsafe and unsanitary. This housing problem was recognized as a potential epidemic when it was first dealt with in the 1970’s. Now, Habitat for Humanity is among the most widely respected charities in the world.
Habitat for Humanity is a Christian housing ministry founded in 1976. People from every race, color, and creed are invited to become part of the Habitat movement through donation and/or volunteer work. Read the rest of this entry »
With over 100 million homeless people throughout the world, Habitat for Humanity cannot provide affordable housing for everybody. Therefore, the program must be relatively selective in choosing candidates whom are best suited for habitat homes. In addition to meeting a specific list of requirements, a potential candidate must agree to do his/her part in contributing to the growth of the program. Read the rest of this entry »
This year, Lakeland Habitat for Humanity will celebrate its 20th anniversary and complete its 100th house (and more). We are proud of what we have accomplished, but are constantly looking for ways to make our community stronger and healthier. At this time, we look to you to help us lay the groundwork for the success of future projects by participating in a brief survey based upon the information below.
To meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges, Lakeland Habitat for Humanity is considering a major campaign to raise $12,000,000 over a five-year period. This investment from donors, volunteers, residents, corporations and foundations would restore historic neighborhoods, create a one-of-a-kind community, and celebrate 20 years of providing decent housing.
To transform the lives of more families, Lakeland Habitat for Humanity will:
Partner with Parker Street Ministries and Lakeland’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) program to renovate 100+ existing homes in the Parker Street Community through our “Brush with Kindness” program;
Create Laurel Brook Village, an affordable, mixed-income community of 36 homes on 22 acres of land; and
Develop energy efficient projects, including an energy-producing solar farm at Laurel Brook Village.
Role of Community Support
We hope that you will help us plan for the anticipated campaign by participating in a brief survey. I am confident that your guidance will help us lay the groundwork for the success of these innovative and important projects
We live in a country which has been built upon the backs of a predominantly individualistic society. Personal growth and success have become fundamental objectives in the struggle to achieve the American dream. As Americans, we are expected to compete for a taste of success, and this type of competition often means stepping on one’s opponents to get to the top.
Barney and Carol Barnett personally donated two new houses – $60,000 for each home to Lakeland Habitat for Humanity.
The Ledger reports “Side by side with young men and women from Youth Build, a job training program, the Barnetts ceremonially raised the first wall of the 100th house to be built by the Lakeland chapter of Habitat for Humanity. They [personally] contributed $120,000 for the construction of two Habitat houses in the depressed Parker Street neighborhood. A third home will be built on an adjacent lot with loan repayment monies from families in the first two homes.
The first of the three homes, on nearby Peachtree Street, [is] mostly framed. It will be a two-story, four-bedroom home, purchased by Mark and Marvet Brooks, who have three children. The Barnetts looked over the home and chatted with the Brookses before walking over to the freshly poured concrete slab of the second home, which will be sold to Adam and Nicole George, who have two children. The Georges’ 3-year-old daughter, Faith, was diagnosed with luekemia after the family was approved for the home.”
Besides the Barnett’s personal donation of the two homes Publix Charities also donates every year to Lakeland Habitat for Humanity. Carol Barnett tells the Lakeland Ledger “We’re happy to have such a dynamic Habitat chapter in Lakeland. It was an easy decision,” she said.”
The Parker Street neighborhood has a reputation for drug activity and prostitution, but it is improving, said Claire Twomey, executive director of Lakeland Habitat. Even so, Twomey said, it took some persuasion for the Brookses and Georges to accept the location of their homes.
Frank Kendrick, chairman of the board of the midtown community redevelopment project, said bringing in families is important.
“We need families who want to raise their kids here. Habitat for Humanity – that’s what they do. These are nice, quality homes. Working-class families are exactly what we need to stabilize the community,” he said.”
Our last day on the work site and our house is finished. Our family whose name is Dong had a ceremonial tea service for all the volunteers to thank us, with a tea set that we all gave to them for their new home. It was very emotional for all of us.
One of the volunteers brought a bag of balloons and Becky and I blew them up and tied them to a string for the children. One after another they came to our house for a balloon, the police had to come and tell them no more. We almost caused a riot! I do not think they ever saw one before. I know that most of them had never seen an American before. We were quite a treat for them, especially with blue eyes.
We then walked behind the dancing dragons to the closing meal shared by volunteers and families. I wish I could tell you what it is really like here, but I cannot put into words what it would take to show the depth of the poverty here. Our family has been waiting 7 years for this little house while living on a very small boat in the river.
They are so grateful for so little and are so happy to work along side us. We cannot speak each others language, but we can read the thoughts in our hearts through our eyes. It has been an honor to be here with such wonderful people.
The need for affordable housing in the Mekong region is immense. Some of the poorest people in Asia live along the countries touching The Mekong River. Nearly one-third of the population lives in poverty—many on less than one dollar per day.
From November 15–20, 2009,The Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project will unite volunteers and families in need of decent, affordable housing in the Mekong region. During the weeklong build, volunteers will build with an estimated 175 families in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and China’s Sichuan Province.
Featured Story
A ‘New Life’ is almost ready in Cambodia
The 21 families moving to the new Habitat site in Oudong city have named their neighborhood the New Life Community. It is situated in Sra Por village―seemingly a world away—from the garbage dump where they previously lived.
Setting the stage in Thailand Hundreds of volunteers and partner families and thousands of tools and materials will come together during the 2009 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project.
Across the country, Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grantees and their partners are busy implementing their programs—working with mortgage servicers to purchase properties and with local partners to rehabilitate homes and secure new homeowners and renters. Under NSP1, HUD allocated $3.92 billion on a formula basis to 309 states, territories and local governments. The program was designed to stabilize communities across America hardest hit by foreclosures.
As a small state, Rhode Island received the minimum allocation for state grantees of $19.6 million. They have taken a number of creative approaches to utilizing their funds quickly and efficiently. Within the NSP guidelines, their statewide NSP plan set parameters for their grant funds which are being utilized in 11 communities. They began an NSP Homebuyer Assistance Program in targeted communities, and have already reserved all funds set-aside for that purpose. As this recent article shows, they are also rehabbing foreclosed properties in communities such as Warwick across the state through local partnerships between municipalities and nonprofits. Read the rest of this entry »
As August 3rd 2010 approaches marking the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we owe it to our children to make sure we do a better job of defending them in the wake of the next catastrophe.
