If one can do anything
Then two can change the world.
If one can make a difference
And together we’re so much more.

I am one
And I’m reaching for you
I am one
And together we’re two.
I’ll be your strength and I won’t let you fall
You may not have much
But alone I am one without you.                 -Chrisette Michele

Lakeland Habit stands as one,  but with you we are two. We are asking for you to join us as we reach out to those in need of a decent home. Any donation size is greatly appreciated and will go where the need is greatest. We are asking you to reach into your pocket and give a gift to a family who is need.

Thank you.

Lakeland Habitat has been the hero for many families in our community. Lakeland Habitat for Humanity, with the support of our community and volunteers like you, has been able to provide decent affordable homes to families who needed a place to call home. We have been “Superman” to families who simply wanted the basic necessities. No, we do not have the ability to out run a speeding bullet or jump over the tallest buildings; however we do have the ability and privilege to put a smile on a mothers face when she realizes she has a chance to provide substantial housing for her children.

Not all families are in need of a new home, but there are some families who live in homes which need minor repair, however they cannot afford home improvements. The Lakeland Habitat Restore affords families and the public to purchase household items such as windows, doors, paint, nails, flooring and other household objects. Once you donate to the Restore, it not only helps you find a new home for unwanted or unused items, but also provides us with the inventory we need to resell to the public. Your donation also helps the environment by keeping usable goods out of the landfill.

Habitat of Lakeland is largely supported through the donations of local individuals, groups, businesses, and foundations. Our contributors are the heart and soul of Lakeland Habitat for Humanity. It is the gift of kindness that you show, not only to Lakeland Habitat, but to those who are need.

We are asking, you the citizen of our community to come the aid of those in need. Now is your chance to be the hero. Any donation size is greatly appreciated and will go where the need is greatest. Your donation will help Lakeland Habitat continue the fight against substandard housing in the city of Lakeland and surrounding areas. Your 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.

Thank you!!!

National Volunteer Week is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities. It is about bringing community together to support and aid those in need. National Volunteer Week is about taking action, encouraging individuals and their respective communities to be at the center of social change discovering and actively demonstrating their collective power to foster positive transformation.

National Volunteer Week is not only for volunteers, but is for the nation as a whole to come together and share ideas and the spirit of unity. It is about strengthening our fellow neighbors, not only in America,  but our global neighbors as well. President John F. Kennedy once said,

Never before has man had such a great capacity to control his own environment, to end hunger, poverty and disease, to banish illiteracy and human misery. We have the power to make the best generation of mankind in the history of the world.

During this week as we celebrate those who give beyond themselves, let us reflect on the countless individuals who have benefited from the helping hands of our Volunteers. Lakeland Habitat for Humanity salutes all of our volunteers who have made it possible for families to live in decent affordable homes this past year. We the staff and Board of Directors celebrate the effort and countless hours put forth by you, our volunteers. Without you, the many daily task would not get done, so this week, along with the American people, we say Thank You.

Reach Out and Touch somebody’s hand, make this world a better place, if you can.

National Volunteer Week

April 15, 2012 – April 21, 2012

This is a story of me and a house

Why not join the Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge. What is the Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge? It is a program set up for youth ages 16 and up. The youth spend one week volunteering for Habitat for humanities in one of the 200 locations around the US. During this week the youth will work to help prevent against poverty housing in the area.

During the week of the Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge youth will have the chance to:

• Improve your skills.
• Connect with new people in a new place.
• Put your faith into action.
• Make a real difference in Habitat for Humanity’s work of eliminating substandard housing.

To learn more information or to set up a Collegiate Challenge group click here

Why not give these items to the Lakeland Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.

The Lakeland Habitat for Humanities Restore has a wish list of things they need the main things are:

-          Washers

-          Dryers

-          Paint

-          Land (to build a home on)

-          Stoves

-          Refrigerators

-          Click here to find out the ReStore’s other needs

The Lakeland Habitat for Humanity’s even has free pick up of your gifts.

Your gift not only helps clear out your home of unwanted stuff but it also helps those who can’t afford new prices of the item. All proceeds from Lakeland Habitat Restore go toward helping with the local Habitat for Humanity.

Thank you to all those who have donated in the past and will donate in the future we appreciate you!

“I remember the exact day and time my husband and I first heard about the [Lakeland Habitat for Humanity].  We were living in Lakeland Hills trying to get approved for healthcare benefits and I remember the screener going through our paperwork to see if my family and I would qualify.  Calmly and politely this nice lady ask us if we had heard of the [lakeland] Habitat for Humanity program and she said that judging from our paperwork we may be qualified.  So we became curious to find out more about this program. You see two weeks before we were looking at another housing program to see if we would qualify to buy a house but there was so much we had to go through and a lot of money to come up with, more than we had and could afford. We thought the dream of owning a home was not possible for us.  My husband and I prayed that God would open and make a way clear for us.  We did not know that God would answer our prayer so quickly.  Well that nice lady turned out to be Ms. MC Pruitt; she was unaware that she was being used by God to be an answer to a prayer.  We found out later that she was on the Board of Directors for Lakeland Habitat for Humanity.

We filled out an application and went through all the paperwork.  We finally found out that we were on our way to becoming a home owner!  On orientation night we met all the staff members and learned more about how the program worked.

The first morning my husband and I went to put in our time in sweat equity it was very nerve racking because I have seldom  use a hammer and how was I going to build a house!?  Thank GOD there were volunteers and supervisors there. We learned how to paint, how to put up brackets around framing of a house, how the doors go on and so much more.  There was hard work and still is hard work that goes into landscaping of our home but when it was finished my husband and I did a little extra towards the landscaping, well mostly my husband (laughs).  Because of the extras our house won the beautification award from the city of Lakeland!

All the things we learned doing sweat equity now makes it easy for us to pick up a paint brush and retouch any surface that may need painting or any retouching.

Ms. Claire Twomey and the staff at Lakeland Habitat and all the volunteers and donors we needed you and you came through to help our family.  We need you donors and volunteers to keep doing and donating your time so that our families and the community of Lakeland will have a brighter future and better place to live. To families that just joined the program a word of advice, don’t give up, keep going until you reach your goal, you will not regret it.  May God continue to bless the Lakeland Habitat for Humanity program.”

Lakeland Habitat for Humanities (with your help) plans to continue to be God’s hands and help out families by building homes to build stronger communities.

 

Lakeland Habitat Supports FREE ELECTRONICS RECYCLING
Lakeland Habitat for Humanity now accepts all computers and electronis as donations.  In partnership with GreenSite, a leading recycler of excess and surplus computers and other electronics components.  GreenSite will does not send electronics to landfills instead all components are recycled them and other down-line processors using methods approved by the EPA and state governments. 

Bring in all you old and recyclable electronics and donate towards helping to build a home for a needy family.

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

We love our volunteers!

Volunteer Dinner

Habitat of Lakeland would like to thank all our hard working volunteers that help us make a difference here in the community. If  you are a volunteer or have been in the past, please come and join us for our Volunteer Dinner.

When:  January 19, 2012.

Time: 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Where: First United Methodist Church ~ 72 Lake Morton Drive~ Lakeland

Must RSVP by January 11th.

Please call 863-682-3812

Are you a Habitat For Humanity of Lakeland volunteer?