A Brush With Kindness

Lakeland Habitat appreciates your giving to build homes for those in need. You are changing lives one house at a time!

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A Brush With Kindness Application Form

“A Brush With Kindness Application Form.”
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Choosing a green building rating system.

“Today, sustainability is a growing concern for the architects, designers, builders, and owners of commercial and residential buildings. Meeting the requirements of a rating system provides a metric to evaluate and set priorities..”
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A Gift of Heart

“A Gift Of Heart.”
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What we do

Lakeland Habitat for Humanity A Brush with Kindness is part of Habitat’s broader community development strategy called the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI). The NRI is designed to proactively and intentionally pursue our strategic imperative of helping to transform and strengthen communities. It is a holistic approach that revitalizes the appearance of the neighborhood, encourages connections within the community and, most importantly, helps preserve affordable housing stock

Lakeland Habitat for Humanity works with low-income homeowners to repair and maintain their homes. A Brush with Kindness helps ensure families are living in safe and well-maintained homes; keeps homeowners in their homes, protecting their financial investments; and restores homeowners’ dignity and pride of homeownership.  The end result is homes that are safe and well maintained, homeowners who are able to keep their homes, and neighborhoods that are renewed. Download ABWK Application Form

How we do it

We accept applications and reach out to cities and neighborhood organizations to identify homeowners whose homes are in the greatest need of repair. These tend to be seniors, disabled and single-parent families.  We help homeowners with minor repairs, painting, and other maintenance.  

A Brush with Kindness uses volunteers, donated materials and no-interest loans to makes repairs affordable, helping low-income homeowners continue to live independently and securely in their homes.

Groups of 10-20 volunteers work alongside the homeowner to revitalize a home’s exterior. We match volunteers and donations to complete the repairs.  Team leaders make the experience of helping others a positive one.

Why it matters
  1. Helps ensure families are living in safe and well-maintained homes.
  2. Keeps homeowners in their homes and protects their financial investments
  3. Restores the homeowners dignity and pride of homeownership
This kind of homeowner-by-homeowner approach translates into stronger neighborhoods and communities.  Many low-income homeowners live in challenging circumstances which create issues that are beyond what they can handle alone. You may know of a neighbor, parent or grandparent who is struggling to keep their home in a livable condition. Homeowners must often choose between paying for food, medication, taxes, and basic utilities.
 
When basic family expenses exceed income month after month, home maintenance is the usual casualty. Years of deferred maintenance can cause a downward spiral of home deterioration and unsafe living conditions. Outside forces also play a role in putting the squeeze on low-income homeowners. Often they are faced with city code violations and homeowner insurance cancellation when their home is in disrepair.
Many of the homeowners we partner with have worked years to maintain their homes and now find themselves in an awkward and sometimes embarrassing position of asking for help. A Brush with Kindness helps ease wary homeowner concerns by providing home preservation services that are sensitive to homeowner circumstances.
 
After completing an application process, A Brush with Kindness provides caring volunteer groups who are willing to come alongside and assist homeowners in completing the necessary work. Able-bodied homeowners work side by side with volunteers in a cooperative effort.
 
A Brush with Kindness is about connecting people and restoring homes through simple acts of kindness so that homeowners can once again live in a safe and decent home.
 

 

 

 

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Faith In Action

“Learn more about the Christian roots of Habitat's identity..”
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Childrens Health Insurance

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