Pictures from Bayer's "Camp Habitat" Day 1

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

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!

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

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

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!

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!

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

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.

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!

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!

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.

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...

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

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!

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

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

“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'

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

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.

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!