Habitat Builder Newsletter - April 2011

A publication of the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity

April 2011

GENEVA

GROUNDBREAKING CELEBRATION

SGV Habitat celebrated groundbreaking for five new homes on Geneva Street in Glendale on March 5, 2011. This is the seventh build in Glendale, joining Habitat’s endeavors in Pasadena, El Monte, Duarte, Monrovia, Azusa and Temple City.

The Groundbreaking Ceremony was attended by City of Glendale Council and Housing Authority members, political dignitaries, supporters, volunteers, families and friends. Some of the prospective homebuyers are pictured breaking ground.

had green features, thanks to grants from Glendale Water and Power, but Geneva will go much further. The energy saved will reduce costs for the new homeowners and give SGV Habitat a chance to play a responsible environmental role. The goal for future Habitat builds is to continually achieve green standards.

This build will be the affiliate’s first build that meets the Build It Green standards for energy efficiency. We are grateful to Benny Tse of SunGreen Systems, Inc. who will donate and install solar San Gabriel Valley Habitat for energy systems for the new homes.

Humanity serves 31 communities Two other builds in Glendale have in the San Gabriel Valley, including Glendale. Volunteer work on the Geneva Homes, located at 624 Geneva Street in Glendale, will begin within several weeks. If you are interested in joining a group of volunteers or having your business, organization or church volunteer, please contact Amy Borton at 626.387.6899 x17, or volunteernow @sgvhabitat.org for details and scheduling.

Congratulations to Elaine Wilkerson who served as the Geneva Campaign Chair and has been very instrumental in raising the $600,000 campaign goal.

SGV Habitat looks forward to future partnership opportunities as we once again make home ownership affordable for first time buyers.

Ann Dougherty, Guest Writer To see more groundbreaking photographs, go to sgvhabitat.com

Senior Discount Days

Both the Azusa and the Pasadena ReStores now offer Senior Discount Days. Each Tuesday, seniors over the age of 62 can receive 15% off their entire purchase. Participants must ask for the discount before they are rung up and be willing to show identification. This offer cannot be combined with any other sales or discounts.

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Board of Directors

Donald W. Goodman, Claus Agger-Nielsen, Nick Alparaz, Tom Bunn, Michael T. Davitt, Ann Dougherty, Tom Doud, George Garfield, Jay Harvill, Cynthia Heydt, John Mac Lean, Deborah A. Loveland, Paul McAnnally-Linz, Judd Reas

Staff Sonja L. Yates Executive Director Damien Allen Construction Manager Malcolm Banks Construction Site Supervisor Sayaka Ota Accountant Catalina Velez Office Manager Amy Borton Volunteer Coordinator Mike McGowan Coordinator of Support Services & Marketing James Burke Coordinator of Youth Programs & Fund Development Support

ReStore Bill Anderson Manager Michael Krecker Assistant Manager Eric Bridges Assistant Manager Aaron Henrichs Driver Erik Kristiansen Sales Associate Craig Chew Sales Associate David Hill Sales Associate Sean Leavelle Sales Associate Matt Vincent Sales Associate Phillip Pasos Sales Associate Don Meeker Sales Associate Georgios Frangeskou Sales Associate Sara Timberlake ReStore Services Development AmeriCorps VISTA Ann Dougherty Guest Reporter

San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity 400 South Irwindale, Azusa CA 91702 Tel: 626-387-6899 Fax: 626-387-6890

Need

r Voluntefo ers

Tuesdays through Fridays 8AM to 3PM

Contact Amy at volunteernow@sgvhabitat.org

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NICOLAS ALPARAZ From Habitat Family Member to Member of Board of Directors

Nicolas Alparaz joined the Board of Directors for San Gabriel Valley (SGV) Habitat for Humanity in January 2011. On the Board, Nicolas primarily focuses on fundraising, corporate volunteer outreach and expanding our base of youth support. He is currently spearheading a project to organize the first annual SGV Habitat for Humanity Home Run, a 5K aimed towards raising funds for the local affiliate.

Nicolas has a personal connection to SGV Habitat for Humanity and has experienced firsthand the transformational power home ownership has on families and the surrounding community. In November 2005 his family moved into a SGV Habitat for Humanity home on Pacific Avenue in Glendale, CA. He has seen his family, especially his younger siblings, benefit from the stability home ownership provides and intends to continue the mission of providing families access to affordable homes.

Outside of his responsibilities with SGV Habitat for Humanity, Nicolas works within the Assurance Practice for Ernst & Young LLP, focusing on Retail and Consumer Products and Technology clients. He is currently going through the application process for his Certified Public Accountant license.

He has completed all four sections of the California CPA Exam.

Nicolas graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California in 2009 with a B.S. in Financial Valuation and a B.S. in Accounting. At USC, he held various leadership positions with the Undergraduate Student Government, Troy Camp and the Undergraduate Student Investment Fund.

He was named to the Order of Troy, a distinction given to students who have demonstrated leadership throughout their tenure at USC. Bring this barcode to Ralphs, and every time you use your Ralphs Rewards Card after it is linked (#82343), San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity will receive 1% of your purchase amount.

Thank you to LifeSource for not only donating water for the Geneva Groundbreaking Ceremony, but also for supplying purified drinking water for the volunteers throughout the build. For more information, contact Lesley Smith LifeSource Factory Representative 626.737.9182

Cars for Homes Cars for Homes™ Habitat’s car donation program. Through Cars for Homes™, thousands of donors help fund local affiliates. By donating a car, truck, boat, RV, motorcycle or other vehicle, supporters help build homes in their community, and around the world. All net revenue from the sale of donated vehicles—over $2 million each year—is distributed to local Habitat for Humanity affiliates where donors live or, if specifically designated, to other affiliates in the United States and the world.

DONATE NOW 877-277-4344

carsforhomes.org

SHANTYTOWN WHAT IS SHANTYTOWN?

The SGVHFH Youth United Leadership Committee took on the challenge of creating a realitydriven fundraiser, Shantytown.

Shantytown was an overnight sleepout to raise awareness for global and local poverty housing. An estimated 125 local high school and college students from the San Gabriel Valley came together at Pasadena Nazarene Church to participate in the event.

Students built makeshift shelters out of cardboard boxes as a means of empathizing with the reality of

poverty housing. As well as building shelters, students enjoyed a night of activities including a testimony from our very own Sherman homeowners, the Quiroz family.

The students endured the cold of the 44-degree night to experience the reality of homelessness.

They also also participated in educational presentations and advocacy. Participants helped raise over $5,000 for San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity with all proceeds going towards the Geneva Build. “I was so impressed with the effort and excitement our youth put into the event,” states James Burke, SGVHFH’s Youth Coordinator.

“This night was a special night, and it was made possible by our students’ passion to be the change and help end poverty housing.”

James Burke and the Youth United Leadership committee agree this was an exciting first youth fundraiser. In their eyes, the future is limitless. Their next goal is to unify Habitat for Humanity affiliates nationwide, and dedicate one night for hosting a Shantytown to raise awareness about poverty housing throughout the world.

If you want to get involved with Shantytown or any other SGVHFH Youth United programs, contact

James Burke, our Youth Coordinator, youthprograms@sgvhabitat.org.

Find SGV Habitat Online www.sgvhabitat.org

Facebook—www.facebook.com/sgvhabitat Myspace—www.myspace.com/sgvhabitat Flickr—www.flickr.com/photos/sgvhabitat Blogspot—sangabrielvalleyhabitat.blogspot.com Twitter—twitter.com/sgvhabitat

Our Annual Report is online!

Make sure to take a look, or request a physical copy at marketing@sgvhabitat.

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"green" community.

SGV Habitat Responds to Changing Needs . . .

There is no question that current economic times are challenging.

This is especially true for lowincome families.

Habitat for Humanity’s affordable housing work has expanded in response to these challenging times. Originally, all of Habitat’s work was focused on building affordable homes from scratch. Now, rehabilitating existing homes that have been repossessed by banks has become a major new thrust for Habitat for Humanity. In addition, hundreds of Habitat affiliates have added an exterior repair program called Brush With Kindness (BWK). Locally, SGV Habitat for Humanity has now completed four BWK exterior renovations for homes owned by low-income families. The transformations are heartwarming for the homeowners, for their neighborhoods, and for the BWK sponsors who donated $5,000 to 10,000 to make the exterior repairs possible. Please see for yourself the difference this program is making by going to our web site: www.sgvhabitat.org and clicking on the blue Brush With Kindness logo on our home page.

12731 Ramona Blvd, Suite 208 Irwindale, CA 91706 Tel: 626-851-0008 Fax: 626-851-0001 www.sungreensystems.com

We give very special thanks to Temple City for sponsoring our first five BWK projects and to Wells Fargo for sponsoring a BWK project in Azusa.

How can you help with Habitat’s expanded mission to rehabilitate and repair homes for low-income families?

Provide tips to us when you see bank repos that are pulling home values down in your community. We will do the necessary research to see if these properties can be donated for rehab and resale to low-income families.

Get your company, your church group, or your group of friends to sponsor a Brush With Kindness project. When your group raises the funds, you can choose the local community that will benefit, and your group can participate together to help with the needed repair work. This is a great team building experience!

Thank you so very much for helping SGV Habitat for Humanity raise funds so we can continuously touch more lives by building, rehabilitating and repairing affordable housing.

. .

SunGreen Systems is proud to donate complete Photovoltaic Solar Systems to each of the five new San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity townhomes at the Geneva Build in Glendale. Each homeowner will enjoy lower electric bills while contributing to the health of our planet through use of their SunGreen solar system.

While SunGreen Systems is covering the cost of the solar systems in full, SGVHFH is still raising money for the construction of the buldings themselves. You can help.

If you are considering PV for your home or business, call SunGreen and present this advertisement. If you purchase a SunGreen solar system, we will donate $1,000 in your name to SGVHFH for the Geneva Build project, SGVHFH’s first “green” community.

With heartfelt appreciation, Sonja L. Yates, Executive Director

Please email us so we can update your e-mail for our mailing list: info@sgvhabitat.org

Inside

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Executive Director’s Message

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SHANTYTOWN

Meet Board Member Nicolas Alparaz 2 The Geneva Groundbreaking

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San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity 400 South Irwindale Avenue Azusa, CA 91702

NONPROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID PASADENA, CA PERMIT NO. 224