The Lakeland Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian organization. We welcome people of all faith backgrounds to become family partners, volunteers, and supporters to join in our common goal of eliminating poverty housing and making decent affordable shelter for all people a matter of conscience. Our work provides a tangible expression to the love of God so that every man, woman and child can have a simple, decent affordable place to live in dignity and safety.

Lakeland Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1991 as an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, which began in 1976 as a Christian housing ministry.

How we carry out our mission:

Faith in Action

We are called by our faith in God to serve families in need with generosity, humility and love. We welcome people of all faith backgrounds and beliefs to join us in our common goal of eliminating poverty housing.

Building Community

Lakeland Habitat for Humanity is a partnership founded on common ground–bridging theological differences by putting love into action. When we build and renovate homes and preserve homeownership, we can build community and help people to live and grow into all that God has intended.

Global Reach

The need for decent affordable housing is a worldwide challenge. We partner with Habitat for Humanity in its global ministry by providing a tithe of our unrestricted resources to support house building in other countries around the world. In some years, the amount we tithe to Habitat International provides enough funding to build as many homes abroad as we build here in the Twin Cities.

If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. —1 John 3:16–18

Every time you make a purchase, you are helping build a future for another.

This is The perfect idea for last-minute gifts
Donate online today and we’ll send your loved one a beautiful personalized electronic gift card right away.

Or visit the online store for all kinds of products for your home or apparel. Give the gift that keeps on giving.

Habitat for Humanity of Lakeland.

1317 George Jenkins Blvd. -  863-688-4660

Habitat’s vision: a world where everyone has a decent place to live.–

Recently, I was given the honor of delivering the 12th annual John T. Dunlop Lecture at Harvard University. The lecture is sponsored by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. My purpose was to either persuade or remind the business leaders, students, academics, policy makers and others who were gathered that access to affordable housing is a vitally important issue that requires action from all sectors of society. I wanted them to join me in the belief that people of widely varying incomes can be successful homeowners, and I hoped we might leave as better advocates with a renewed sense of urgency for tackling difficult challenges.

My talk focused on three myths that I often hear about affordable housing:

Myth 1: Housing is important, but it is not at the top of the list. The reality is that affordable housing is central to education, health, employment and economic development.

Myth 2:  Affordable housing is someone else’s problem. Housing at all economic levels has to be set in the context of community.  If we are to provide affordable housing for all, then public, private and social sectors must work together.

Myth 3:  Homeownership really isn’t for low-income people. We need the full spectrum of housing products, and people of many income levels can be successful homeowners.  At Habitat, we believe that owning a house is a “power move” for many low-income families.

I shared examples of compassionate and ingenious responses concerning shelter for some of those affected by the 2004 tsunami in Asia; of a community in North Carolina that has been transformed from an unsightly center of crime and blight to a thriving and inviting place to live; and about the health, education and livelihood improvements that have resulted from our efforts to provide housing solutions in a village in Brazil.

I find that while almost everyone knows of Habitat, few realize the breadth and depth of our global work so I welcome these chances to remind people that a world of hope starts at home. I urge everyone to consider the effect that stable housing has in communities all around the world. Ponder the fact that poverty housing affects everyone — across demographics — and that it takes everyone to address the challenges of ensuring adequate shelter for all.

From the Middle East and Africa, to the Caribbean, Habitat for Humanity builds hope for the future.

ATLANTA (July 15, 2011) — Habitat for Humanity International has been named an associate member of the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership, the first international self-regulatory body for organizations involved in humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

Established in 2003, HAP International is currently comprised of more than 75 nonprofit member organizations from around the globe and seeks to make humanitarian action accountable to its intended beneficiaries through self-regulation and quality assurance.

“It is with great pleasure and interest that we received the application of Habitat for Humanity International to join the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership,” said Angela Raven-Roberts, Executive Director of HAP International. “Shelter is a human right and key to the survival, livelihood, protection and well-being of families, particularly those emerging from crises and situations of forced displacement. The work of Habitat has been and continues to be vital in mobilizing support for the millions around the world who remain homeless.”

Habitat for Humanity is no stranger to disaster response. This year alone, Habitat has responded to a number of natural disasters worldwide, including the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan and the series of deadly tornados that recently struck the Midwest and southeastern U.S.

“Partnering with fellow disaster response organizations that have such agreed-upon standards of accountability simply makes sense,” said Kip Scheidler, Senior Director of Global Disaster Response with Habitat for Humanity International.

“With a number of active disaster relief and recovery operations throughout the world, it’s important for Habitat to use internationally recognized and well-vetted standards of accountability and quality assurance,” said Scheidler. “We thank HAP International and our fellow member organizations for the opportunity to partner together so that the people we help know that they are fully benefiting from the resources generously given to us by our donors.”

For more information about HAP International, visit the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership website.

About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built, rehabilitated, repaired or improved more than 400,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 2 million people. For more information, or to donate or volunteer, visit Habitat.org.

Habitat for Humanity International was founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller.  
The concept that grew into Habitat for Humanity International was born at Koinonia Farm, a small, interracial, Christian community outside of Americus, Georgia. Koinonia Farm was founded in 1942 by farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan.

The Fullers first visited Koinonia in 1965. They had recently left a successful business and an affluent lifestyle in Montgomery, Alabama to begin a new life of Christian service.

At Koinonia, Jordan and Fuller developed the concept of “partnership housing.” The concept centered on those in need of adequate shelter working side by side with volunteers to build simple, decent houses.

The Fund for Humanity
The houses would be built at no profit and interest would not be charged on the loans. Building costs would be financed by a revolving fund called “The Fund for Humanity.” The fund’s money would come from the new homeowners’ house payments, no-interest loans provided by supporters and money earned by fund-raising activities. The monies in the Fund for Humanity would be used to build more houses.

The Fund for Humanity’s mission statement:
What the poor need is not charity but capital, not caseworkers but co-workers. And what the rich need is a wise, honorable and just way of divesting themselves of their overabundance. The Fund for Humanity will meet both of these needs. Money for the fund will come from shared gifts by those who feel they have more than they need and from non-interest bearing loans from those who cannot afford to make a gift but who do want to provide working capital for the disinherited . . .    The fund will give away no money. It is not a handout.

Inception of Habitat for Humanity
In 1968, Koinonia laid out 42 half-acre house sites with four acres reserved as a community park and recreational area. Capital was donated from around the country to start the work. Homes were built and sold to families in need at no profit and no interest. The basic model of Habitat for Humanity was begun.

Zaire
In 1973, the Fullers decided to apply the Fund for Humanity concept in developing countries.

Workers build the exterior wall of a house in Zaire in 1975

 The Fuller family moved to Mbandaka, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo.) The Fullers’ goal was to offer affordable yet adequate shelter to 2,000 people. After three years of hard work to launch a successful house building program, the Fullers returned to the United States.

Expansion into Habitat for Humanity International
In September 1976, Millard and Linda called together a group of supporters to discuss the future of their dream. Habitat for Humanity International as an organization was born at this meeting. The eight years that followed, vividly described in Millard Fuller’s book, “Love in the Mortar Joints,” proved that the vision of a housing ministry was workable. Faith, hard work and direction set HFHI on its successful course.

Phenomenal growth
In 1984, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn took their first Habitat work trip, the Jimmy Carter Work Project, to New York City. Their personal involvement in Habitat’s ministry brought the organization national visibility and sparked interest in Habitat’s work across the nation. HFHI experienced a dramatic increase in the number of new affiliates around the country.

Habitat today
Through the work of Habitat, thousands of low-income families have found new hope in the form of affordable housing. Churches, community groups and others have joined together to successfully tackle a significant social problem ― decent housing for all.

Today, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 400,000 houses, sheltering more than 2 million people worldwide.

These are the words that inspired a woman named Moina Michael, to reply with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children’s League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans’ organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their “Buddy” Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

Today, VFW Buddy Poppies are still assembled by disabled and needy veterans in VA Hospitals.

Read more here, about the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day and  how you can observe this day in your own home and town.

For many of us, we will be celebrating Easter this weekend with loved ones near and far.   For some around the world, celebrating may not be easy during a time of disaster, catastrophe, or tragedy.  Through these trials, ironically, we find the most giving, kind, united and generous people within the community itself.  But when that community is devastated, it takes a global effort to put things back together again.

On Feb. 27, 2010, a magnitude-8.8 earthquake rocked the length of Chile and triggered a tsunami along the country’s coast. One year later, much work remains to help families rebuild their lives and their homes.

Luis Santibañez, national director Habitat Chile

Thankfully, Habitat Chile was there.  To help rebuild.  To give hope and help to those left homeless because of the utter devastation that took place.  Efforts around the globe have helped support the area.   But, there is still much more work to be done.  10,000 Chilean families are still in need.

Thanks to the many contributors who donate their time, talents, goods and money to help in the most  impossible of odds by giving to those who need it most, there have been many Chilean families who have been able to rebuild their lives.

Whether it’s the World Habitat or your local Lakeland Habitat for Humanity, your donations are what helps turn tragedy  into a triumph. This Easter, lets remember those who are celebrating a full life with their loved ones, but possibly without a roof over their heads.

To read more about how Habitat Chile is doing or to donate, go Here.

A World of Hope

“A Campaign of Lakeland Habitat for Humanity”

Hope is defined as the belief of a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one’s life. It is the feeling that what is wanted can be had, or that events will turn out for the best. It is with that assurance that Lakeland Habitat for Humanity has implemented a campaign to bring optimism and hope into the deserving lives of families in our community.  

A World of Hope Campaign will with the aid and support of community partners provide shelter to at least 200 additional Habitat families within the next five years. One hundred of these homes will be built here in our local communiy which will sheter at least 650 children and impact the lives of  more men, women and children in the years to follow. The remaining homes will be built from our contributions and tithes to Habitat International in the International Community.

The campaign will also rehabilitate existing homes and build new homes in esteemed, distressed Lakeland  neighborhoods and sell the homes to Habitat families. A World of Hope Campaign will allow us to help support the regeneration of Lakeland communities through in-fill building and extending our “A Brush with Kindness” home repair program, which makes the homes of minimal-income homeowners safer and decreases the likelihood of the home being abandoned.

In this effort we will develop a mixed-income community that includes energy efficient homes, open green spaces, the use of alternative energy and access to amenities including: schools, churches and public transportation.

Understanding we can not combat this effort alone, but it is with the combined efforts of our supporteres that we can only give deserving families A World of Hope. Donations and gifts help ensure stable housing for hundreds each year. Support our mission today by supporting Lakeland Habitat for Humanity with a donation or gift today.

Online Donation

Lakeland Habitat for Humanity provides decent, affordable houses to families in need. Our homeowners gain self-respect as they work alongside volunteers to construct their homes.

A Gift of Home

Let us BUILD A HOUSE ONLINE! A gift of home will help children across the Lakeland community live decent affordable homes. Make a lifetime impact on the families we serve and the communities in which they live.

A Brush With Kindness

Lakeland Habitat’s A Brush With Kindness seeks to bring volunteers together to live out their faith and values by helping low-income homeowners restore their homes so that they can continue to live in a safe, decent and affordable home. Repairs vary in expense based on the size of the project and the extent of repair work to be done. Sponsorships are $3,000 and we put together enough sponsorships to cover the costs of repairs.

A World of Hope

“A Campaign of Lakeland Habitat for Humanity”

Although it may be cliché, love IS the greatest gift you could ever give. The Lakeland Habitat for Humanity would like to first extend to you and your family a very Merry Christmas!  We hope and pray something said or done by our team has inspired you to reach out and lend a hand to someone who may be in need this holiday season.

We are asking you to look within yourself and think of a time when you needed not just a hand out, but a hand up. Lakeland Habitat is here to extend that hand up to someone who may be in need. The question may be posed, “What can I do to help?”  The Lakeland Habitat for Humanity Organization has several different programs in which we all can contribute.

Your online donation will ensure Lakeland Habitat has all they need to aid the families who rely on their services each year. Whether your donation is great or small, we are still appreciative.

Perhaps you may not be able to give financially at this time, but you still would like to contribute.  You can become a Lakeland Habitat Volunteer. Our volunteers are the back bone of the organization. They work as a team not only when constructing a home, but also working different functions put forth by Lakeland Habitat.

Lakeland Habitat also offers a program to aid low-income homeowners repair and maintain their homes. A Brush with Kindness uses volunteers, donated materials and no-interest loans to make repairs affordable, helping low-income homeowners continue to live independently and securely in their homes. A Brush with Kindness is about connecting people and restoring homes through simple acts of kindness so that home owners can once again live in a safe and decent home.

Big or small your contribution is greatly appreciated!!!!