Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam

WANTED!

2010-10-21T09:33:00.002-04:00

Pictures from Bayer's "Camp Habitat" Day 1

2010-09-07T12:28:00.003-04:00

A beautiful day for building a floor system! Bayer MaterialScience personnel came out to lend a hand today.

Scenes from the Construction Site - Tuesday Crew

2010-08-24T15:56:00.004-04:00

Ruel Elliott, wounded warrior back to work after a nasty ladder fall in June. Notice, Mrs, Elliott, that his feet are on the ground!

It takes teamwork to figure out inside drip edge corners. Mike, Mike and Bob tackle the problem.

Ken and Louise remind themsleves what it is like to pour 12 yards of concrete!

Bob Hinckley shingling the roof of Clyde & Donja Brown's house.

Alan and Ken at the end of a productive day!

2010-07-13T15:52:00.003-04:00

The ReStore is a program of Habitat for Humanity which enables house building through the sales of new, used and surplus donated building materials. In addition, it serves as a recycling outlet for Habitat, other builders, businesses and community members.

The Mission of the Habitat ReStore

Provide additional funding to support our Habitat's house building goals in Kanawha and Putnam Counties.
Divert construction and household materials from landfills and protect the environment.
Expand opportunities to serve a broader base of the community by providing low-cost materials.

Our Habitat ReStore opened on Earth Day in 2001. Since opening, $1,000,229 in proceeds have helped sponsor 19 Habitat Houses for families in need.

Habitat ReStore has had many significant environmental accomplishments. It sponsored and hosted the 2009 and 2010 Charleston Sustainability Fair. There were over 100 exhibitors in environmental, social and economic sustainability and over 2,000 people attended. ReStore has performed one full deconstruction of a house and multiple cherry-picking deconstructions. It also installed Charleston's very first rain garden which diverts 26,000 gallons of polluted water from storm drains.

But here's the biggest thing I bet you didn't know. ReStore depends on volunteers to make these things happen. ReStore needs volunteers to help with weeding that rain garden, riding with the donation driver to pick up donations, arranging and making things pretty on the sales floor. While the ReStore has a wonderful staff and a few dedicated, regular volunteers, the truth is ReStore needs more volunteers. Without volunteers, ReStore wouldn't be able to do the awesome things it has done already. Come out and be apart of something great! To volunteer at ReStore, email Lori Wyatt, Volunteer Coordinator at lori@hfhkp.org.

Habitat for Humanity Women Build

2010-07-07T10:52:00.004-04:00

Good Wednesday everyone! I know it's been sometime since the blog has been updated and I'm hoping to make it a much more frequently updated one. So let's start things out with the news that we are forming a committee for a Women's Build. The date for that meeting is July 22nd at 5:30 here at our offices. This meeting will establish the steering committee for the Women Build project. Then we will hold a general meeting for everyone who is interested in volunteering in other capacities. And believe me, we will need lots of volunteers!

Women Build is Habitat’s volunteer program for women who want to learn construction skills and make a difference by building homes and communities.Women Build projects are regularly held by Habitat affiliates across the United States, and by Habitat organizations around the world. Women at these builds have furthered Habitat’s home-building mission by helping to construct more than 1,700 houses. The FAQ's on Habitat International's website covers even more.

Our goal is to build an entire house from the ground up by women! I know that many of you are thinking, "I don't have any construction skills at all. I can't do that." Here's the good news. You don't have to have any skills whatsoever. That's right. I said no skills are needed. We supply you with the tools and skills you will need. It's pretty cool. I know. So, check the blog frequently as there will be plenty of updates, not just about Women Build but about all things HFHKP related! See you soon!

BrickStreet Volunteers Help Habitat

2010-05-07T16:37:00.005-04:00

On Friday BrickStreet sent eleven of its finest to help us build a retaining wall and hang siding on the back of Lulina Gaymon's house on North Hills Drive.

The news was there and made a TV star out of Lucy Allara:

Thanks BrickStreet!

2010-03-11T13:44:00.004-05:00

The weather outside is awesome! I was at the jobsites this morning - we have two now, one in Dunbar and the other in Charleston - and everybody was working in their t-shirts! It won' tbe long before we see trees start to bud and flowers.

You can see that the house on the right (#133) is moving along quite well. That's the one that we've been working on the past few snow storms :)

Perhaps you've thought about volunteering with us in the past, and have put it off because of the weather. You've almost no excuse now...the weather is starting to break. Be sure to visit http://hfhkp.volunteerhub.com to register as a volunteer and sign up for a day to work with us!

2010-03-04T15:07:00.003-05:00

We were finally able to finish laying the foundation in North Hills Drive this past week, which was a blessing. There are now two houses under construction, and the weather is now in our favor. Praise God!

Yesterday I read a portion of Henry Drummond's lecture "The Greatest Thing in the World". Then last evening our Bible study was taken from Luke 27 -36. This passage of scripture is all about loving your enemies, and the lecture by Drummond is taken from I Corinthians 13.

Drummond opens his lecture with "Every one has asked himself the great question of antiquity as of the modern world: What is the summum bonum - the supreme good? You have life before you. Once only you can live it. What is the noblest object of desire, the supreme gift to covet?"

He argues that we have been accustomed to believing and we have been taught that the "greatest thing in the world" or in the religious world is Faith. But, if we believe that we've missed the mark. We all remember the story of the Apostle Paul, a man who before his conversion was very wicked, a man who killed people who served the Lord. But the same hand that killed, several years later wrote to the Corinthian church "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." Paul mentions faith and hope in his writing, he spends an entire chapter speaking of love as the noblest of the three. Then he plainly states, without a moment's hesitation, that out of the three great words in relgion - faith, hope and love; love is the greatest.

There is no doubt in my mind that every volunteer who sets foot on a Habitat jobsite does so because of the love they have for folks who are less fortunate - for God's people in need. Volunteering your time to serve another is a true act of love and compassion. Let's try not to get so bogged down with summer vacations and pool parties that we forget about the folks who need to be shown love.

"...do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return..." Luke 6:35

Dedication

2010-02-22T13:04:00.010-05:00

We held a dedication on Sunday for the Watkins/Woodson Family. It was a great time, everyone was so excited for them! David and Natalie put well over 1000 hours of sweat equity, plus workshops and classes! It was a joy to work on their house, espeically alongside of them.

2010-02-18T10:25:00.006-05:00

This past weekend, we were so excited to have the Home Builder's Association of Greater Charleston come out to work at House # 133. The first thing the group had to do was to shovel the snow off of the floor so that they could chalk lines then frame the walls of the house! They did a great job!

2010-02-09T10:00:00.006-05:00

The recent weather has put a damper on our construction activities. I snapped this photo last week on a trip to the Dunbar site. We have since raised the exterior walls on this house. We were hoping to frame the interior walls today, but that didn't happen. It looks like we'll be delayed again tomorrow, as well. It seems like a small thing, that the weather has delayed us raising walls on this house. But to the partner family whose home we're building, one bad weather day that we can't work adds one more day to their countdown to home ownership. So to us it may seem like a small inconvenience, but to the homeowner it's huge.

It's times like these that we need to be remined of Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to His purpose." The phrase that jumps out in that verse is "all things". The Apostle Paul knew that good things worked for good, but he also knew that bad things worked for our good. There are so many accounts in the scriptures of seemingly bad things working for good - from Daniel in the den of lions to Jonah and the great fish.

One blessing is that we did have one house under roof by the time the winter got here, so we have had one place to work! And this house is very near completion! Special thanks to all the guys and gals who have braved the weather (and roads) to work on this house!

2010-02-03T14:30:00.004-05:00

It has been quite a while since anything has been posted, which in our world can be viewed as a good thing...we're busy!

This past Sunday we held a Dedication for the Belmore family. It was a great dedication, and well-attended.

We have another dedication quickly approaching for the Watkins -Woodson family.

No need to worry, we still have more families in this great state who need a safe and decent place to lay their heads at night. We've started another one in Dunbar, and will soon begin work on another home in North Hills.

2010-01-20T15:28:00.003-05:00

Volunteers have been hard at work this week putting the finishing touches on House #129. we have set a date for the Dedication, and given the family another special date (move-in).

This is the largest house that we have built, containing 6 bedrooms! We are excited and honored to have worked with this family and help them make their dream of homeownership a reality!

"Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." Ephesians 3:20

Just in case you're interested...

2010-01-08T10:40:00.001-05:00

I've copied and pasted the information below...Please contact Jennifer Moskowitz at the contact information below for more information.

Paid Trip to Volunteer in St. Tammany West, Louisiana
Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West is located approximately 45 minutes north of New Orleans, LA. We have just been awarded a Skilled Service Grant. What that means is that we can reimburse skilled construction volunteers (at least 1 year of experience) to come down here and volunteer on our construction sites. We need to complete 12 homes by March 15th.

Volunteers would have to front the cost of their travel and expenses (transportation, meals) and we would reimburse them upon the completion of the trip. We would pay the lodging costs directly.

We are looking for people to come the last week of Feb and first week of March if possible. Please let me know if you or anyone in your affiliate would be interested?

Jennifer Moskowitz
Volunteer Services Coordinator
Habitat for Humanity, St. Tammany West
1400 North Lane Mandeville, Louisiana 70471

office 985.893.3172

cell 985.264.2610

fax: 985-893-2822

jmoskowitz@habitatstw.org

http://www.habitatstw.org

Getting Back to Work

2009-12-28T10:29:00.002-05:00

I hope that everyone had a blessed Christmas, that you were surrounded by family and friends and took the time to remeber what Christmas is all about. "Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!" 2 Corinithians 9:15.

We have taken off this week, we're not working on the houses. We'll resume our construction schedule on Tuesday, January 5. The New Year will be an exciting one for us, and a busy one! I hope that you will again take time this year to help us lend a hand to families in need. Because our construction schedule is picking up, we are in need of another standing crew of volunteers - much like the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Crews who are already in place. We will be putting together a Friday Crew. The first date for the crew to work is on Friday, January 8.

Perhaps you have the time to devote to helping others and will choose to do so with us and on Fridays! Please contact me if you're interested by emailing tori@hfhkp.org or calling 304-720-0141.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T11:28:00.002-05:00

Have you read the Christmas story? If you have not, I encourage you to do so - and make it a practice! It seems as we grow up, we no longer "have" to read the Christmas story, because we no longer "have" to be in church pagents and memorize one or two verses found in Luke. But, as we age our opinions should change - we now "get" to read the Christmas story for pure enjoyment and to remind us that while we were unworthy, God himself became man in the form of a babe and came to this earth.

We all know the Christmas story - a young man and woman make their way to Bethlehem where they have to pay their taxes. There was no place for them to rest for the night, except in a barn - basically. It was in that barn that the baby was born. God could have waited 2,000 years before he sent his son; Mary could have given birth in the best hospital in town with the best doctors surrounding her and with the most sterile equipment. But He chose to come into the world in a dirty barn.

Jesus was sent to the earth for all people, not just a select few.

Everyone at Habitat wishes you a safe and Merry Christmas!

Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon

2009-12-16T13:31:00.004-05:00

This past Monday we were able to thank our faithful volunteers with a luncheon at Blessed Sacrament. The folks at the United Disciples of Christ Church did an outstanding job with the food!!

We were also excited to have David Rubel with us. David recently wrote a book called "If I Had A Hammer" that focuses on Habitat for Humanity. David spoke of the book, gave a brief history of Habitat and also told about his time on a Jimmy Carter project in Thailand.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

2009-12-11T11:02:00.002-05:00

“Make a career of humanity – and you will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.” These words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. echo the mission and vision of Habitat for Humanity to develop communities with people in need by building and renovating houses so that there are decent houses in decent communities in which every person can experience God’s love and can live and grow into all that God intends.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. embodied the ideals of Habitat for Humanity, and was connected with Habitat for Humanity in its very beginning. Koinonia Farm, located in Americus Georgia, is the international community that is the birthplace of Habitat. In the 1950s, the farm faced continual harassment for its commitment to integration and equality. In 1957, a Ku Klux Klan rally made its way to the farm in an attempt to force its sale. The community stood its ground and refused to sell.

In the next two decades, Koinonia would continue on in brotherhood, surviving and thriving in South Georgia. Out of Koinonia’s unwavering dedication to ideals of love, compassion and equality in the face of resistance, Habitat for Humanity was born. King recognized and encouraged Koinonia to continue then, and we continue today. The Day of Service is a valuable opportunity to recognize both King and Habitat for Humanity’s past as we move forward.

We will honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his ideals of equality and freedom and justice for all on the third Monday in January - January 18. You can join us by signing up to volunteer on that date and being part of the incredible journey of Habitat.

Christmas Time's a Comin'

2009-12-07T13:20:00.003-05:00

I, for one, am excited that Christmas is close! Christmas is my favorite time of the year, because I love the scents of Christmas. A freshly cut frazier fur, Christmas cookies in the oven, and even the old popcorn that we use to decorate our tree completes the Christmas experience.

At Habitat, our schedule changes a bit this time of year. Our regular crews will be working until Wenesday, December 23. We will resume our construction schedule on Tuesday, January 5.

In the new year, we've some exciting things planned that you'll need to be a part of. We have an All Womn's Crew who volunteers one Saturday per month. This is a great group of ladies who want to learn some construction skills.

There will also be a Saturday Shift. Many times individual volunteers are reluctant to come out on a Saturday because they're normally filled with businesses, church groups, etc. This year we're giving individuals a chance to volunteer as a team, and the first shift is on Saturday, January 9. Be sure to sign up!

We're also starting a Friday Crew. Our construction schedule is picking up, and we need a Friday Crew to keep up with the pace. If you're interested in joining a Friday Crew - please let me know!

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2009-12-01T12:07:00.005-05:00

I trust that each one of you had a blessed Thanksgiving. At Habitat, we have so much to be thankful for - a wonderful staff who truly believes in the mission of the organization, many volunteers who also believe in the mission and work hard week after week to ensure that we accomplish that mission of providing safe and decent shelter for God's people in need.

I read an interesting blog from the Pastor at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Charleston. He wrote in his blog that "Compassion means to have the same feelings - to bear one another's burdens, to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep - to do what Jesus would be doing if He were here."

I was reminded that Habitat for Humanity began as Christian organization, rooted in the idea of "koinonia" - a Greek word that appears a few times in the New Testament and refers to fellowship and partnership. In the book of Acts, we find koinonia referred to in the 2nd chapter, verse 42. "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

I am thankful for this organization - Habitat for Humanity - who is not afraid to stand up and say that we are a Christian organization. We do believe in Jesus Christ. We are thankful for his teachings, and our mission is to demonstrate his love and his teachings by advocating and building decent homes for God's people in need.

2009-11-23T09:02:00.003-05:00

Construction is moving along. On Saturday a group from Merrill Lynch and a few of our Regular Crew members finished setting trusses in Elkview, and got the house under roof! Thanks to Merrill Lynch for supporting Habitat by volunteering!

The Workin' Women's Crew

2009-11-13T11:19:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow will be the first shift for the Workin' Women's Crew (WWC). We're excited about this new crew of volunteers, and hope that you will make plans to be a part! This crew of women will volunteer at a construction site the third Saturday of each month. Upcoming Workin' Women's Crew dates are:
November 14
December 19
January 16
February 20
March 20
April 17
May 15
To become a part of the Workin' Women's Crew simply click on the "Volunteer Now"button to the right of this screen. Sign up to become a volunteer, then register for one of the Workin' Women's Crew dates.
You can also contact me, Tori, for more information by emailing tori@hfhkp.org

State Farm Sends Volunteers!

2009-10-16T11:15:00.004-04:00

It's been a busy week at Habitat...with two dedications approaching, we've busied ourselves putting the finishing touches to the two homes.

We still have more work to do, as evidenced by the photographs of the State Farm employees hanging drywall at House #131. Special thanks to State Farm!

Busy Weekend!

2009-10-13T09:03:00.003-04:00

We had a very busy weekend, with ample volunteers! Thanks to Wells Fargo and Generation Charleston we were able to get a lot of things done!

Generation Charleston plans for working on a house, got "rained out", so they worked in the ReStore. It now smells like a bottle of windex - so clean! GC also worked on turning an old tool room into an office.

Wells Fargo was a big help on Friday, they did trim work at House #128. That means they put on door knobs, installed closet shelves, touched up some paint. The house is very near completion, the keys will be handed over on Saturday.

We're Back!

2009-09-24T13:10:00.002-04:00

Wow! It's been quite a while since this has been updated, and I apologize for that. I suppose I should start this blog off by introducing myself and congratulating Miss Donna!

Most of you know that Miss Donna has moved to the Jackson County affiliate office as the Executive Director - congratulations and good luck!

I'm the new volunteer coordinator, my name is Tori Holstine. I'm from a little, big town called Alum Creek that spans two counties - Lincoln and Kanawaha. I live on the Lincoln County side. I graduated from Duval High School, then WV State University, then High Point University in North Carolina. I'm glad to be back home, and excited to help Habitat for Humanity expand its mission by recruiting new volunteers!

I visited a couple of construction sites today, and forgot to take pictures. Volunteers were hard at work today at Central Avenue and at North Hills. At Central, they were haning kitchen cabinets and installing flooring. At North Hills - they were taking a break ;). No, they were painting and hanging doors.

Tomorrow we'll be framing at 417 19th Street in Dunbar and we'll also be working at Central painting base and caulking windows and doors. Perhaps you can help!

Calling All Volunteers!

2009-07-11T12:54:00.002-04:00

We have a very important goal to reach by the first week of August and we will need all of our volunteer's help to achieve this goal! We are in the process of bringing 4 new homes for these four families out of the ground in the next 30 days!! If you or someone you know would like to volunteer please contact donna@hfhkp.org or give her a call @ 304-720-0141.

2009-06-22T11:42:00.000-04:00

Montgomery House is Complete!

2009-06-22T11:08:00.002-04:00

Saturday, June 28, 2009 is a day David and Lisa Lewis have been dreaming of for a very long time. It is the day of their Dedication Ceremony! This simple ceremony is to give thanks to God and the many volunteers that chose to serve him by volunteering their time and energy in making the Lewis' dream come true.
If you have never been to a Dedication for a Habitat family, you should make it a point to do so at some time. It is a very moving experience for everyone.
In the Montgomery case, the WVUIT Biology students were the first to volunteer. They installed the subfloor and have not seen the house since it's very beginning stages. The Saturn Crew and Bowles Rice team that built and raised the walls and set the trusses. The volunteers from DuPont and AEP that helped to get the roof shingled, the insulation installed and the water lines installed after 9 straight days of rain. The operating room nurses (AORN) and the Knights of Columbus that painted the house inside and out. And of course, the ever faithful, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Crew members.
The Habitat for Humanity Dedication Ceremony brings the family and all of the people who have helped to make this event happen, together, to give thanks.

The "Blessings" House

2009-06-02T13:57:00.001-04:00

Last November, Habitat for Humanity Of Kanawha and Putnam County hosted an event in which we acknowledged the many “Blessings” of our ministry, including the servant leadership of Mike and Tina McCready. We were also able to raise enough funds to build a house in honor of the McCready’s!

On May 26, we began construction on the “Blessings” house and we will be working on it throughout June and July. Mike and Tina and their friends and church family, Blessed Sacrament, worked the first week of the build and were able to get the house under roof in 5 days. Stephanie Southers, the future homeowner was and will continue to be on site to work alongside the volunteers.

Remember, you don’t have to construction expertise to volunteer, just a willingness to help a deserving family realize the dream of homeownership.

If you are interested in volunteering on our “Blessings” house or any of our other houses, please contact me at 304-720-0141 or sign up on the volunteer section on this web site.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Donna DeHart

Volunteer Manager

Habitat for Humanity

Kanawha and Putnam County

815 Court Street

Charleston, WV 25301

304-720-0141

Habitat Wins "Expect the Best" Award from Charleston Area Alliance

2009-05-05T16:45:00.006-04:00

From the Charleston Area Alliance Press Release:

The Charleston Area Alliance last week announced the winners of its 2009 "Expect the Best" Awards. The awards, which spotlight organizations that promote quality of life and excellence in the workplace and community, will be presented at the Alliance's Annual Celebration, to be held on Wednesday, June 3, at the Clay Center.

The "Simply the Best" Award - Habitat for Humanity

"The winners truly represent the 'best of the best' in our area," said Matt Ballard, Alliance president and CEO. "We had a number of high-quality entries this year, and the judging process was difficult and deliberate."

Simply the Best
As the local affiliate for one of the most respected organizations in the world, Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam County helps the region by providing home ownership opportunities for low-income families. Volunteer labor and donated materials allow Habitat homeowners to own for far less than fair market rental rates.

With its mission of eliminating poverty housing, Habitat forges partnerships between people who are in need of decent housing and those in our community who can assist them with their needs. The result is involving people personally in the issue of substandard housing.

Habitat's ReStore, meanwhile, has turned around in the past year and a half, becoming the premier ReStore operation in the U.S. In one year, it has increased its net revenue by more 114 percent and raised enough money to fully fund the construction of four of the eight homes built in 2008.

One judge commented that Habitat is "changing the community one home at a time."

Winners will also be showcased in an engaging video, produced by the award-winning firm "Motion Masters," that will be shown to the hundreds of business and community leaders in attendance.

2009-04-22T12:50:00.002-04:00

2009-04-22T12:35:00.002-04:00

WVUIT Biology Student Volunteers Begin Montgomery Build!

On Saturday, April 18th, Dr. Beutler and her Biology students volunteered to begin the Montgomery Habitat for Humanity house. They turned out in droves to celebrate a beautiful Spring Saturday by hammering down the subfloor of the 3 bedroom house. Thanks to Dr. B and her very special students for working so hard to help us to elimate substandard housing and to make David and Lisa's dream of homeownership a reality.

We are currently looking for local and other volunteers to help build this house especially during the weekdays. If you are interested in volunteering please call Donna DeHart @ 304-720-0141 or visit our web site at www.hfhkp.org .

Deconstruction Program Volunteers Needed!

2009-04-07T10:46:00.006-04:00

Deconstruction is the hand demolition of buildings in the reverse order of their construction in order to carefully remove materials for reuse and recycling.
Habitat needs volunteers that can help us remove the salvageable material for re-sale in our ReStore. All proceeds from the ReStore build Habitat homes in our community.
Volunteers will be on call and notified when a project becomes available.
The first meeting for anyone interested in volunteering will be held June 2, 2009 at 6:00 in the Habitat offices-815 Court Street, Charleston WV 25301.
You can go to our website @ hfhkp.org and click on the Volunteer Up button, click on June 9 on the volunteer calendar and sign up for this new volunteer adventure!

University of Charleston Men's Soccer Team

2009-03-28T19:17:00.009-04:00

A big thank you goes out to the University of Charleston's men's soccer team for the work they did Saturday, March 21st on Elsie's house. They dug the drainage system and shingled the roof.

Coach Chad Duernberger

St. Patrick's Day Volunteer Appreciation Party

2009-03-21T10:02:00.003-04:00

Thanks to everyone that came to the St. Patrick's Day Volunteer Appreciation party! It was a great night to show a small amount of appreciation to those crew members that give so much to the Habitat mission. The night was a also full of fresh green ideas for building and recycling. Building houses that are more energy efficient is a win/win for everyone involved, especially by saving our Partner Families money on their utility bills.

Montgomery Bound

2009-03-17T09:54:00.002-04:00

The day is finally drawing near, when we will begin working on David and Lisa Lewis’ house in Montgomery. We will be needing all of the volunteers we can get, to get this house completed, so please consider volunteering in Montgomery. This very deserving and patient family will be working side by side with you when they are not working or taking care of the grandbaby. See you in Montgomery!

Spring, Glorious Spring!

2009-03-07T14:11:00.005-05:00

I saw my first Spring lily today! That is a sure sign that spring is officially on it’s way and it could not come soon enough. Kudos to the volunteers that came out in sub-zero temperatures and worked outside all day the past few months. They are some of the many heroes of Habitat!

Starting next weekend I have lined up 9 volunteer groups for Fridays and Saturdays in March and April in Charleston. Some volunteer groups such as Bowles & Rice law firm and Saturn of Hurricane commit to several workdays because they have so many employees that want to participate. Also, a new youth camp from Liberty, Indiana will be coming in April. In the summer months we have our usual youth camps such as Saint Michael’s and some new ones, too. As for Montgomery, I have volunteers on call for as soon as the site prep work and foundation are completed.

We can always use more volunteers! The more volunteers we have, the more houses we can build! The days are going to be beautiful and together we can work together in our own community to help eliminate substandard housing! If you are planning your Spring break, plan on volunteering one or more of those days on a Habitat for Humanity jobsite. We would love to have you. No skills or tools necessary, just a good attitude and a desire to make a difference! If you are interested in volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity job site, please give Donna DeHart a call at 304-720-0141.

FreeFoto.com

It's in the Driveway

2009-03-03T08:20:00.002-05:00

At Habitat for Humanity for Kanawha and Putnam County, we have usually poured the driveways towards the end of a build. Starting with Elsie McClendon’s house on Hanna Drive, we are going to pour the driveway in the earliest stages of the build. We will also be landscaping and working on the lot.

In the past we have left this work towards the end of the build. Afterwards, it is very hard to get volunteers to “go back” and do these outdoor tasks. Although, in our defense, the last few months, it has been impossible to do any landscaping. Rather than wait for the first youth camp to come and landscape House #122 and #124, we will be utilizing the Job Corps as soon as weather permits.

With the driveway poured before major construction begins on the house it will get us somewhat out of the mud and we will have a level, dry area in which to set up tools, unload materials, etc. It will also make for a safer situation in getting in and out of the house. And in cases where we are not supposed to turn around in other people’s driveways, we can turn around in our own.

Donna DeHart

Volunteer Manager

Habitat for Humanity

Kanawha and Putnam County

815 Court Street

Charleston, WV 25301

720-0141

HFHKP vs. Winter

2009-02-24T08:48:00.003-05:00

Just when I think it can’t possible snow anymore or be any colder, it does and it is. In spite of a very wintery week, the crews were able to get the back porch and the steps built on Cecelia’s house, as well as work on the siding and the soffit. Also, a very muddy Tuesday group, was able to get the foundation waterproofed and the drain system installed at the Hanna Drive house. We had been waiting for this window to open for a while!

On Saturday, volunteers from the Charleston Junior League and Wells Fargo, were able to complete the siding and soffit on Cecelia’s house. They cleaned the interior of the house so that it is “appliance and carpet ready”.

Again, I’d like to remind everyone of the St. Patrick’s Day event from 4:30 PM until 7:00 PM! I truly hope that you can join us in celebrating YOU!

This Week at HFHKP...

2009-02-14T09:29:00.002-05:00

This week at HFHKP the plan is to finish installing the siding, build the back porch and install the appliances in House #124. On Saturday, a handful of volunteers worked at House #125 on Hanna Drive. They removed the leftover block and began to dig around the foundation.

This week we hope to finish digging around the foundation and also dig the sewer line. Weather willing, we can waterproof the foundation finally. Elsie, who is living patiently with friends, is thrilled that we are finally able to work on her house!

The lot in Montgomery is cleared! I have been working very hard to get volunteers in that area and the response has been good. Apparently the Davis’ are very well liked and respected in their community and lots of folks want to help! As soon as the foundation is in, we’ll be working there as well.

Just a reminder to all of the “Regular Crew Guys and Gals” about the event on March 17. I encourage all of you to attend. It will be very informative and fun and there will be lots of good food and friends. A good chance to hang out with the other crews!

A New Year!

2009-02-07T14:19:00.002-05:00

Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam County seeks to engage volunteers from all walks of life as we strive to eliminate substandard housing. And now that winter is working it’s way out, everyone at Habitat for Humanity is gearing up to hit the ground running (or should I say building) as soon as the weather permits. In 2008, we were able to partner with 7 families and build with and for each of them a safe, decent and affordable house.

We were very blessed last year in that we had 44 faith organizations, 30 businesses and 5 youth camps join us in our mission. Several of the churches and businesses volunteered in the spring and had such a dynamic and rewarding experience, that they volunteered again in the fall. Needless to say, we look forward to partnering with them this year, too.

We are also very blessed to have a extraordinary group of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday volunteers that would love to have new volunteers on their teams. These volunteers work all year round and without all of these volunteers, the work that we do would not be possible.

So, if you are interested in joining a weekday team, bringing in a team of volunteers, need service learning hours for school, or as an individual volunteer, please call our office at 304-720-0141 and ask for Donna DeHart.

New Domain for Habitat

2009-02-03T08:15:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to bring to everyone’s attention that Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam County has a new internet domain: hfhkp.org

You will note that staff email addresses have changed to user@hfhkp.org instead of the old user@habitatwv.org and the website is now “hfhkp.org” instead of the old “habitatwv.org/Kanawha”

Vote for Habitat!

2008-11-04T15:33:00.001-05:00

Today is election day, and Habitat encourages YOU to go out and vote! Our president will be in a position to make decisions that impact the availability of affordable housing in the U.S. Make sure your voice is heard! Be an advocate for affordable housing in the voting booth today.

And on this election day, you can also vote for Habitat! Go to http://www.wellsfargo.com/somedaycontest/hfh to select Habitat as your favorite cause. Wells Fargo will contribute $250,000 to the nonprofit with the most votes. The second place winner will get $150,000, and third place will get $50,000. If Habitat wins, we will distribute the funds among the three local Habitat affiliates whose communities generated the most votes, so be sure to include your zip code when you vote. The contest ends November 10—get your vote in today!

Shawn Means

Executive Director

Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam County

815 Court Street

PO Box 70160

Charleston, WV 25301

304-720-0141

DOW Sponsors Kim Foster House

2008-07-07T13:11:00.002-04:00

Our friends at DOW Chemical and Habitat for Humanity have partnered together to sponsor the home of Kim Foster and family. In May, they framed and raised the roof on the 4 bedroom house. Our regular crew members and Kim Foster and her friends and family have been working diligently to get Kim and her sons in their house at the earliest possible date. Thanks to everyone that is involved in this very special build!

The Shafi's are Home!

2008-07-07T10:42:00.002-04:00

Thanks to the hard work and generosity of our regular crews and the Midland South District of United Methodist Churches, the Shafi family has moved into their new Habitat home!

There were many kind hearts and hard working hands that contributed to this 10 week build. Saturn of Hurricane, Bowles, Rice, McDavid, Graff & Love, Teays Valley Presbyterian and Enterprise Rent-a-Car also partnered with us to make this happen in a short amount of time. The weather was our most fierce opponent, causing rain outs and cancellations and therefore forcing us to fall behind schedule several times. But the extra hands were just a phone call away and we were able to rally and get back on schedule. Dedication was held on June 7^th and the Sahfi’s are “home sweet Habitat home”.

Welcome Montini Catholic High School

2008-03-22T13:05:00.002-04:00

This year marks the third anniversary of the partnership between Habitat for Humanity and Montini Catholic HIgh School Youth Mission Group from Lombard, Illinois. For the past two years these students and their teachers, sacrifice their Spring Break to come to West Virginia and volunteer for Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam County. Last year they were instrumental in rehabilitating Margie Dudley's house in Kanawha City. Due to the selflessness of volunteers like Montini Catholic High School, Margie was able to have her first Thanksgiving and Christmas in her new home!

Midland South District United Methodist Build

2008-03-22T12:56:00.002-04:00

Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam County is partnering with Midland South District of United Methodist Churches to build a home for the Shafi partner family in Jubilee Heights. The event starts on March 24th and will continue until May 24 and each Parish will work for one week. The Shafi family will be working side by side with these extraordinary volunteers from Methodist Churches throughout West Virginia to make their dream of being a homeowner come true!
For more information on this and other events please call our Volunteer Manager, Donna DeHart at 720-0141.

Jubilee Heights Celebration Monday, October 8

2007-10-03T20:41:00.002-04:00

Even though there are a few more houses to build, the long and arduous work of building streets, sewers, utilities and all the things that makes Jubilee Heights a neighborhood is done. We think that is worthy of a celebration! So, everyone is invited to attend a dedication ceremony on Monday, October 8 at 11 AM. This event will allow everyone who played a part in the development of Jubilee Heights to come together to celebrate the completion of the infrastructure and hear a little about our future plans. We hope you will join us.

Look for parking signs near Rock Lake Presbyterian Church. We’ll have vans shuttling people to Jubilee Heights and back.

Feel free to call or email Jessica Hudson with questions about the event. jhudson@habitatwv.org or 720-0141

Jubilee Heights Streets Done

2007-08-24T22:16:00.002-04:00

At long last, the streets in Jubilee Heights are finished!

Major Update on Streets at Jubilee Heights

2007-08-17T11:03:00.001-04:00

As of this morning the wearing course of ashphalt is being applied to the streets inside the Jubilee Heights subdivision! Paving shoud be 100% complete today and the rest of the associated work should be done next week.

FINALLY!!

Update on Street Construction at Jubilee Heights

2007-08-07T23:14:00.001-04:00

Not a lot to report since the last post, but the curbs are nearing completion and being backfilled. In areas where the curbs are finished and have passed inspection, the base stone has been installed and compacted. Asphalt paving should begin the week of August 13. Once paving begins we will work elsewhere until it's finished so we don't interfere with the paving or cause any vehicular damage to the fresh asphalt.

In other news - IT'S HOT! Please everyone, take it easy and drink lots of water out there.

Update on Jubilee Heights Street Construction

2007-07-27T10:52:00.001-04:00

I know everybody would like to know exactly what's going on with streets at Jubilee Heights. So would we!

As of today here is where we stand:

The general contractor hired a sub contractor to install the curbs. They started this work two weeks ago and the work did not go well. When the South Charleston City Engineer came to inspect the curbs he was not satisfied with the work and rejected nearly all of them. This required the curbs to be torn out and rebuilt. As of this writing most of the rejected curbs have been torn out and are being rebuilt. They should be finished early next week.

If the curbs pass inspection then they can be backfilled and paving can begin. Once paving contractors move in the project is two weeks from completion.

We'll post more details as they become available.

First Avenue Update

2007-07-23T13:48:00.001-04:00

Thankfully the Contractor Yard was very responsive and found a contractor to repair the damage done by the falling shingles. We are back to work there now, and in fact worked there Saturday. Some of you might have seen the article in Sunday's paper or the new story on Channel 3.

In case you didn't see it, here is a link to the newspaper story:

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2007072116

Accident at First Avenue House

2007-07-12T21:09:00.001-04:00

The good news is, thankfully, nobody was hurt. This is the first time anything like this has ever happened, but it just goes to show how quickly a significant accident can happen at the job site. A good reminder that we all have to be vigilant anytime we're on the job site.

What happened is that when the boom truck was lifting the pallet of shingles to the roof to be off loaded by volunteers, the pallet began to swing and the operator tried to move the boom to steady it when the entire pallet slipped off the forks. The full pallet of 33 bundles fell onto the roof, through the roof, through the floor and into the crawlspace.

Here are some pictures.

House 116

2007-07-09T12:11:00.001-04:00

House 116 on First Avenue has trusses up but will stand waiting until further notice.

The curbs at Jubilee Heights are scheduled to be laid this week. Paving will commence shortly thereafter. It is possible that we will lose access to the site this week and have to work on the West Side. Check the volunteer hotline (720-4470) for up to date information.

Update on West Side Site

2007-06-21T16:14:00.001-04:00

The cinderblock is finished on the new house at 1208 First Avenue. Next week the St. Michael work camp will waterproof, install the foundation drains and backfill the foundation.

New Job Site Starting Up Soon on Charleston's West Side

2007-06-18T16:35:00.001-04:00

Last week footers were dug for House 116. This house is on First Avenue next door to the one we built last Summer and Fall and will be the home of Connie Andrews.

Block is being layed as of today and we will be waterproofing and backfilling next week when the second St. Michael's workcamp comes next week. We don't expect to be framing this house before mid-July.

New Habitat Volunteer Manager

2007-06-06T10:07:00.001-04:00

Please welcome our newest Habitat staff member, Donna DeHart. Donna will be recruiting and coordinating volunteers so Tim can concentrate on his Office Manager duties.

Please let Donna know about anyone you know that would like to volunteer for Habitat, either by joining one of our regular crews, as a Friday or Saturday volunteer, or to help out with Family Selection, ReStore or anything else.

She can be reached at dehart@habitatwv.org or at the office (720-0141).

Work Camp Season

2007-06-06T09:56:00.001-04:00

We'll have our first work camp of the summer here next week. Many of you remember Rose Koch and her St. Michaels group (from Chicago). They are coming next week (June 11) and then returning in two weeks (June 25) with a different bunch of kids.

New Volunteer Hotline

2007-05-07T15:17:00.001-04:00

Now there is a phone number you can call to find out where we're working on any given work day. It's called the Habitat Volunteer Information Hotline and it will be kept up to date on the latest information about where we'll be working and what we'll be doing. You can even call it in the morning if the weather is bad and you want to see if we've changed sites.

The number is 720-4470.

House Transition

2007-05-03T22:46:00.001-04:00

For the next couple of weeks we'll be in transition between houses. Here's the scoop:

The Kanawha City renovation is on hold for a while.
The St. Albans house (Spencer - Arborland Acres) is nearly done. We need to pour the driveway and seed the yard and we're done. The dedication for this house is scheduled for May 20.
Two houses are underway in Jubilee Heights. One foundation is nearly finished and the other will be a week behind it.

Call the office before you head out to volunteer, just to make sure you're heading to the right place.

New Roof Protection System

2007-01-26T08:18:00.001-05:00

For a while now we've been looking into a passive system to protect volunteers who work on roofs. Every system that we could find involved wearing harnesses and safety tethers, which we found to be too clumsy for our purpose.

We have found our solution in a a brand new product called Horizontal Undereave Guard System (HUGS) is really amazingly simple and is completely passive. We have ordered a HUGS system and will begin using it on the next house we frame.

You can see the HUGS system on their website: http://www.hugsafety.com/

2006-09-14T15:54:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, September 16, Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam will be holding a rare event. It's Double Dedication Day. That's right, two homes will be officially dedicated and the efforts of all volunteers will be celebrated. Just about a month ago, Shirley Cole's home was dedicated. Shirley (center) is pictured here working with Angel Young and Wendy Tipton. This Saturday, Angel,Wendy and their families take center stage as their homes and hard work are recognized.

Angel, her husband George and their children Auchea and Timothy now own a home of their own in Jubilee Heights. Let no one ever, ever doubt their committment to their dream. They volunteered 130 hours over and above the 500 required!!! George brought his buddies from work to the site and they cleared weeds and brush from the creek bank next to their home. They have plans to do some landscaping there. They also are planning improvements in the back yard. I don't think I've met more committed or hardworking souls than George and Angel Young. This was our affiliate's 106th building project and we were fortunate to have Bayer Material Science and Bayer Crop Science sponsor the house. Bayer is a well known and respected community partner and provided financial resources for this project. In addition, Bayer employees worked hundreds of volunteer hours to make this home a reality for the Young family. Bayer is very, very serious about making decent housing available in Kanawha and Putnam counties.

Wendy, her daughter Keaira and son Keshawn are thrilled with their new home. Wendy's hard work was matched only by the kid's steady patience. They are just beginning to understand that Mom's hundreds of hours on the jobsite means a new, safe and decent place for them to live and grow. The first time I met Wendy, she was applying sticky, stinky waterproofing to the foundation of a house. It was not her house but she had waterproofed nearly the entire cinderblock foundation for another Habitat family. She talked alot about plans for her children. Over and over she told me how a new home would make her kid's lives safer and happier. Wendy knew that her work on this home would be repaid by others when her home was built. Even with waterproofing tar on her face, arms and hands, Wendy's smile told me she could see a brighter tomorrow.

Wendy's home was sponsored by The Segal and Davis Family Foundation. This wonderful organization has a well-deserved reputation for supporting causes that advance the health and well-being of the children in our community. The Foundation provided financial support and volunteer workers to help Wendy build a stable homelife for herself and her children.

As is always the case, our regular volunteer crews worked like the pros they are. The Tuesday crew was terrific, the Wednesday crew was wonderful and the Thursday crew was top-notch.

Like every Habitat homeowner, Angel, George and Wendy have worked very hard for a long time for their chance to purchase a home. By any standard of measure, they have earned this opportunity. They have all made an important investment in their future.

That future has begun and everyone who helped make it happen is invited to the Young's dedication at 11:00 and the Tipton dedication at 1:00 on Saturday. The number of people who worked on these houses is huge and space won't allow a complete listing of them all but Angel, George, Wendy and the children will never forget your effort, given willingly, freely and cheerfully. You who volunteered worked hard. Wendy, Angel and George worked hard. Come out and see what hard work has accomplished. Then let's get ready to do it again, another deserving family is ready for their dream to come true.

2006-09-11T14:21:00.000-04:00

Work continues at the site of our latest project. If you are wondering where this project is, we are building a new home at 1210 First Avenue on Charleston's West Side. We are building this home in partnership with DuPont and things are coming along very nicely. Having grown up on the West Side, I'm happy to see activity in that part of town. Apparently, the residents of that neighborhood are happy as well. The lot on which we're building has been vacant for a long time and had become overgrown and dangerous. Now that it's been cleared and a brand new home is going up, the neighbors have commented on how glad they are to see the property put to productive use.

Even though our activity congests their street and poses parking problems, many residents have gone out of their way to be helpful. If you are planning on volunteering at the First Avenue site, please consider carpooling to help ease the crowding on the street.

To get to our build site, take Kanawha Boulevard to Hunt Avenue. This is one block east of Florida Street and Cabell Field. Turn onto Hunt and go one block, then turn left onto First Avenue. Our site is on the right at the end of the block. We'll be there Tuesdays through Saturdays for the next few weeks. Sometimes, necessity will force us to change worksites with little forewarning. As always, call before you come out to confirm where we will be working. You can reach our office at 304-720-0141 for updates.

2006-08-31T09:21:00.000-04:00

Here is a quick statistic...
Habitat for Humanity has now completed or neared completion on 400 homes in the Hurricane Katrina-affected region. Habitat is by far the region's most active and successful private sector rebuilder.
The numerous one-year retrospectives on TV and the internet demonstrate that this area is in for many more months of cleanup and many more years of rebuilding. To learn more about the work of Habitat and others who are helping, go to Habitat International's site at http://www.habitat.org/. Here you can find stories and statistics on this ongoing work.
The solution to this and other housing problems world-wide is made up of millions of individual efforts. Thanks to all who have been one of the parts of the solution!

2006-08-28T14:06:00.000-04:00

Partnership. I think it's safe to say Habitat for Humanity is known for buidling successful partnerships to overcome the obstacles that trap good people in bad housing. It is a cornerstone in our mission. The year 2006 has seen many such partnerships make dramatic and welcome changes in the lives of deserving neighbors. The Bayer Corporation, The Segal & Davis Family Foundation and Blessed Sacrament Church have stepped forward to strengthen our community by sponsoring homes for Habitat families. Later this year, the Kanawha Valley Board of Realtors will sponsor and build a house. This demonstrates that blending the community spirit of organizations and businesses with the determination of volunteers produces some wonderful results.

On Friday, August 25, another local corporate partnership project kicked off a Habitat building project of their own. Volunteers from E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company gathered together to begin construction of Habitat's 109th house. Led by Plant Manager Bill Menke, DuPont has provided financial support, materials and labor to build a new home for Jerry Burns. Jerry has been volunteering his time and effort to Habitat's work since December 2004. DuPont management, employees and contractors will be working through the fall months toward completion of the home later this year. Our regular Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday crews will also be on the project. DuPont has been in our community for 80 years and has a committment to supporting the community. Habitat welcomes DuPont's participation and wonderful support.

2006-08-23T13:25:00.000-04:00

Shirley Cole thanks volunteers at the dedication of her new home.

On Saturday, August 18, some remarkable people came together to celebrate a remarkable achievement. This summer, the members of Blessed Sacrament Church of South Charleston sponsored and built a Habitat for Humanity home for Shirley Cole. It is Habitat's 108th home overall and the 24th in Jubilee Heights. Blessed Sacrament has long been one of Habitat's strongest supporters and they certainly know how to put their faith into action.

Shirley has spent hundreds of hours working on the homes of other Habitat families and has attended many hours of homeowner education classes. Beginning on July 5, Shirley worked side by side with dozens of Blessed Sacrament volunteers to make her dream into a reality. Many parishoners are members of Habitat's regular volunteer crews. Charlie Stark, John Providenti, Mike Habenshuss, Ron Baehl, Jim Sapp, Bill Frame, Bob Galloway and Evan Cebula worked on this house in addition to their other Habitat work. David Lewis of Monarch Services Corporation provided his expertise on the house's electrical systems. Teens from Charleston Catholic High School , and churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois worked together and learned the value of cooperation and service

Father Jim O'Conner of Blessed Sacrament guided and inspired the workers and proved he is pretty handy with a hammer. Mike McCready and Joan Garton spent many, many hours planning and building this wonderful home. Special thanks go out to them.

Habitat for Humanity is deeply thankful to have such a committed partner as Blessed Sacrament. The people mentioned here played an important role in this effort, but many others also worked and sweated to get the house built. The community, young and old, blended their efforts to change the life of one of their neighbors. It truly was a remarkable effort accomplished by remarkable people.

2006-07-12T09:57:00.000-04:00

Since all of you are planning to attend the August First Friday Lunch, I decided that I'd better get specific with the times. I decided this right after someone told me I had no times listed at all.

We don't want to keep you any longer than necessary but we do want to make sure we have the time to cover all of our topics and answer all questions.We have reserved the room at the Southern Kitchen starting at 11:30AM. Go ahead and order lunch and dig in. We like to begin the discussions at 12:00. We will be done by 1:00, but any remaining questions or comments can be addressed after we turn the room back to the restaurant.

I encourage all of you to stop by the Southern Kitchen between now and Friday, August 4th to try it out. If you find something especially good, list it here as a comment to this post. Likewise if you try something not so good that we should avoid.

I think I'll go there today for lunch.

2006-07-11T16:28:00.000-04:00

For a long time, I've been trying to get someone to take an aerial photo of Jubilee Heights for us. Sooner or later someone will. In the meantime, I've been looking at a satellite photo of Jubilee Heights on the "Google Earth" website. It is a free site and I encourage all of you to check into it if you haven't already. Google Earth is a photographic portrait of the world as seen from a satellite. You can zoom in for a close inspection or pull back to understand the bigger picture. I typed "South Charleston, WV" into the search box and Google Earth flew to a point near the mound in SC. I was able to scroll a little west and south and there was Jubilee Heights! The photo displayed was from early 2005. The foundations for House #99 (Casto) and House #100 (Peoples/Barker) are in place but no construction has started. It looks like the last house completed was Virginia Butler's. Hopefully Google will update their satellite shots soon.
For viewing Jubilee Heights, Google Earth is great. It is a fantastic tool for viewing any part of the world.

2006-07-07T09:59:00.000-04:00

Even though we've missed a couple of monthly sessions, we are still convinced that the First Friday Lunch is a good idea. Trying to find a spot where our small attendence is welcome has been a bit of a problem. The places we've met before did all they could, but saving their meeting room for our little group has to hurt their lunch service. We've met at the Golden Corral and at Shoney's (both buffets) but didn't fill half of the room they provided. Rather than test their courtesy any more, we searched for a place that may be able to accomodate our group without hurting their lunch crowd.

So....Friday, August 4th, we'll have our First Friday Lunch at the Southern Kitchen in Kanawha City. This Charleston landmark has a meeting room on the second floor with it's own entrance from the front of the building. You don't have to wander through the restaurant , just take the steps from the parking lot. This time, it's not a buffet. You can order from the regular menu. If any of you have eaten there before, you know that this is superior home cooked food (be sure and check out the pie selection) and very reasonably priced. Those of you who haven't had the pleasure of a Southern Kitchen visit should run down there right now and check it out! Remember, it's locally owned and operated...a rarity in these days of franchised and formula eateries. This place has a real personal touch and they make you feel like family.

Considering the accellerated pace of building so far in 2006, there is a lot to plan, figure out, learn about, explain and comment on. Get there when you want but be ready for a noon start to the meeting. As usual the staff will have some short discussion to present but we want to know what you want to know. Do you have questions about streets in Jubilee Heights? Curious when we'll be building in North Hills? Wondering how the Mountaineers will do this year? We'll even give equal time to Herd fans.

Come to lunch. Learn stuff. Leave smarter.

2006-06-09T12:47:00.000-04:00

New Online Volunteer Scheduling Coming Soon

Pretty soon everyone will be able to sign up online for volunteer spots. This won't effect the regular Tuesday - Thursday crews much, but it will help us better coordinate volunteers for special projects, Friday and Saturday construction volunteers and also ReStore volunteers.

We expect to have this system up and running by June 15th.

Shawn

2006-05-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

First Friday Lunch Postponed

For various reasons we had to postpone this week's luncheon. Hopefully you heard this from Tiny and LaVern this week. At this writing we're not sure if we will re-schedule later this month or just wait until July. We'll let everyone know as soon as we decide.

Sorry for the late notice, but Tim has been on vacation and he usually takes care of this.

Shawn

2006-05-04T14:52:00.000-04:00

Our First Friday Dutch Treat Construction Volunteer Luncheon will be held at the Dunbar Shoney's at 1:00. I'll be giving a presentation on the dollars and cents of the lofty ten-house goal we set for ourselves this year. If you have been wondering where we came up with the goal, you shall wonder no more if you attend tomorrow!

I hope to see your face in the crowd.

Shawn

2006-05-02T17:32:00.000-04:00

Here's the video of today's Bayer wall raising.

2006-05-02T15:27:00.000-04:00

Today was the kick-off day for house #106 which will be purchased by Tim and Angel Young. This house is being sponsored by Bayer Crop Science and Bayer Material Science. They are bringing out a team of volunteers each day this week to put the house under roof. After that, volunteers from Bayer will be coming out on Saturdays. Today, the floor has been installed and the walls are in the process of going up. We're thankful that the weather has held out and it has been a perfect day for this start date. We're also grateful for cooperate partners like Bayer who are making a difference in our community!

2006-04-27T10:20:00.000-04:00

Our next First Friday Volunteer lunch will be held once more at Shoney's in Dunbar. BUT, we will be meeting at 1:00 instead of 12:00 noon. The date for this lunch is May 5, 2006 and, as always, is the first Friday of the month. We encourage you to attend! Hey, it's lunch and a little bit of construction talk, news and a few updates...we don't even have a quiz at the end.

Remember-Friday, May 5, Shoney's in Dunbar, 1:00!

2006-04-17T11:03:00.000-04:00

Here's Amber and Milton with their daughters Mallerie and Caley at their dedication on Sunday, April 9th. They are already moved in but still working on the landscaping--volunteers may help them out some with this. The girls are thrilled to have their own bedrooms and so much more space than they had in their crowded rental where they had been living for the last 4 1/2 years. They want to thank everyone--especially the crews, for your hard work throughout the winter!

Star's dedication was a huge success as well--with a large attendance of over 70 and even a brass band. She should be moving in within the next 1-2 weeks. We'll get a picture of her up soon on the blog.

2006-04-13T11:47:00.000-04:00

Here's a reminder that the dedication for Star Hogan's house will be this Saturday, April 15 at 12:00 noon. So many people have contributed to this house and we invite you all to attend. It's usually about a half hour event. Just think of how important a moment this will be for Star and her family. I believe Star has shown us all that she's a hard working and dedicated person. Come and celebrate this new chapter of her!

We are working hard to get Star's home in great shape for the dedication. One thing that is in our favor is that we have some old friends, Russ and Lori van Nest, here to help us. They are leading a group of great young people from Faith Community Chapel of New Castle, PA. We're really happy they are here to help us with the finishing stages of Star's house! Thanks to all of them.

2006-04-07T14:28:00.000-04:00

Today we had our third "First Friday Dutch Treat Volunteer Lunch" at Shoney's in Dunbar. About a dozen regular crew members showed up along with Tiny, Tina Rhodes and Tim Bollinger. Tina led us through the topic of mortgage finance. I think everyone got a clear understanding of how it is structured and how it affects both the homeowner and Habitat. A lot of good, solid information was laid out. Several well-reasoned questions were asked and answered.
As promised, Tee shirts were distributed after the meeting. (Yes Rusty, I remembered.) If you are interested in Habitat business cards with your name, let me know. I'd also like to get accurate, up to date e-mail addresses for everyone. If yours has changed, again let me know.
It was a great lunch meeting. Mike McCready had some very important and late breaking news. Tina had some hard statistics on money. Tiny had a new challenge for the crews.
I had the fish.
Remember...the dedication for Amber Knuckles and Milton Haskins (house 103) is this Sunday, April 9. The dedication for Star Hogan (104) is Saturday, April 15. You're invited!
Can't wait to hear about the next meeting? It's Friday, May5 at Shoney's in Dunbar. In order to accomodate Shoney's regular noon lunch rush, what do you think about having our meeting at 1:00 instead of 12:00? Shoney's has been great to give us this space but at noon the place was jammed full. It would really help them out if we could meet an hour later. Let me know what you think. See ya there!

2006-04-05T10:09:00.000-04:00

Two new families have recently been approved into the Habitat program. The first is Latasshia Davenport who is a single mom with 3 boys and a girl ranging in age from 10 to 15. She works full time as a home health aid and can't wait to get started working on her hours out on the jobsite. Despite her extremely busy schedule, this lady has such contagious enthusiasm! Lisa McClure and her 13 year old daught Emily have also been approved. Lisa is in school full time for nursing and takes care of her daughter who has severe disabilities. Her extremely positive attitude stands out to all who meet her.

With these two new families, we now have total of 10 families approved into the program and working on their sweat equity hours and classes. These families include: Star Hogan (House #105-the Apostles Build); Jason and Tamera Morgan (House #104); Tim and Angel Young (House #106 which will be starting the first week of May); Wendy Tipton (House #107 which should start around the end of May to early June); Jerry Burns; Sherman Bennett; Shirley Cole; Jen Spencer; Latasshia Davenport; and Lisa McClure. As you come out regularly to the job site, you will have a chance to work alongside some of these families and get to know them a little better. There are a few families who are primarily putting in hours at the ReStore because of various disabilities. We in the office have a chance to see all that each of them have gone through to get to this place of becoming homeowners--these folks are truly a remarkable group who have overcome many obstacles and are determined to achieve this lifelong dream. They are so thankful to Habitat and to the many volunteers like you who are making it possible!

2006-04-04T17:08:00.000-04:00

Well, it seems like our work group from Chicago just left and here we have another one set to arrive. A group of 14 high schoolers and their 3 adult leaders will arrive late on
Tuesday, April 11 and work from Wednesday morning through the morning of Saturday, April 15. They are from Faith Community Chapel in New Castle, PA. Some of you may have worked with their leader, Russ van Nest back in 2003. He was here with another church from New Castle and worked on Dallas Call's house waaaaay out there on Derrick's Creek in Sissonville. He has changed churches but he hasn't changed his committment to Habitat for Humanity. It will be good to welcome Russ back and meet all of the new faces that have come to help. I get great feedback from work camps about working alongside our regular crews. They always mention how they have learned from you folks and how much they admire your year round committment. Of course, they have a few choice words about Tiny and Lavern as well. I swear, I think many of them return just to get another dose of those two characters.

Bob Peirson, our just returned Care-a-Vanner brought some photos back with him. It looks like things were well organized in spite of the extra hardships that Hurricane Katrina imposed.
I think it is inspiring to see
CON-struction instead of the all too familiar DE-struction. Notice the slab foundations. The rebuilding task is just plain immense and it looks like it will be years before the job is done. Thanks to Bob, the Care-a-Vanners and all who have stepped up to help win back the Gulf Coast. I hope today's enthusiasm will be carried forth until the displaced residents of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama can go home. The same thoughts hold true for those victims in Flodida who also

suffered heavy losses in last year's record shattering hurricane season. I am very, very glad that we don't have to worry about hurricanes in West Virginia.

2006-04-03T15:13:00.000-04:00

Some of you may know that a regular Tuesday crew member, Bob Peirson, has been working for a Habitat affiliate in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Today we got an Email from Bob with some of his thoughts on working in the devastated Gulf region. Bob writes:

"This is Bob Peirson of the Tuesday crew. I participated in a two week Care-a-Van build with Bayou Area HfH in Thibodaux, La. They have a development of 56 houses, of which the first 12 are under construction.
These houses are Operation Home Delivery homes. Unfortunately, the OHD houses only amounted to 'frame panels'. That was it. So in the end, these only saved the local affiliate about $1200 a house.
All the homes are 1000 sq ft three bedroom, one bath homes. There are 4 basic designs.
We camped on site, which was nice. It was so handy to walk to 'work'. They have full hookups for about 12 RV's. The RV people number about 20. There are also three houses used as dorms for various groups, including about 12 AmeriCorps volunteers. The rest of the volunteers are from other groups, such as college or high school kids.
A pavilion at one corner of the development is the focal point for the morning devotionals and meeting, breaks and lunch.
Managementis a bit 'stretched'. One manager guides the 50+ people on site each day. In the end, the actual management gravitates to a few volunteers knowledgeable in construction.
Since there so many houses under construction at one time, one can find any aspect of house building somewhere on this site.
Construction here is 'on a slab'. Contractors do the plumbing and concrete work, then the electrical. Volunteers do the rest, except the dry wall finishing.
The land here is flat, cut by bayous. They measure distance above sea level in inches.
We made a lot of progress these two weeks and the affiliate took good care of us."

Thanks for the update and hard work, Bob. It's good to have you home!

2006-03-29T15:15:00.000-05:00

Our First Friday Dutch Treat Lunch is scheduled for Friday, April 7. This time it will be held at Shoney's in Dunbar. Shoney's has been happy to offer us their meeting/dining room for our monthly lunch. Our previous site needed us to committ to a definite number of attendees. We just weren't ready to provide a guaranteed attendance. We have the room from 11:30 until 1:00 so we'll have time to eat and discuss issues as usual. Again, I encourage all of you to come join us. I also hope that you'll help us spread the word about the change in location. We intend to hand out volunteer T-shirts at the meeting so try to be there!

2006-03-24T11:04:00.000-05:00

One more note about next week's visitors. They have a web site that is great. Check it out at

http://www.montini.org .

I thank Wendy Tipton for the very kind and inspiring comment she left on our blog. I think everyone of us, volunteers, donors, homeowners and staff, believes what she says makes this all worthwhile.

Have a good weekend!

2006-03-23T13:56:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that the Montini High School youth group will be arriving on Saturday March 25. Montini High is in the Chicago area. Jim Segredo will be leading the group. These young people have decided they want to spend their spring break doing something constructive and meaningful. They will be here for a week doing any and all jobs needed. The term "spring break" conjures up images of parties but these kids are travelling here at their own expense to help our families become homeowners.
These work camps always amaze me. We've met some great kids who prove that this generation is one to be proud of. Despite all the bad impressions in the papers and on TV, these kids show us that there are many, many wonderful young people in our country. It's a joy to welcome them.
I hope all of our regular volunteers will be there to show them the ropes and share some West Virginia hospitality with the Montini students. I extend a special invitation to all of the partner families to make an appearance at the job site and give these kids a pat on the back.

2006-03-21T14:26:00.000-05:00

At our First Friday lunches, lots of questions and ideas are discussed. One that I think has real possibilities is business cards for our regular volunteers. I know you folks talk to all sorts of people about Habitat's work. Do these people ever ask "How can I get involved?". If they do, it means that you are a good ambassador for Habitat for Humanity. It also means that you need information in a convenient form to pass along to the prospective volunteer. Would a business card with our name, address, phone, website and your name do the trick? For someone truly interested, this would help them easily contact the Habitat office. If you think you'd like a few of these cards, post a reply on this site or e-mail me at tim@habitatwv.org . We need to recruit new volunteers year round and this might just help. I'm always looking for new volunteers to join our 3 great crews and I hope this will help each of you to recruit a few as well.

2006-03-15T09:26:00.000-05:00

New Construction Calendar

The new construction calendar is now posted. Click Here to download it.

You'll notice that we have changed it quite extensively to reflect the reality of our situation and now includes the South Park house as one of the ten we will build this year.

The next house to start will now be on May 2. That house will be put under roof by Bayer - a joint effort between two of its divisions: Crop Science and MaterialScience. They have sponsored the entire house but will have its employees onsite primarily the first week.

Of course we have plenty to keep us busy until then don't we?

2006-03-14T11:11:00.000-05:00

Sorry for being tardy with this blog update. I am trying to make this one of my main priorities.
Habitat's second First Friday Dutch Treat lunch was held on Monday, March 6 at the Golden Corral in Cross Lanes. I have to admit, the food is a whole lot better than I first expected. The variety on the lunch buffet runs the gamut from terrific pot roast to hamburgers to beans and cornbread. Many, many more choices are available including salads and desserts. It's also "all you can eat". Again, I encourage all of you to attend. One reason is that if we don't get more people for our meetings, they'll stop letting us use their meeting room for free. Another reason is that a whole bunch of good and useful information is shared at these meetings.
This past meeting's highlight was a talk from our Volunteer Coordinator, Tina Rhodes. She had some good information about what makes a person or family a good candidate for a Habitat home. She spoke of the qualifications to enter the program and the requirements once they are accepted. I've heard that many volunteers wonder about the family selection process. I am sure everyone there came away with a much better understanding of the process. One reason I'm sure of this is because of the large number of excellent questions asked of Tina. The volunteer audience was obviously interested in this topic. So come on down to our next meeting on April 7. It's cheap, it's filling, it's interesting, it's informative and it's fun. See ya there! - Tim

2006-03-01T15:48:00.000-05:00

The Apostle's Build has begun! Today, March 1 marked the beginning of construction activity for Star Hogan's new home. Over the next seven weeks, we'll see volunteers from 12 local churches make her dream a reality. As you can see, Star is already working on building the floor. This is always an exciting time for a homeowner-to-be. Star has worked on the homes of many other Habitat families and now, it's her turn. If all goes well and the weather cooperates, we hope to finish Star's home by Easter. That's a fitting way to celebrate this wonderful time of year.

2006-02-27T14:56:00.000-05:00

Hello again to all of our volunteers. Beginning this Wednesday, March 1, you will see increased activity on Star Hogan's house (House # 105). Twelve local churches have banded together to financially sponsor and build this house in an effort of community cooperation. Members of these churches will blend together into a workforce rather than work only with their own church group. A real spirit of cooperation is driving this effort. They all share in the determination to raise this house as a safe and decent place for Star to raise her family.
As much determination as they have, they may need a little help from time to time. We might have some of our regular volunteers help out on this build. Many of these new volunteers may need some advice on the right way to get things done. I can't think of better, more knowledgeable or dedicated teachers than Tiny, Lavern and our Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday crew members.

Our next First Friday Dutch Treat Lunch will be this Friday, March 3 at Golden Corral in Cross Lanes. Shawn has a few topics to cover and Tiny will again talk about construction issues. Have you ever wondered how families are chosen to the program? Tina will talk about what Habitat looks for in a partner family. The first meeting was considered interesting and informative by those who attended. We hope to get many more volunteers for our meeting this Friday so consider this a personal invitation to each of you!

2006-02-22T11:17:00.000-05:00

Our affiliate has 3 visiting workcamps signed up for 2006. Here is a list of their names and the dates of their visit:

Montini Catholic High School (Chicago, IL) March 27 - 31
Faith Community Chapel (Western PA) April 11 - 15
St. Michael's Youth Group (Chicago, IL) June 12 - 16

The Faith Community Chapel group is led by Russ van Nest. Russ has visited us several times in the past. This will be his first trip here in 3 years
I'm sure many of you recognize St. Michael's as a faithful partner of HFH. I believe this is their 7th or 8th trip to Charleston in a row.
This will be the first visit for Montini Catholic High School. They learned of us from St. Michael's and Rose Koch.
I hope they realize how much we appreciate them. Gathering a bunch of teenagers and taking them on an 8 hour drive to help us build is not an easy task. Let's make sure they feel welcome when they visit!

2006-02-20T10:36:00.000-05:00

Lavern Update

Just a note to let everyone know that Lavern is doing fine. We are expecting him to back at work on Tuesday, February 21. He is supposed to be on light duty, so help us watch out for him and make sure he doesn't overdo it.

2006-02-13T09:19:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone managed to survive the snow this past weekend. There were 4+ inches in my front yard but none on the street. It sounds like NYC got buried. Another reason to be glad we live here in good old West Virginia!
I know that all of the regular crews worked extra hard last week to help our visitor, Seth, to get a roof on House 104. Thanks again for stepping up to the challenge. Seth, as you know by now, is an inspired and motivated character. If you'd like to learn more about what he's doing and why he's doing it, go to www.leapoffaithroofing on the internet.
I got to help out a little on the roof work this past Friday. I learned alot from Tiny, Bob Scholl, Ron Claar and Bob Pierson. Bob Pierson will be vising Thibadeaux, LA soon with a group of Care-a-Vanners to help that devastated area.
Ruel Elliott put in an extra day's volunteer work on Saturday past at House 103. He and some other members of Forrest Burdette United Methodist did some painting. Forrest Burdette has been a great partner with Habitat in so many ways. They have a group out to work on the second Saturday of every month. We are extremely fortunate to be the beneficiaries of their dedication and support.
We always appreciate the amazing committment of our Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday crews...putting up with Tiny and Lavern ain't easy!

2006-02-09T14:24:00.000-05:00

New Calendar is Now Online

The updated Construction Calendar (version 2-9-2006) is now available. Click here to download it.

2006-02-03T15:42:00.000-05:00

Our first "First Friday Dutch Treat Volunteer Lunch" was held today at Golden Corral in Cross Lanes. Twelve volunteers attended and had a great time of fellowship and information. As requested by some of those in attendance, here is the Power Point presentation from today.

We hope more folks can make it to next month's meeting. It will be on March 3 at Golden Corral.

2006-02-01T15:45:00.000-05:00

Please note that our new construction calendar is online now. It can be found at http://habitatwv.org/kanawha/calendar.pdf. The current version is 2.1.06. It will be updated as changes make it necessary.

The calendar is a pdf file and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print. If you do not have it you can download it for free from Adobe.com.

2006-01-25T16:18:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that our first ever "First Friday Dutch Treat Construction Lunch" is coming up on February 3. It will be held at the Golden Corral in Cross Lanes. This will be your opportunity to hear plans and proposals about Habitat home building projects. Your input is welcomed! We intend to continue with a meeting on the first Friday of each month so there is no confusion as to days or dates. This has the potential to be a great tool for us and you should try to attend if at all possible.

2005-11-29T14:43:00.000-05:00

There has been a change in plans for the Volunteer Lunch!! It is still being held on Monday, December 12 but the location has changed. Our lunch will be at the Ramada Inn located in South Charleston. We believe this will work out much better. The Ramada has assigned us to the Centennial Room. Look for your invitation in the mail!

Tim

2005-11-22T22:43:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to the Tuesday crew, the Wednesday crew and the Thursday crew. All we do is built because you have stepped forward and worked so hard. We may not say it often enough, but we couldn't let this special day go by without a salute to all of you.

Keep an eye on your mailbox for your invitation to our Volunteer Christmas Lunch. It will be at Bream Church again this year. We are still working on the time, but it looks like 12:30 will work out best. The church has an active children's program and many parents are there to pick up the young'uns at noon. We want to minimize congestion, let the parents get their children and get on their way without extra car traffic. Please try to attend. It means a lot to see each one of you.

Happy Thanksgiving

2005-11-21T15:20:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

From Tim