cover story
sweat eq•ui•ty
noun informal an interest or increased value in a property earned from labor toward upkeep or restoration
The Gumm family on the build site of their future home, sponsored by Publix Super Markets Charities.
For Habitat for Humanity homeowner candidates, the definition of “sweat equity” means so much more. Sweat equity represents a homeowner candidate’s physical and emotional investment in the mission of Habitat for Humanity. And homeowner candidates (HOC) will tell you sweating has never felt so good. For each drop of sweat and every aching muscle, they know they are closer to making their dream of homeownership come true. And quite literally having hands-on participation in the construction of their home makes the dream that much sweeter.
Habitat applicants come to the “Trying to keep up with my work program because traditional paths to homeownership are not schedule and my sweat equity hours available to them. Their limited was hard because sometimes I’d be at income keeps traditional bank the build site for four hours and then mortgages out of reach. Living go straight to work for eight hours.” paycheck to paycheck makes it – Nirva Eliacin, Habitat Pinellas homeowner impossible to save for a downpayment. Their partnership with ment of skills and knowledge. Habitat includes sweat equity requirements, which ultimately symbolize Partnership. Sweat equity hours provide their commitment, their downpaymeaningful interaction with the comment on their home. munity that is helping build the HOC’s home -- the Habitat staff and hundreds A Hand Up, Not a Handout of volunteers and funding sponsors. Sweat equity is an exciting cor-
“I enjoyed working with other families on the build sites, seeing the joy in their faces and feeling proud of helping those families build their homes.” – Grisel Miranda, Habitat Pinellas homeowner
nerstone to the Habitat ministry, designed to meet three important goals: partnership, pride in homeownership and develop-
Pride in Homeownership. Not simply a number to be achieved, sweat equity helps HOCs transition to homeownership. As they invest their time and
sweat equity “The best part of working on the sites is connecting with other homeowner candidates. I was always inspired by their determination and heart to work for something greater.” – Brad Everett, Habitat Pinellas homeowner
yes, sweat, HOCs become genuinely invested in their homes, developing a sense of pride in homeownership. They work very hard for their opportunity to purchase their own homes. Skills and Knowledge. A byproduct of sweat equity is the development of practical skills that help HOCs understand the construction of their homes and the maintenance issues they will face over the years after they move in. Sweat Required Before HOCs receive the key to their homes, they must fulfill all requirements of the program, which include their sweat equity hours, 18 homeowner classes and maintaining positive credit. Single applicants are responsible for 250 sweat equity hours, while joint applicants must complete 350 hours.
Rolanda Lawrence, left, with her nephews, son Carlos, and her brother working together to raise a roof truss on her home, which was sponsored by Valspar Championship presented by BB&T.
“Nothing in life is given to you. Taking chances, setting goals shows growth. A little sweat equity has never hurt anyone.” – Rolanda Lawrence, Habitat Pinellas homeowner
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A HABITAT HOMEOWNER CANDIDATE
HOCs must complete at least 50 percent of their hours personally. They can also recruit extended family, friends and co-workers to help with sweat equity.
Do you know someone who may be a good candidate for Habitat’s affordable homeownership program? If you do, please invite them to learn more about Habitat’s homeownership opportunities by visiting our website: www.habitatpinellas.org
randa, Habitat Pinellas homeowner
*Mortgage payments are based on appraised values, geographic areas and square footage Income based on 2015 HUD guidelines and number of people in household.
we build homes, not houses
Building for her family THE LAWRENCE FAMILY Home Sponsor: Valspar Championship presented by BB&T
To say that her home means a lot to Rolanda Lawrence is an understatement. Rolanda’s children are her world, her top priority. A stable home and nurturing environment are must-haves for which she has always worked hard to attain. Yet her limited income has made them elusive. For many years, Rolanda and her two children, Carlos and Chiara, were “on the move.” Every time the rent would increase, the family found themselves searching for another rental they could better afford. With each move, their space became more cramped, the neighborhood less safe. Trying to stretch her modest paycheck as a Hospice nursing assistant, Rolanda found it increasingly difficult to provide for her family. Space got so tight, her daughter went to live with other family members. Desperately wanting to provide a stable place to live that is large enough for herself, her children and her new grandchild, Rolanda applied for the Habitat program. She was thrilled when she found out she was accepted into the Habitat program. She now had a path to making her dream come true. And while that path required physical labor, time and financial diligence, it would lead to reuniting her family and a permanent place large enough to call home – one that because it’s affordable, would also lessen her financial burden. Rolanda’s hard work, perseverance and prayers paid off. After receiving the key to her home at the dedication, Rolanda said, “To my two heartbeats, I know you guys know the struggle. All the different places we moved, I always kept a place for us to live, but I always told you guys that someday we would have a house.” That someday is here. Rolanda is happy that she and her children will have a place to call their own and will not have to worry about moving again. Do you know someone who may be a good candidate for Habitat’s affordable homeownership program? Invite them to visit our website to learn more and apply: www.habitatpinellas.org/become_a_homeowner/
community partners
Painting a Pretty Partnership
From pounding nails to swishing paintbrushes, for the Valspar Championship presented by BB&T it’s been a year of engagement with Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County! This local PGA tournament, sponsored by longtime national Habitat partner, Valspar, has been busy supporting Habitat Pinellas in a variety of ways all year:
• sponsor of “Chameleon Commons” neighborhood park in our Stevens Creek community, including a commissioned chameleon sculpture by a local artist • coordinated a volunteer day with the PGA Tour Wives (and a couple of their golfer husbands!) who painted a home in our Stevens Creek subdivision • participating sponsor of our 2015 Blueprint Afrika gala • sponsorship by Valspar Championship of the Lawrence family home • volunteer support by national Valspar staff, local Valspar Championship staff and members of the Copperheads Charities on the home build • advocacy support in the community. continued on next page
community partners
Our Valspar Partnership
In addition to the financial, volunteer and advocacy support of Valspar and the Valspar Championship, we are also fortunate to have tournament director Tracy West as a member of our Habitat Pinellas board of directors. As with each member of our board, Tracy’s professional business experience and guidance have greatly benefitted our organization. We are grateful for the generosity of time, talent and monetary contributions from our friends from Valspar Paint and the Valspar Championship. The photos on this page depict some of the highlights of Valspar’s action-packed year of support.
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5 Top, PGA Tour Wives paint the Bonney family home. 1. Valspar Championship tournament chair Les Muma presents the house key to Rolanda Lawrence. 2. Habitat board chair Julie Klavans, CEO Mike Sutton, Copperheads board member Mark Fitzpatrick and Valspar Championship tournament director Tracy West. 3. PGA Tour Wives with artist Jason Shiver at opening of Chameleon Commons. 4. Photo of Chameleon Commons ribbon cutting is shown in NYC’s Times Square. 5. Members of the Copperheads and Valspar staff with the Lawrence family at dedication of their home.
volunteer spotlight
2015 Volunteer Awards On October 17th, we recognized several dedicated volunteers who have given extraordinary amounts of time and expertise in helping us fulfill our mission. Among several awards of note, we debuted a brand new annual award, the “Norm Bungard Lifetime Service Award” given to an individual who has dedicated years of volunteer service and advocacy to our Habitat Pinellas affiliate. And who better to receive this inaugural award than Norm Bungard? Norm has been volunteering for Habitat Pinellas since 1985 – the very first year we opened our doors. From helping on the build sites to serving as one of our earliest board members, Norm has been there to helps us and advocate for us for 30 years. Thank you, Norm, for your boundless energy, dedication and your huge heart for Habitat!
Heartfelt thanks and congrats also go to the following people and organizations: Volunteer School of the Year: Shorecrest Preparatory School Faith-based Volunteer Community of the Year: Anona United Methodist Church Business of the Year: AquaCal Volunteer of the Year: Bob Buchanan
Bob Buchanan with Volunteer Services Manager Linzy Wilson.
building hope
Introducing the 2015–2016 Habitat Pinellas Board of Directors This fiscal year, as we progress through the 30th anniversary of Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County, we are fortunate to be led by a talented and engaged board of directors who will help guide our organization as we strive to meet our strategic goals, serve more families and further impact our community. Chuck Aldrich
Kerry Clapper
Will Conroy
Scott Daigle
Tamara Davis
Matt Frey
Thomas Goeglein
Joe Faw
Glen Gilzean
Mike Kilpatrick
We welcome back our four elected officers, board chair Julie Klavans, vice chair Jason Clement, founding partner of Sports Facilities Advisory and Sports Facilities Management; treasurer John Nicely, director of facility management-system for BayCare Health System; and secretary Mary-Ellen Howells, co-owner of The Simple Celebration. Klavans, Clement, Nicely and Howells are part of the board’s eight-member executive committee that also includes Matt Frey, partner of Frey Masterson Investment Advisors; Thomas Goeglein, attorney with Hill Ward Henderson; Jason Miller, Re/Max Action First residential realtor; and Mike Sutton, CEO of Habitat Pinellas.
Julie Klavans, Chair
Jason Clement Vice Chair
We also welcome back 14 returning board members and two new members, Dav Mosby, vice chairman of investment banking for Raymond James; and Amy Rettig, senior vice president of public affairs at Nielsen. The new board members were selected to bring additional financial expertise and professional organizational guidance to Habitat Pinellas’ 20-member board of directors. Welcome and thank you for your time and service to Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County!
John Nicely Treasurer
Mary-Ellen Howells Secretary
A Round of Applause! Four of our board members have been the recipients of high profile awards and honors. We couldn’t be more proud to see them honored and congratulate them for their achievements. Well done!
Jason Miller
Dav Mosby
Harvard Business School “Governing for Nonprofit Excellence” Executive Education Program (Nominated by the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay and selected by Harvard ) Jason Clement, founding partner, Sports Facilities Advisory / Sports Facilities Management Lightning Foundation “Community Hero” Award (Awarded $50,000 grant to be donated to Habitat Pinellas) Tamara Davis, customer service specialist, Franklin Templeton
Bill Protz
Amy Rettig
Mark Purtee
Tracy West
Volunteer Florida “Champion of Service” state award (Awarded by Governor Rick Scott in Tallahassee) Matt Frey, Partner, Frey Masterson Investment Advisors Tampa Bay Business Journal “Businesswoman of the Year” (Economic Development category) Tracy West, tournament director for Valspar Championship presented by BB&T
building hope
Meet our 2015–2016 Habitat Pinellas Advisory Board We would like to welcome Members of the Advisory Board for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. Each member was selected to provide Habitat Pinellas a resource of expert advisors as an auxilliary for our Board of Directors and executive management as they work toward reaching our goals as a Habitat affiliate. Our Advisory Board members have expertise in finance, real estate, media and management. Members also assist in fundraising activities and serve as public advocates for Habitat Pinellas. Because of their efforts, we would like to thank our entire Advisory Board for taking time out of their busy schedules to assist our Board Members and our Habitat Pinellas executive staff.
Joe Bourdow Retired President Valpak
Bill Brand President, HSN Chief Marketing Officer, HSNi
Edward C. Droste Chairman, Provident Management Corp.
V. Raymond Ferrara Chairman/CEO ProVise Management Group
Bill Goede Tampa Bay Market President Bank of America
Kevin Hawkins CEO Mid-Atlantic
Todd Kalas Broadcaster FOX/Sun Sports
Carl Lavender Retired Nonprofit Executive and Community Leader
Jay Miller President J Square Developers
Irwin Novack President/CEO Kane’s Furniture
Craig Sher Executive Chairman The Sembler Company
Bill Van Law President, Raymond James Investment Advisors
Tampa Bay Lightning player Ryan Callahan and owner Jeff Vinik present Tamara Davis with the Community Hero award and $50,000 check.
Tracy West, third from left, was named a Tampa Bay Business Journal “Businesswoman of the Year” in the Economic Development category.
Matt Frey was recognized with a “Champion of Service Award” by Governor Rick Scott. From left, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam, Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Governor Scott, Matt Frey, Anne Michelle Frey, Habitat Pinellas CEO Mike Sutton and Florida CFO Jeff Atwater.
blueprint for success
SAVE THE DATE! Plan to be there!
Our 2016 gala is designed to be another buzz-worthy event, so “save the date” and plan to attend BLUEPRINT Great Gardens, featuring the creativity of 14 local interior designers – and this year’s Honorary Chair, award-winning designer, author, lifestyle expert P. Allen Smith of the nationally syndicated show, P. Allen Smith Gardens. We also pleased to welcome back Jerry Penacoli and Cyndi Edwards, co-hosts of NBC’s nationally syndicated lifestyle show Daytime, as our Master and Mistress of Ceremonies! During BLUEPRINT Great Gardens you’ll discover fabled spaces and enchanting places that reveal secret green worlds tucked behind courtyard walls and ancient gates.
SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2016 Vinoy Renaissance Hotel
Join us as we honor BANK OF AMERICA as our “Golden Hammer Corporate Partner of the Year!” Look for your formal gala invitation in January!
For sponsor information, please contact Angie Croft at acroft@HabitatPinellas.org or 727.536.4755, ext. 215.
SO LD OU Thank you to all our sponsors and T!
golfers who supported this year’s event!
NOV. 13, 2015 • FEATHER SOUND GOLF CLUB
Presented by
JERRY and MARY MILLER FELDMAN & MAHONEY
reuse recycle restore
We opened the doors of our 2nd ReStore! Establishing an additional Habitat ReStore and donation center is a strategic decision that will yield meaningful impact for not only our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, but also the communities throughout Pinellas County.
N
Tampa Rd. U.S. Hwy. 19 N Curlew Rd.
McMullen Booth Rd.
PALM HARBOR
DUNEDIN
With the opening of our second store and donation center in Palm Harbor on September 24th, our ReStore is positioned to be a catalyst for future growth of Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County. The Palm Harbor location is a visible, easily accessed location that will help expand awareness of Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County. Combined with profits from the main store in Clearwater, the new store will result in higher sales volume, which in turn benefits our home building program. As an additional source of self-funding, the Palm Harbor store will help Habitat Pinellas attain its strategic plan goals to nearly double the number of local families it serves over the next three years. And the overall impact of the Palm Harbor store extends beyond the Habitat building program. Last year alone, our Clearwater ReStore kept 550 tons of reusable items out of the Pinellas landfills. With the second ReStore and increased donations, we expect an even greater environmental impact.
With Habitat Pinellas CEO Mike Sutton at his side and members of the Palm Harbor Chamber, ReStore Operations Director Doug DuPont cuts the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the Palm Harbor ReStore.
By supporting the ReStore, you help Habitat! Don’t dump reusable home items and building materials – DONATE THEM to the Habitat ReStore! We accept gently used and new: FURNITURE • CABINETS • APPLIANCES • TUB/SINKS WINDOWS/DOORS • ELECTRICAL FIXTURES • FLOORING
HabitatPinellas.org/ReStore • 727-209-2199
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF PINELLAS COUNTY 13355 49th Street North Clearwater, Florida 33762
started out as “What a dream crushed by rejections became a reality that was literally built from the ground up thanks to Habitat.
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– Jennifer Ward, Seminole Habitat home dedicated December 2014
what you can do • VOLUNTEER! to help our families • DONATE! • SHOP our and Habitat... Visit us at www.HabitatPinellas.org to register as a volunteer, make a donation or learn more about our program! Follow us on social media! Please use the hashtag #HabitatPinellas when posting about us! HabitatPinellas •
@HabitatPinellas •
@Habitat_Pinellas •
HabitatReStorePinellas