2006 September BluePrint

Habitat for Humanity Society of Greater Vancouver

September 2006

The Blueprint

Important Dates For Your Calendar… and we need your RSVP! You are invited to the

Phase Three Home Dedication 11:00 am, Saturday November 18, 2006

8745 Government Street, Burnaby (parking at the church next door)

As part of the United Nations World Urban Forum Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, along with Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of United Nations-HABITAT visited the Burnaby Site on Saturday June 17th ----------------------------------------------

Please join us in celebrating with the families who will become new homeowners and in acknowledging the tremendous efforts of all involved.

Refreshments will be served RSVP 604-681-5618 by November 10

Calling all Construction Site and ReStore volunteers—Please join us on Saturday November 18th from 9-10am for our annual salute to your efforts. Breakfast will be served! RSVP to Adrian no later than November 10 at 604-681-5618 or email to volunteer@vancouverhabitat.bc.ca

From Sylvia Berryman, HFH Greater Vancouver volunteer who helped rebuild in Louisiana….

I went down to Thibodaux, Louisiana the first week of August to help with the Hurricane Relief effort: this is the same affiliate where Vancouver’s “Operation Home Delivery” house had arrived the month before. About 50 volunteers were on site that week, from all over North America, including 3 Canadians. One of the first things I saw on arriving was a maple leaf flag on one of the completed houses, built by the Toronto affiliate.

The building site was a new crescent of about 60 houses in various stages, some already occupied. The building was lead by Jillian from Habitat International, and Bob and Doris, a pair of volunteers from Florida who’d spent two months living on site in their trailer and helping out. The site was gearing up for a big celebrity dedication in late August, and many homes were nearing completion.

I spent a week installing soffit, finishing a small roofing job (hint: don’t volunteer to do roofing when the shingles are melting...) and framing a new house. I don’t think it dropped below 90 all week: I’d be soaked to the skin by

The Blueprint

September 2006

Habitat for Humanity Society of Greater Vancouver

Operation Home Delivery at the World Urban Forum —

during the forum Habitat volunteers framed a house which was sent to Louisiana to become a new home for a Hurricane Katrina family. Special thanks to our partners for their support of this event: MCAP Mortgage Corporation, eBay, The Home Depot Canada, Project Management Institute— Canadian West Coast Chapter, Western Economic Diversification Canada and Habitat Canada. and they showed me the site in Galliano where the house was stacked ready for building in September. Rowdy suggested that if anyone from Vancouver could come down, October would be a great time: it’s cooler, and they’re planning a ‘bouchedie’ (sp.?) – there’ll be a pig barbeque and live music to celebrate everyone who’s helped out. Capisen told me they wouldn’t have qualified for a mortgage without Habitat’s help. The family wanted me to say how much they appreciate what people have done to help.

I don’t know when I’ve drunk that much water in a week, but it was wonderful to see help arriving where it is so badly needed. They’re glad to know they’re not forgotten.

-------------Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan, Anneke Rees, David Hughes (CEO Habitat Canada), Mark Crozet (Habitat International), and volunteers open the “Operation Home Delivery” house at the United Nations World Urban Forum, June 21 2006.

Our thanks to Sylvia for a first-hand account of her experiences. Opportunities to volunteer in rebuilding are ongoing. Contact the office for more information.

(from page 1) eight in the morning. It makes building in Vancouver’s summer look good! The houses were all single-storey ranch, vinyl sided, on a concrete slab. They’re nicely finished; all have A/C (very necessary at night!), and the variety of styles and colours makes for an attractive neighbourhood.

Saturday morning I met some of the families and heard their stories. Many were evacuees, living in garages, trailers, family members’ houses. A young mother was living with two children in her aunt’s one bedroom apartment. A social worker told me about the despair and anxiety of those living in temporary FEMA ‘villages,’ and about the number of suicides in New Orleans. There were stories of homes so battered that the doors didn’t close; of coastal first nations communities already substandard, unable to qualify for insurance or government assistance. There was a sense of a community forming amongst the families as they gathered to put in their ‘sweat equity’ hours.

I drove down to see the Messer family with their 4 daughters in Golden Meadows, down by the coast. They showed me their video of the Vancouver house arriving in a truck – the family spent all day unloading the truck, beginning with the giant postcards from Vancouver. I told them about the building in front of World Urban Forum, Page 2

Come to our 4th Birthday Open House at the

Burnaby ReStore 9am-5.00pm Saturday October 21

2475 Douglas Road, Burnaby 604-293-1898

Freebies, giveaways, fantastic deals... I’m coming too.

I’m putting that on my calendar!

They have such great bargains….

The Blueprint

September 2006

Habitat for Humanity Society of Greater Vancouver

We express our thanks to our Phase 3 Sponsors “HALF-HOUSE” $50,000+

MCAP Mortgage Corporation (with partners) Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Company of Canada and Invis — eBay — Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver ReStore

“ROOM BUILDER” $10,000+ Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association — Borden Ladner Gervais — Commonwealth Insurance — Great-West Life (GWL Realty) — Teekay Shipping

Don Harrison of GWL Realty with Anneke Rees

“BUILDER” $5,000+ Macdonald Realty — TD Canada Trust — Tonko Realty Advisors Ltd Thanks to the “Adopt Us For a Day” teams who donated and volunteered between May and August 2006:

Business Objects — eBay — Golder Associates — GWL Realty — ING Insurance — MCAP Mortgage Corporation and partners — Marriott Pinnacle Hotel — Methanex — Schneider Electric — Tonko Realty and to these groups for their help on the site or at the ReStore:

Dangerous When Wet — Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir — Guava Club — The Jasper Family — Leaders of Tomorrow — West Richmond Community Centre Youth in Action

Special recognition to CMHC for their continued support of Habitat through their annual golf tournament.

Page 3

The Blueprint

September 2006

Check out the latest publication about Habitat...Music of a Thousand Hammers: Inside Habitat for Humanity by Paul Leonard (New York, Continuum, 2006): "A fair and balanced account of the challenges and opportunities faced by one of America’s favorite charities, Habitat for Humanity. Paul Leonard rose through the volunteer ranks from house leader to local affiliate president to chair of the international board and subsequently CEO. His leadership in a time of crisis for Habitat gave Rosalynn and me great confidence in Habitat’s future and its ability to expand its capacity to serve the housing needs of the poor around the world and invigorate its Christian spirit.” Jimmy Carter

This mosaic was made and donated to the ReStore by the Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion. It now holds pride of place on the ReStore wall (The caption reads: “Thank you from your friends at B.A.C.I.)… and we thank you for your volunteering!

Habitat for Humanity Society of Greater Vancouver Habitat for Humanity Canada and Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver

are sponsoring

The Church and Affordable Housing Saturday October 14, 2006 A CONFERENCE TO LAUNCH A MOVEMENT To inspire churches and governments with what is possible, and to start the dialogue on how best to proceed, we are organizing a one-day conference for Saturday, October 14th, 2006 at Broadway Church in Vancouver. To help foster a people movement, we have designed the conference to be taken in best by multiple delegates from any one congregation, and we have budgeted for extensive follow-up activities to leverage initial interest into firm commitments.

For information, please contact Jonathan at jonathan.bird@cityinfocus.ca.

We’ve redesigned our website! It has a new look and new features. Please visit www.vancouverhabitat.bc.ca. You’ll learn more about us, discover ways to become involved, follow our build through the photo galleries, learn more about the ReStore and much more!

I’d like to thank Hollie Whitehead for designing our original site and for arranging hosting for us. I’d also like to thank Kara McNair for her direction and advice in designing the new site.

If you have questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to write to webmaster@vancouverhabitat.bc.ca. (aka Marvin)

YES! I want to help finish Phase 3: Enclosed is my contribution of: $200

$120

$80

$50

$other______

Name: _____________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________ City: ________________________ Pr: _______ Postal Code __________ Email: _________________________________ Tel No: ______________ My cheque is enclosed Phase 3: August 28 2006

Payable to: Habitat for Humanity Society of Greater Vancouver Please charge my credit card: (please circle one)

Visa

Mastercard

American Express

Card Number: __________________________________ Expiration date:____________ Signature: _______________________________ Habitat for Humanity Society of Greater Vancouver, PO Box 60577 Granville Park PO, Vancouver, BC V6H 4B9 Phone: 604.681.5618 Fax: 604.872.0223 Email: info@vancouverhabitat.bc.ca