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Habitat, Siemens Partner to Build Solar-Powered Home
January 5, 2012CUMMING, Ga. -- Siemens today announced a $100,000 partnership with Habitat for Humanity to build the organization's first solar home in Georgia.
Volunteers will work side-by-side with future homeowner Melonie Lingo and her teenage children, Luke and Madie, starting at the first-nail ceremony Jan. 21, 2012. Read more...
Blackwell Family Dedication
December 17, 2011Veronnica Blackwell and her three children were among friends, volunteers, and members of their church, First Baptist Church of Woodstock, when their home was dedicated on December 17, 2011. This was the culmination of a long road filled with both literal and figurative heart ache for the family.
Veronnica's youngest son, Cody, suffered from a heart condition and had to undergo surgery as an infant. With no support from family or friends, Veronnica struggled to care for both Cody and her two other children, John & Annalise. During Cody’s illness, Veronnica was forced to leave her job to care for him, which caused the family to become homeless. It was around this time of despair that Veronnica joined First Baptist Church of Woodstock.
With the support of her church and with her own determination, Veronnica worked to put her life back together. Cody started to recover and Veronnica found employment. The completion of the family's transformation occurred when Veronnica was approved for a Habitat for Humanity and was finally able to provide the stability she so desperately wanted for her children. The day of the dedication Veronnica said, “I’m never selling this home. It will always be my family’s home.”
Thank you to the sponsors who made this home a reality for the Blackwell family: Wells Fargo, Bank of North Georgia, First Baptist Church of Woodstock, HealthPort, Hillside United Methodist Church & the North Georgia United Methodist Housing and Homeless Council, Joe E. Johnston Foundation, OCI Enterprises, State Street Bank Foundation, Saint Clement’s Episcopal Church, and the Cherokee Association of Realtors.
Park Creek Dedication Ceremony
December 10, 2011It was another chilly December Dedication Ceremony, but everyone’s hearts were warmed by the celebration of the completion of the Gibson, Hite, Obele, and Yu families’ homes. Over 50 people gathered together to rejoice in this milestone for these four families. It has been a long journey filled with illnesses and other obstacles for all of the families, but these homes represented a new beginning filled with hope, particularly for the Obele family. Two of Joyce Obele’s six children suffer from asthma. To help alleviate asthmas triggers within the home, Merck, in partnership with the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, worked with Habitat-NCG to build the Obele’s an “asthma healthy” home.
For the Hite family, they had much to celebrate as their youngest son, Reid, was completely healthy and cancer-free for the first time in his young life. Stephen Schoen, a Habitat-NCG board member, land sponsor of the Hite family’s home, and Dawn Hite’s employer offered his congratulations for their new home. The Hite’s house was sponsored by Schoen Insulation Services vendors, Alpharetta United Methodist, Northminster Presbyterian, Roswell Presbyterian, Roswell United Methodist, Saint Aidan’s Episcopal, Saint David’s Episcopal, Saint James United Methodist, Saint Peter Chanel Catholic, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Zion Missionary Baptist.
Vernita Gibson and her three sons had been ready to move into their home for months. As soon as the ceremony ended, a truck with the Gibson family’s belongings pulled up to the house so that they could immediately move in. The family was especially excited to get their Christmas tree put up in front of the living room window. The Gibson house was sponsored by Mount Pisgah United Methodist, Saint Brigid Catholic, and Travelers. Schoen Insulation Services also provided a land sponsorship for the home.
Annalise Yu’s young daughter, Hayan, was more excited to play with the key to their new home than the home itself, but as she grows older she will undoubtedly come to appreciate having a simple, decent home to grow up in. Annalise certainly knows the value of homeownership, having owned a home previously when she was married. She is happy that Habitat provided a way for her to be able to own a home on her own. The Yu family’s house was sponsored by Citrix Systems, Inc., Lafarge, Logic Trends, Inc., MetLife, Newell Rubbermaid, PCL Industrial Construction Co., Ryder, SCANA Energy, Schneider Electric, Sullivan & Schlieman Wealth Management, and Xerox.
Thank you to all of the house sponsors and volunteers who made these homes possible!
Build Smart, Breathe Easier
December 9, 2011HGTV personality and carpenter, Carter Oosterhouse, and house sponsors Merck and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) joined Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia to celebrate the dedication of our first “asthma-healthy” home on Friday, December 9. Partnering with Joyce Obele and her family, which includes six children and her mother, Cecelia, Habitat- NCG built a home to help eliminate exposure to allergens and other asthma “triggers” for Joyce’s daughters, Cindy and Amara, who suffer from the disease.
The “Build Smart, Breathe Easier” program was initiated by Merck and AAFA as a national asthma awareness education program. Over 24 million Americans suffer from asthma, and an estimated 12% of children in Georgia have asthma. For the Obele family home, we aimed to minimize exposure to asthma triggers by using special construction techniques and materials. Habitat for Humanity International corporate partner, Valspar, provided paint free of volatile organic compounds (VOC), and Whirlpool provided a washer and a dryer that reach temperatures high enough to kill dust mites.
In addition to sponsoring the house, Merck provided the Obele family with “asthma-healthy” bedding and a vacuum with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter suitable for cleaning hard-surface flooring and rug areas. Other features of the home included low-VOC cabinetry as well as a special filtration system for the HVAC unit. Even the landscaping was selected with careful attention to avoid pollinating plants.
It was a special day for the Obele family. Not only did they celebrate the completion of their new home, but they also celebrated a home that will bring joy this holiday season and better health.
For more information on “Asthma-Healthy” home guidelines visit www.buildsmartbreatheeasier.com .
Homeowner Christmas Party
December 4, 2011Over 50 families and 200 family members celebrated the holidays with us at our annual Homeowner Christmas Party, hosted by the Roswell Presbyterian Church. Families enjoyed food and desserts, provided by BJ’s Wholesale Club of Woodstock, as well as some carol singing with Habitat staff, board members and volunteers. The event culminated in a surprise visit from Santa. Each child had a chance to visit with Santa and was given a special gift provided by the Atlanta Toys for Tots program.
“Our mission at Habitat-North Central Georgia is to not only build homes, but to build lives”, stated Russ Hayes, CEO. “It is great to see our homeowners return yearly to our Christmas celebration and see the smiling faces of their children, knowing that our donors, house sponsors and volunteers have truly transformed the lives and futures of these families for generations to come.”
Habitat Staff & Volunteers build with President Carter in Ha
November 19, 2011Our very own Chuck Ingraham, Kevin Helliwell, Bob Lehrer, and Jim Wallace joined President and Mrs. Carter as well as over 500 volunteers from around the world for Habitat for Humanity’s 28th annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. The weeklong build helped to construct 100 homes in partnership with earthquake-affected families in Léogâne, Haiti. The community, which is 18 miles west of Port-au-Prince, is near the epicenter of the Jan. 12, 2010 7.0-magnitude earthquake.
“Considering the circumstances and everything they have gone through, the people are amazing and deserve the support,” said Kevin Helliwell, Cherokee Area Construction Manager. “I was very impressed with their resiliency. It was a very worthwhile trip. The more people who are aware of what’s going on down there, the better.”
The build took place in the Santo community where Habitat will build a total of 150 core houses this year. An additional 100 houses will be built on the site in 2012. The community will ultimately house 500 families displaced by the 2010 earthquake. The homes will be built in partnership with families currently living in tents and other temporary structures.
“Habitat for Humanity has made a five-year commitment to serve 50,000 Haitian families, and the Carter Work Project will help us to build homes and raise awareness to meet that goal,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “We are incredibly appreciative of the Carters and all the volunteers, sponsors, and partners who joined us to help families in Haiti rebuild their lives.”
The Carters are Habitat for Humanity’s most famous volunteers and give a week of their time each year to help Habitat build, renovate or repair homes, and raise awareness about the need for affordable and decent housing. They joined Habitat for Humanity in 1984 to help renovate a decaying building in New York City’s Lower East Side. Today, the building is part of a thriving, reinvigorated, and dynamic community. Since that first build, the Carters and thousands of volunteers have worked with Habitat for Humanity across the United States and in Mexico, Canada, Hungary, South Africa, South Korea, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Laos and Vietnam.
Habitat for Humanity would like to thank the thousands of volunteers, partner families and the following sponsors for this year’s Carter Work Project: Delta Air Lines, ArcelorMittal Foundation, Cosette Communication, Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, Habitat for Humanity Canada National Leadership Council, Nissan and countless others.
Habitat’s Carter Work Project was the culmination of a month-long observance of the need for safe, decent and affordable shelter that began on World Habitat Day, Oct. 3. Observed annually on the first Monday of October, World Habitat Day is designated by the United Nations as a time to reflect on the dire need for adequate shelter around the globe.
Sprint Recognizes Creekview High Student as Local Hero
November 16, 2011Sprint (NYSE: S) recently announced the Atlanta recipients of the 2011 Sprint Local Grant Program and the 2011 Sprint Community Champions program. In total, five area non-profit organizations are being awarded grants as part of these signature community-support programs. The Sprint Local Grant Program annually awards two $25,000 Sprint Foundation grants to Atlanta-area non-profits that support Sprint’s focus area of youth development. The Sprint Community Champions Program annually recognizes outstanding Atlanta-area residents who have made a positive impact on the community with Sprint Foundation grants to qualified non-profit organizations of the honorees’ choice. Grants were presented and Community Champions honored at a local reception last night.
The 2011 grant recipients and Community Champion honorees for Atlanta are as follows:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta was selected as a 2011 Sprint Local Grant Program recipient and will receive a $25,000 Sprint Foundation grant for its Mentoring Children of Prisoners program, which will provide 1,000 children who have an incarcerated parent or guardian with specialized one-on-one mentoring over a 24-month period. Youth enrolled in the program will spend at least four hours per week with a mentor engaging in positive activities specifically focused to equip them to handle the issues that arise as a result of having a parent in prison.
- GivingPoint Inc was selected as a 2011 Sprint Local Grant Program recipient and will receive a $25,000 Sprint Foundation grant for its Growing Gardens, Connecting Neighbors, Cultivating Communities project. GivingPoint is a center for learning, leadership, character and service for young people ages 13 to 24, and this project will allow 4,000 students from four local public schools to work together to transform 5,000 square feet of land by building and enhancing community gardens. The students will improve the environment, learn about the world around them, produce food to feed the community, create healthy eating habits and positive lifestyle changes, and leverage technology to support their volunteer efforts.
- Smyrna resident Nikki Wilson was selected as the 2011 Sprint Adult Community Champion, and the Sprint Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to her selected charitable organization, Dream Makers Youth Foundation. Wilson spends much of her time assisting disabled and special-needs children in the community. Dream Makers is a non-profit that Wilson started seven years ago that provides community-based educational, recreational and therapeutic services to children with special needs throughout metropolitan Atlanta. Through the organization, Wilson provides much-needed equipment for these children, frequently using her own funds to do so.
- Canton resident Sean Andreassen was selected as a 2011 Sprint Youth Community Champion, and the Sprint Foundation awarded a $1,250 grant to his selected charitable organization, Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia. Andreassen is an avid volunteer with Habitat for Humanity who assists with framing, siding, painting and any other projects that need to be done. Andreassen became so involved with the program that he even started a Habitat for Humanity club at his school – a club that grew to more than 40 members, helped construct a home for a deserving family and raised $5,000 for a site build.
- Chamblee resident Nina Tran was selected as a 2011 Sprint Youth Community Champion, and the Sprint Foundation awarded a $1,250 grant to her selected charitable organization, Center for Pan Asian Community Service. Tran has been involved in many community programs, including Community Action for Teens, a community-service group for high-school students (Tran served as the club’s historian); Project Exhale, an event that helped raise healthy eating habits in the community (Tran was a co-lead organizer); and Digital Connectors, a program teaching high-school students computer skills which the students then teach to others in the community (Tran participated in the program and was actively involved in getting other student participants).
Sprint is a long-time supporter of the Atlanta community, and this is the third year Sprint has conducted the Sprint Local Giving Program and the Sprint Community Champions Program in the market. In total, these programs have provided more than $172,000 in support to local non-profits, including Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, The Georgia Ballet, Hands on Atlanta and Imagine It! Children’s Museum of Atlanta. To learn more about either program, please visit www.sprint.com/localgiving.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 53 million customers at the end of 3Q 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
About the Sprint Foundation
Since its establishment in 1989, the Sprint Foundation has supported community organizations across the country with a special emphasis on K-12 education, positive youth development, arts and culture outreach, and Internet safety. Through direct grants and a robust matching-gifts program for employees and retirees, the Sprint Foundation creatively and thoughtfully delivers Sprint’s commitment to championing the communities where Sprint customers and employees live.
500,000 Homes!
October 3, 2011Atlanta, GA - Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia joins worldwide celebration of 500,000th/500,0001st milestone houses as part of World Habitat Day events on Oct. 3.
On this day, World Habitat Day, Habitat for Humanity will mark a major milestone when it dedicates its 500,000th house in Maai Mahiu, Kenya. Habitat will also raise the walls on its 500,000st house in Paterson, N.J., in recognition of the work still needed to eradicate poverty housing worldwide.
The milestone houses represent the steady increase in Habitat for Humanity’s scale and scope to help more families in need of decent, affordable housing. In 2005, Habitat celebrated its 200,000th house. Six years later, Habitat for Humanity has more than doubled that number through new, rehabilitated, repaired and improved homes.
Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia is among the more than 2,300 Habitat affiliates worldwide that have made this milestone possible, having built 217 homes locally since its founding in 1995. We would like to thank you for all the contributions you have made in our community that have helped Habitat reach this milestone achievement, and we thank you for your continued support in helping us reach our first million homes!
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