Joyce Reid Troost, Architect rendition
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS:
Habitat for Humanity Mid-Vancouver Island Building Strong Communities
H
Habitat for Humanity’s mission is two-fold in the Cowichan Valley; take new and used donations and sell them through the ReStore, along with creating affordable home ownership in the area.
70
ave you ever wondered what goes into handing over the keys to a family for their Habitat for Humanity new home? Well, it takes quite a village to accomplish this amazing feat and we could not achieve this without the help of many individuals and organizations in our community! If “Home is Where the Heart is”, then there are many hearts at Habitat for Humanity MVI that are truly warmed while helping local families to achieve their dream of owning their own home through our Homeownership Program. Habitat for Humanity MVI is a registered charity whose mission is to help families build strength, stability, and independence through affordable homeownership. By providing affordable housing, we believe this enables families to live out today’s realities and prepares for tomorrow’s transformations. Every Habitat house changes the lives of our donors, our volunteers, and our future homeowners. What we believe: • Every person deserves a safe and decent place to live. •,Every child should have a home base from which to explore the world. • Every donation helps a family build a safe and affordable home. • Every purchase helps a family build strength, stability, and selfreliance. • Every door unlocks the potential
for a better life. How does it work? Families are selected based on need, ability to pay, and willingness to partner with Habitat. Habitat for Humanity MVI builds houses, with community support, that are sold to families that meet our criteria. There is no down payment, and the mortgage is interest free. Each family partners with Habitat for Humanity MVI by also contributing sweat equity hours. An independent Family Selection committee is responsible for reviewing and assessing the applications. Families including single parent families, families with children and families with elder relatives living in their home (as long as there are children) can apply. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants and we embrace all socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
Image courtesy Anne Smart
Other ways to get involved: Volunteer! Engaging and retaining volunteers is also vital to the success of Habitat for Humanity MVI. Our volunteers enable us to better support our mission of providing affordable homeownership to the communities we serve. Volunteering on the Habitat build site and at the ReStore Habitat for Humanity continued on page 72
