Habitat Newsletter Fall 2016

building

strength, stability, self-reliance and shelter Earlier this year, Team Depot volunteers partnered with Habitat for Humanity Tucson to install a new fence for veteran Clarence Vynalek and his family.

Vynalek served more than 10 years in Special Operations for the U.S. Military and later retired in Tucson, Arizona. But his home was plagued by an aging fence that had become not only an eyesore, but also a safety concern.

Volunteers removed the old fence and installed 287-feet of new fencing, restoring appeal and dignity for Vynalek’s aging home.

Habitat Tucson is committed to serving our nation’s heroes and veteran neighbors by providing home repairs and homeownership opportunities.

habitat newsletter | fall 2016

At Habitat for Humanity Tucson, we partner with veterans, seniors, families and individuals to build or improve a place to call home. We build dignity and strength in partnership with current homeowners by giving them a hand up, not a hand out.

Whether it’s a new home, new roof or a fresh coat of paint, helping others build a foundation for their future creates a stronger community for all.

letter from our CEO

On the day before her first day of school, six-year-old Delilah walked through the doors of Habitat Tucson’s admin office and proudly handed over a check of just over $150. The young donor had been counting loose change with her family a few nights prior, and announced to her parents that instead of keeping the pile of quarters, she wanted to buy another child a home.

“I am so proud,” said her father, close to tears. He explained that his daughter didn’t like the thought that some children and families in Tucson don’t have homes.

At just six-years-old, Delilah recognized a very real need in her community – that people in Southern Arizona go without a safe and stable place to call home every single day. She, like you, felt a need to make an impact in the lives of others.

Will you match Delilah’s gift to help build a world where everyone has a safe and stable home?

As we enter our 36th year of serving hardworking, local families, we are continuously grateful for the generous support of our community and the compassion for our neighbors. We believe that everyone deserves a decent place to live and everyone can do something today to help make that possible.

Through home building and repair efforts, we are making decent shelter a matter of public consciousness.

Supporters like you are the driving force that allows us to continue our shared efforts to build strength, stability, self-reliance and shelter. Thank you for your voice, your time and your financial support to make a difference in our community.

In partnership,

T. VanHook CEO, Habitat Tucson

Zulema Altamirano teaches toddlers and children through the Arizona Head Start Program, but she says that the young learners are, in fact, educating her every single day. Four years ago, she learned something that would change her life forever — she learned about Habitat for Humanity Tucson.

“It’s really hard for me being a single parent,” she said. “I just wanted a place to be stable — a place to settle down.”

Zulema and her two daughters had been living in a mobile home where they faced extreme heat in the summer and cold nights in the winter. There was very little security.

What’s more, she had to share a bed with her 20-year-old daughter. The family of three was in desperate need of more room.

Additionally, her eldest daughter, who is studying Public Health at the University of Arizona, felt the

trailer they lived in was in such disrepair that it distracted her from her studies. Now, she has the room to do her homework in peace and excel in school.

Zulema’s new home provides her family with a safe place to be together while giving her the opportunity to make individual financial progress. Her daughters are proud of her determination to make a better life for the family.

Zulema and her daughters are grateful for the support of the community that helped her achieve her dream of homeownership.

“Anything is possible,” she said. “This is proof right here.”

zulema’s habitat home

volunteer

gives back at the HabiStore

“Thank you just doesn’t cover it. This house is all I have left.”

When Irma Bush’s aging home started to draw negative attention from her neighbors, she knew she had to do something to fix it, but the 72-year-old widow just couldn’t afford extensive repairs.

Through Habitat Tucson’s A Brush With Kindness program, she found the help she needed to improve the appearance of her home. Habitat Tucson staff and a volunteer group from the University of Arizona joined forces to improve the home’s security and appearance.

Irma gained a newfound pride in her home. And she became forever a part of the Habitat Tucson family. She now volunteers almost daily at the HabiStore.

“I thought that if I volunteered at the HabiStore, I might be able to repay, somehow, for the work that was done,” she said.

Irma can be found helping customers find gently used treasures for their own homes. By donating her time, she is helping build strength and stability for others, as the HabiStore’s sales are returned to the community through new home construction and home repair.

At Habitat Tucson, we build so much more than homes.

We build dignity, community, and a sense of belonging.

The store that builds homes.

Shop. Donate. Volunteer.

christina

grew up in a habitat home

“Habitat helped my family and I wanted to see how I could help others.”

She was just a child when she watched her parents build their home and the homes of their neighbors as they completed Habitat Tucson’s homeownership program, but even then, Christina knew the impact a home would have on her family. Today, she says that she’s directly benefited from the kindness of Habitat Tucson supporters and donors.

“Not only is it physical pride — it incorporates the American dream – to be able to own a home,” Christina said.

That dream is allowing Christina to pursue her own dreams. This summer, the high school senior completed a medical internship in Phoenix. She hopes to attend the University of Arizona to explore a career in the medical field.

And all the while, she plans to volunteer her time helping others.

Christina currently volunteers at the Habitat Tucson office and HabiStore, as well as the community library. She encourages young people to get involved in their community, as it builds a better foundation for everyone.

“I think it’s really important for the development of yourself and the development of the community,” she said of volunteer work. “It’s really exciting, refreshing and new to volunteer in your local community because you never know who you’ll meet and what you’ll find.”

Thank you Christina!

To help more families like Christina’s have a chance to build themselves a better life, please make a donation in support of Habitat’s homeownership programs.

building

four homes in eight days

Strong and stable homes help build safe and stable communities.

Homeownership helps our entire community!

Neighborhoods thrive when families have a safe, stable place to call home. That’s why Habitat Tucson volunteers are partnering with the building community for a record-breaking project coming this fall - Blitz Build!

Blitz Build is an eight-day, high energy, accelerated build of four Habitat Tucson houses. With the help of building industry professionals, we will completely construct these homes in an effort to draw attention to the basic, human need of decent and affordable housing.

Additionally, all Habitat Tucson home are built with accessibility features. One of the Blitz Build homes will soon be purchased by a wheelchair-bound homeowner who will finally experience self-reliance after living in a non-accessible apartment for years.

Homeowners achieve the strength and stability they need to build a better life for themselves and their families.

We still need your help! Donate, volunteer or find out more at HabitatTucson.org/BlitzBuild

building affordable housing strengthening communities revitalizing neighborhoods

everyone can build a better world Habitat Tucson will repair the homes of over 70 families in Tucson this year.

Join local cyclists and ride for Team Habitat in El Tour de Tucson. HabitatTucson.org/ RideforHome Think Global. Act Local.

Volunteers have built 400 homes in Tucson, Marana, Amado, and Green Valley.