P.O. Box 13204 • Pensacola, FL 32591-3204 Main Office 850-434-5456 Pensacola Habitat for Humanity ReStore 850-476-0001
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Volume 41, Issue 2 Winter 2021
PENSACOLA HABITAT'S ANNIVERSARY GALA
FRAMING
40 Years
Food Truck for our 6th Annual AD Pensacola Habitat Food Truck Festival SAVE THE DATE
Thank you to everyone that supported our 40th Anniversary Gala on September 23rd! With your support, we raised over $49,000! All proceeds from our Gala directly impact individuals and families in our community by supporting our mission to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
Friday, April 8th - Sunday, April 10th at Seville Square downtown Pensacola
Sign-up to receive the electronic version of HabiChat at pensacolahabitat.org/habichat
pensacolafoodtruckfest.org
To request removal from the Pensacola Habitat for Humanity mailing list, email info@pensacolahabitat.org or call 850-434-5456 ext. 126.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or sources of income.
pensacolahabitat.org
HabiChat Winter 2021: Home for the Holidays
Celebrating Our Year Board of Directors Mei Davis Chairwomen Gene Franklin Vice Chairman Michael King Treasurer Dick Baker Secretary Al Coby Brent Hargett Dawn Brazwell Michele Dumond Rabbi Joel Fleekop Siobhan Gallagher Mike Lanwehr Matt Newcomer Dr. Charles Reese Betty Salter Josh Womack
Building Homes, Communities, and Hope
As we are nearing the end of 2021, it’s important to take the time to celebrate the many accomplishments we have had the pleasure of being a part of this past year. In March, we celebrated 40 years of making a difference in our community by dedicating the 1400th home built by Pensacola Habitat. That’s 1400 individuals and families who have achieved their dream of affordable homeownership because our community rallied together and donated their time, treasure, and talent. Since January, through outstanding community support, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity has raised $2,635,024.76 and built 20 homes. Additionally, we set an aggressive goal to build 53 homes for individuals and families in our Home Buyer Program between July 1, 2021, - June 30, 2022. We are currently on track to exceed that goal. And if that isn’t enough, this year Pensacola Habitat was recognized as a 4-star nonprofit through Charity Navigator! Attaining a 4-star rating verifies that Pensacola Habitat for Humanity exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in our line of work. This exceptional designation from Charity Navigator sets Pensacola Habitat for Humanity apart from our peers and demonstrates to the public our trustworthiness. Approximately only a quarter of rated charities have achieved this distinction!
Sam Young
For over 40 years, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity has been assisting more than 1,400 homeowners in OUR community achieve the dream of owning their own home.
Our impact goes well beyond building homes. With various Community Development programs and services aimed at transforming communities, our Community Development Program has set a goal of serving 80 individuals or families within our community this fiscal year! Critical Home Repair, Wheelchair Ramp builds, and Disaster Recovery are just a few of the Community Development programs we are actively providing our community neighbors. Our overall goal is to create affordable and sustainable housing throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. We are proud of what we have accomplished and stand ready to have even greater impact in 2022. Together we can continue our mission of building homes, communities, and hope.
Sam Young, CEO
Chief Executive Officer
Your gift will help individuals and families in our Home Buyer Program like the McClendon’s who now have an accessible home that is safe and affordable. “It’s redemptive for us to have this house and it’s changed our life.” -Trey McClendon, Homeowner
Gifts recieved in 2021 supported Pensacola Habitat working side by side with more than 2,500 volunteers to change lives and assist 27 individuals and families through our Home Buyer Program and support so many more through our Community Development Program.
We offer so much more than building new homes. Your gift allows our Community Development Program to revive neighborhoods, help families devastated by storms, and serve veterans, seniors, and the community at large who desperately need critical home repairs.
Join us in celebrating over 40 years of partnering with local individuals and families by making a gift to change local lives forever. Your donation will allow 53 individuals or families to achieve their dream of affordable homeownership and help 80 individuals or families at risk of becoming homeless remain in their homes. Please visit pensacolahabitat.org/make-an-impact or call 850-434-5456 for more information!
NeighborWorks America is the nation’s leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals. Pensacola Habitat for Humanity is the only Habitat for Humanity International affiliate that is a charter member of NeighborWorks America.
Make an impact in your community today! Name ________________________________________ Enclosed is my donation of $ ________________
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION # CH37256
Make a donation online at pensacolahabitat.org/make-an-impact
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Address ______________________________________________________ City, State ____________________________
Zip ________________
What program would you like your donation to go toward? Community Development Program
Home Buyer Program
Provides affordable homeownership opportunities Assistance Programs for critical home for individuals and families in repair, disaster recovery, and other Escambia and Santa Rosa services that support homeownership preservation. HabiChat Winter 2021: Home Counties. for the Holidays
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The Home Buyer’s View
HabiChat Winter 2021
by Cindy, Pensacola Habitat Home Buyer
How did you learn about Pensacola Habitat?
I have a very good friend who had tried to get a young couple in Indiana to apply for a home there and we were talking about that one day. She said you should apply just to see if you would qualify and I said I’m not wasting my time or theirs.
Working throughout the Home Buyer Program you hear so many different stories as to why people are there. From the pediatrician who lost his wife and wanted to give back to something worthwhile in our city, to a young single mother who wants more for her child and herself, everyone who plays any part in the Pensacola Habitat community has a story as to why they are here. The most enjoyable part to me was getting to hear everyone’s stories and see their love for the Pensacola community.
What drove you to apply to the Home Buyer Program?
The same friend pushed and pushed until I applied. Then after speaking to Monica and thinking there may be a slim chance for being accepted, I really got into wanting to become a homeowner.
What does “home” mean to you?
How was the Home Buyer Program given you hope?
Home to me means security for my granddaughter who has Asperger’s syndrome and has lost both of her parents. I want to give her the security she deserves when I am dead and gone. I want her to live in a place with wonderful memories of our lives together.
What excites you the most about moving into your new home?
Having a good size yard to plant flowers and vegetables with my granddaughter Rylee. Decorating the way we want it, without anyone else’s input and the PRIDE of knowing I’ve done it all on my own.
Are there any favorite hobbies your new home will allow you to do?
Where do I start? Rylee and I garden. We love painting scenes on the inside of privacy fences for friends, making bird baths out of thrift store items, and some simple projects out of scrap lumber. We have an African Sulcata tortoise (Madge) we recently rescued that will grow to 100 pounds or more and we are excited to build her living area.
What was one of your favorite moments while building your own home?
When the slab was poured and set! I could stand on the surface of the concrete and envision our home and lives for years to come.
Home for the Holidays
What have you enjoyed most about working with Pensacola Habitat volunteers, donors, and staff throughout the Home Buyer Program?
By becoming a Home Buyer on my own at 63 years old, seeing that I am not too old to still dream, and working toward something new and exciting in my life by myself in my “senior years.”
Cindy, Pensacola Habitat Home Buyer How would you describe the Home Buyer Program process?
I feel like it is an honor to be accepted in the Home Buyer Program. Working towards your 200 [Sweat Equity] hours for the program is a learning experience. You are making a “payment” into your own future by going through the process. From doing construction hours and community service hours, to attending classes, you not only learn about yourself and just what homeownership entails, but the process helps you see, learn, and understand that you are able to give back to the community and accumulate pride in doing your hours. In the classes you learn things you will need all through your life and in doing sweat equity hours, you feel a certain amount of struggle to get in the required hours for the month and work your “real, paying job.” It takes time, effort and a certain amount of stamina to complete. The hardest part of the process is waiting to find out if you’ve been accepted into the program.
Support Today! Visit pensacolahabitat.org/homebuyer to learn more about the Home Buyer Program, eligibility, and how to volunteer, donate or apply.
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Has completing your “Sweat Equity” requirements and working with the community and other Pensacola Habitat Home Buyers created a support system for you?
Definitely! The staff in the office is the “backbone” of the support system and walked me through the process every step of the way. I did 90% of my sweat equity at the ReStore and the staff there are a phenomenal support to the Home Buyers. They not only support and guide Home Buyers, but are also the Home Buyers biggest fans. I also worked with other Pensacola Habitat Home Buyers and have made many friends.
What advice would you give to others thinking of applying for the Pensacola Habitat Home Buyer Program? Apply! It takes time and effort to do the application process, but I think like this “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” You only have 2 answers, yes or no, so go fill out the application. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
What memories do you hope to make in your new home? My granddaughter and I have been making memories from the minute I was accepted into the program. From decorating our home, waiting on our 1st Christmas in our home, to having her high school graduation dinner for her family, we are building on our life together!
st
Tempe
Maria
We wanted to congratulate some of our recent Home Buyers that closed on their home within these past few months! We know they are beyond excited to be in their home for the Holidays!
Cunnica
Carly
Wendy
Sam
Misty
Community Development Program by Emma Field, Community Development Manager
Pensacola Habitat for Humanity’s Community Development Program works to preserve homeownership for local residents of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. The Community Development Program offers assistance programs for critical home repairs and other services that enhance quality of life. In addition, this program focuses on engaging and empowering residents to revive their neighborhoods and become leaders within their communities, contributing to the sustainability of these revitalization efforts. Pensacola Habitat for Humanity partners with Escambia County and other supporters for the Wheelchair Ramp Program to provide ramps at little to no cost for eligible residents in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. Our Critical Home Repair Program addresses repair and weatherization of windows and doors, insulation of attics, wall receptacles, and some other barriers and elements within the house. Our Neighbors Helping Neighbors Program is a neighborhood-specific program with focuses on helping residents age in place safely while also building relationships with their neighbors. We are always looking for volunteers and accepting donations! Visit Pensacolahabitat.org/communitydevelopment to learn more about each project, eligibility, and how to volunteer or apply.
Donate Today! Scan the QR Code or visit pensacolahabitat. org/donate and select Critical Home Repair or Disaster Recovery for the Designated Fund.
Looking for ways to make a difference in our community?
Email us today! volunteer@pensacolahabitat.org
Pensacola Habitat for Humanity now accepts volunteers ages 16+ on our jobsites.
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HabiChat Winter 2021
Meredith Lumber & Son’s Donation
Pensacola Habitat FORE! Humanity Golf Tournament
by Courtney Araszkiewicz, Communications Associate Pensacola Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore recently received a large lumber and hardware donation totaling over $126,000 worth of supplies from locally owned Meredith and Son’s Lumber. Over eight days, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, Meredith Son’s and Lumber, volunteers, and Home Buyers hauled off 23 box trucks and nine flatbed trucks of donations made by Meredith and Son’s Lumber. It is the largest donation at one time the ReStore has seen in three years. “This donation means so much to the ReStore and Pensacola Habitat for Humanity. We are so grateful to have community leaders like Meredith Son’s and Lumber support our mission of bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Donations like this make it possible for us to accomplish our goal of providing affordable homeownership options for deserving families of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties,” stated Sam Young, CEO of Pensacola Habitat for Humanity. Meredith and Son’s Lumber, located in Gulf Breeze, supplies anything from decks, docks, marine stainless-steel products to traditional lumber products, general hardware, and more. They donated multiple types of building materials like doors, hardware and much more. This donation will supply Pensacola Habitat’s ReStore and be used to build new homes within Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties for Pensacola Habitat’s Home Buyer Program. The proceeds from selling these donations at the ReStore will support Pensacola Habitat’s mission of bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
“Last year, our family had to make the difficult decision to close our Pensacola store so we could concentrate our efforts on our marine construction material business. That decision left us with a lot of building materials that we no longer sell, but it also presented us with an opportunity to help our community by donating those materials to Pensacola Habitat,” said Dean Meredith, co-owner of Meredith and Sons Lumber. The Pensacola Habitat for Humanity ReStore accepts donations of likenew household furniture and building materials. All revenue earned is reinvested into the community to provide affordable homeownership options to individuals and families in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. Drop off your donation to the Pensacola Habitat ReStore located at 6931 N 9th Ave, Suite 29, anytime between 10 am and 5:30 pm, Tuesday- Saturday, or schedule a free pick-up online by visiting pensacolarestore.com/donate.
by Victoria Gross, Communications Intern
The Pensacola Habitat for Humanity ReStore accepts new and like-new donations of household goods and building materials! With our constantly changing inventory, prices well below retail, frequent markdowns, and one-ofa-kind items, you're sure to find something you can't live without. The best part of shopping at the ReStore is knowing that your purchases will help build homes, communities and hope in our local community. Together, we are changing lives right here at home.
Donate! All of your donations are taxdeductible! Call or go online to schedule a free donation pick-up! 850-476-0001 pensacolarestore.com/donate Donation drop-off hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 5:30 pm
Volunteer! Email volunteer@pensacolahabitat.org
or call Pensacola Habitat for Humanity at (850) 434-5456. Clay Copeland and Sam Young
Purchase! To Learn More Contact Us 850-476-0001 info@pensacolahabitat.org Hours of Operation Tuesday-Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm Follow @PensacolaReStore
Clay Copeland, Dennis Meredith, Daniel Meredith, Dean Meredith, Crystal Scott
pensacolarestore.com 6
This past month, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity hosted its 5th Annual Pensacola Habitat FORE! Humanity Golf Tournament. Pensacola Habiat was able to raise over $30,000 this year thanks to 114 golfers, 6 sponsors, and 20 volunteers who came together as a community to support affordable housing in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. “This year’s Annual Pensacola Habitat FORE! Humanity Golf Tournament was my first Pensacola Habitat golf tournament to be a part of, and it was such an incredible event! From beginning to end, the amount of support from local sponsors, volunteers, donors, and members of our community was heartwarming. My favorite part was getting to meet and form relationships with others in our community while also supporting our mission to build homes, community, and hope! I know this event will continue to grow each year, and I am already excited for what next year’s tournament has in store,” said Courtney Araszkiewicz, a Communications Associate at Pensacola Habitat for Humanity.
All of the money raised at the tournament will support Pensacola Habitat’s mission to build homes, community, and hope this holiday season. Pensacola Habitat for Humanity President and CEO, Sam Young, talked about how Pensacola Habitat’s mission wouldn’t be possible without community support at events like the tournament. Because of sponsors, donors, and volunteers, Pensacola Habitat is currently on track to have 61houses built by June 2022, exceeding our original goal of 53, and serve 80 individuals or families through our various Community Development Programs this fiscal year!
To learn how you can support Pensacola Habitat for Humanity and their mission, visit pensacolahabitat.org.
Women Build 2021 by Courtney Araszkiewicz, Communications Associate Pensacola Habitat for Humanity held their 8th annual Pensacola Habitat Women Build this past October. Over $94,000 was raised by 145 women across Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. Since July, these women have worked together to raise funds to build a home for another local woman currently in Pensacola Habitat’s Home Buyer Program. Among these amazing women is Tammy Lynn Barr. Tammy Lynn has not only volunteered and participated in Pensacola Habitat’s Women Build for five consecutive years but is also the team leader of Krewe of SWAT Build Sisters. Tammy Lynn was recognized as this year’s top fundraiser for Women Build 2021 after individually raising $3,820!
“Bay Area Printing was very excited to sponsor the Habitat golf tournament this year. We have talked about sponsoring in years past, but it seems something always came up. This year we were determined to be a part of this event. The last two years has been exhausting, uncertain, and definitely trying at times. We have watched Pensacola Habitat continue to move forward, helping others as they always do through it all. It is uplifting to watch the outcome of lives be changed through Pensacola Habitat. Bay Area needed to support that,” said Stephanie Justice, President of Bay Area Printing & Graphic Solutions.
Krewe of Swat Build Sisters was also recognized as the top fundraising team, raising $18,000. Women Build is a Pensacola Habitat initiative that empowers women and shows our community how much can be accomplished when local women join forces to address the need for affordable housing. Pensacola Habitat for Humanity relies on events like Women Build to bring the community together to build homes, communities, and hope.
“I love being a part of an organization such as Pensacola Habitat for Humanity that gives to and supports our community. When we all work together for the betterment of our Madrina Ciano and community and its Tammy Lynn Barr citizens by building communities of hope, We All Win! I have been blessed to see individuals be able to have a place to call ‘Home’! That is something Everyone should have.” - Tammy Lynn
For more information about Women Build, how to join, be a sponsor, or make a donation, please visit womenbuild.pensacolahabitat.org.
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Team Krewe of SWAT Build Sisters