HabiChat Summer 2020: Stronger Together
Embracing “Infinite Hope” During Hopeless Times
by Al Henderson
Reading timeless quotes from prominent leaders is inspiring because their purpose for making that statement was not self-serving but to serve a higher purpose inevitably reaching further than they could imagine. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the most quoted leaders during times of crisis. His quote, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope,” is easily one of my favorites that receives little attention. In my humble opinion, the lowest place a person can be is “hopeless.” Their faith has been tested far past the point average people endure and reintegrate to become productive citizens. Since I was originally asked to write this article, our staff, organization, community, and country have been enduring situations giving the appearance of “We must accept finite disappointment, Fortunately, our very hopelessness. but never lose mission is deeply rooted in a ministry dedicated to “building homes, communities, and HOPE.” Over 60 -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. years ago, divine intervention gave Clarence Jordan and Millard Fuller the bold notion that every person deserves a decent place to live. They laid the foundation for Pensacola Habitat for Humanity to use a model of servitude by partnering with our staff, faith community, businesses, community-conscience individuals, and, of course, our families. Following recommendations to flatten the COVID-19 curve, we minimized our community efforts but getting back to our core mission has been challenging. Like everyone else, we had to create a fluid plan nimble enough to allow us to stay true to our mission but flexible enough to address “how” we safely implement new norms. Boldly, Pensacola Habitat has used this time to rededicate ourselves and put God’s
infinite hope.”
Community Strong by Crystal Scott
COVID-19 has affected each of us differently! While some struggled to adjust to being physically distanced, some welcomed the space. I know my house was anything but calm while working from home. I was, however, able to potty train my enthusiastic two-year-old and experience my seven-month-old crawl for the first time! For those memories, I am extremely grateful. I have called Pensacola home for almost 20 years, and I know all too well that when we come together as
a community, we are loud and proud. I am happy to report these crazy times have been no different. While our offices were closed over the past eight weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, support has continued to pour in because the need for affordable homeownership has never been clearer. Giving people hope through an affordable mortgage is what we have done best for almost 40 years. Our stakeholders are the backbone of Pensacola Habitat, and support for our mission work is as important now as it always has been. During these times, when things are anything but normal, our staff, board, and stakeholders stay committed to serving. We build up communities, and we build up people. Neither would be possible
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love into action. To build our 1,400th home in this community, we have to find creative ways to re-engage our volunteers, provide opportunities for our donors, work closer with our faith community, implement new methods of partnering with our families, and remain vigilant holding steadfast to our core belief of providing hope when times appear hopeless. While our doors appear to be partially opened to our community, we have not turned our backs on the people we serve. The lights are on, our staff is working, our families remain committed, and Habakkuk, a book in the bible, reminds us that God has not forsaken us as we patiently abide in faith. We are just as eager as you to continue building homes for our families, participating in community redevelopment, and providing infinite hope for families who are hopeless. God Bless! without our donors allowing us the means and our volunteers providing the hands. Both bring people together. I often talk about the Pensacola Habitat volunteer experience: on any given day, you will have hopeful homebuyers who are currently in our program and enthusiastic Pensacola Habitat crew leaders all hammering on the same home with prominent community leaders and veteran volunteers. We all have that passion and know that supporting the work of Pensacola Habitat is profoundly changing lives and communities. We are all faithful and are working toward a shared vision where every single person has a decent place to live. For this, we are forever grateful. pensacolahabitat.org/donate
