Nearing the Start of Something Special in Centre Wellington

We are rapidly approaching the start of the Centre Wellington Build but Habitat for Humanity and the Centre Wellington Build Committee are not standing around waiting for this to start. Things are BUSY...

On Friday, March 30th the committee is hosting, 'Sheltered from the Storm'. This event will feature delicious food and pleasing music as The Food School & Fancy That Cake will provide the goodies for the evening and Centre Wellington's own Cam Otto will supply great live music.

The special attraction of the evening will be Angry Planet's Storm Chaser, George Kourounis. George was recently on The Grand radio station to promote the event and he's certainly looking forward to supporting Habitat for Humanity.

Moving on to April 14th, we will be breaking ground on Forfar Street to officially kick off the project. The Groundbreaking ceremony is welcomed to the public as we appreciate the support of our communities when we start these projects that will provide sustainable affordable housing to families in the community.

Finally, Elora's own Ian Evans will be embarking on a journey of a lifetime. He will be riding his bicycle "Down Under", 5,000 KM from Perth to Sydney. He will be fundraising money for this community-lifting project. You can sponsor Ian and follow along on his journey through his trip journal.

Fergus get ready, Habitat for Humanity is returning and we need your support!

Thank You to Centre Wellington

Here is a great letter I'd love to share. It's from one of our committee members of the Centre Wellington Build that will start in May. The Build is located in Fergus at 124 Forfar St. A Dedication event that will include handing over the keys to the deserving families. Enjoy!
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March 12, 2012

As I sit here typing this letter, my heart overflows at the generosity of the people of  Centre Wellington.

On Saturday, March 10^th Bethel Baptist Church and Grand River Community Church hosted a screening of the movie Courageous.  The setting was the lovely venue of the Fergus Grand Theatre; a venue that is warm and inviting.  The event was held at no charge but donations to Habitat for Humanity’s build on Forfar Street were encouraged.

On behalf of the Centre Wellington Build Committee, we are ENCOURAGED.  Your generosity has taken Habitat another step forward in providing a “hand up” not a “hand out” for two partner families in our Community.

Thank you, for your generosity.  This is a big project.  Your generosity has brought us courage and increased enthusiasm as we get closer to the Ground Breaking Ceremony on April 14^th.

Sincerely,

Colleen Roberts

Habitat For Humanity Centre Wellington Build Committee

Habitat for Humanity Staff Build Day aka Walking the Talk

I challenge you to join the Ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk ~ Tony Robbins

The above quote was the mission I shared with ten of my colleagues from Habitat for Humanity Wellington County and the Habitat Guelph ReStore on Tuesday, March 6th. All Habitat and ReStore staff came to the conclusion that it's good and all to ask people to donate their time and money to help build more homes for deserving families in our communities, it's another thing to do the job yourself.

For one day, we stepped away from fundraising and volunteer programs, stepped away from advocacy and social media initiatives, stepped away from policies and stepped away from accounting and administration to focus on, "walking our talk" at the My Neighbour's House project.

It was a GREAT day! There are many enjoyable experiences about being on a home-building construction site. You can meet new people with similar interests or reconnect with colleagues. You will learn new trades skills and gain self-confidence that may have been buried below. However, nothing is more enjoyable than knowing your work will equate to a family breaking a from a vicious poverty cycle, potentially moving away from unsafe and dangerous living conditions to go move into a sustainable housing solution, a Habitat for Humanity Home.


It's truly uplifting to think that the doors you are installing in a room could be the very same door that represents a child's first bedroom door. It is satisfying to think that a child's health and grades can improve because of that door you installed.

Selfishly, there were extra incentives to my building experiences. I'm currently renovating my basement and opted to take the project on myself and my Father to finish. Conveniently, as we are at the stage of door installations in the basement project, what do you think I got to learn on the build site at My Neighbour's House? You guessed it.... I learned to install doors! The timing literally couldn't have been better. Now I'll be able to stray from the norm of my Father teaching me everything about renovations and teach him how to propertly install doors; all in thanks to our wonderful Site Supervisor, John. Thanks John!

Another great element of the day was the ability to work alongside staff and the ReStore. I don't cross paths all the time with some staff of the ReStore and it was a pleasure to work alongside them for an entire day. I think I learned a lot about them as they did about me.

Finally, I'd be remisced if I didn't get a chance to detail our lunch! Those of you familiar with The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro might know that last Tuesday, for lunch and dinner periods, offered free meals to partrons in lieu of a donation to HFHWC. Obviously, we weren't going to miss out on this! Collectively, we piled a bunch of money together as our donation and put in a giant order of delicious and juicy gourmet burgers. I 100% recommend the San Francisco Treat that features cheddar and Kraft Dinner. Yes, THE KRAFT DINNER!

The One and Only San Francisco Treat Burger!

It ended up being a memorable day for all of staff and something we'll plan more frequently. If you want in on this experience, please register to volunteer or contact Annie.

The HFHWC Volunteering Experience

*Guest Author: Habitat for Humanity Wellington County Volunteer, Rebecca Smith:

I’m a Do-It-Yourself junkie, I’ll fully admit it, and I’ve been coming to the Habitat for Humanity Wellington County’s ReStore for a long time, so when a friend suggested I sign up on their Volunteer Hub and volunteer at the ReStore I thought why not? I have now been volunteering at Habitat for Humanity Wellington County for the past five months and it has been a very rewarding experience, one I would highly recommend to anyone looking to make a difference or just have fun!

My first volunteer experience with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County was in the ReStore, where I got to help unload trucks, organize inventory, set up a new Christmas display and help a shopper  find exactly what she was looking for (gorgeous oversized tiles that were being used to restore a bathroom).  The best part about the morning was the great new people I got to meet. Everyone was so friendly and willing to include me in their tasks, it was fun start to finish! And I didn’t leave empty handed I purchased a side table, which I have since painted and made into a fantastic nightstand.

After my time in the ReStore I started volunteering in the front office where I have not only got to accomplish a lot, but I have learned so much. I have helped out with writing blogs, researching social media stats, following facebook and twitter accounts (@HFHWC), and so much more. The great thing about volunteering in the front office is the wealth of knowledge I have gained. Luke, the Fundraising and Communications Coordinator has taught me so much about social media, which I can now take and apply to my career.  It’s interesting how I started volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County to help others and yet I’m personally gaining a lot from my experiences.

Last Tuesday a friend and I went to help build at 28 Huron Street as part of their reading week blitz. I got the chance to put my painting stills to use and helped paint one side of the house. Volunteering at this build was a lot of fun, I met some great new friends and we had a blast rockin’ out to some old school Will Smith while we cut in, rolled and generally had a great time!

My experience volunteering at Habitat for Humanity Wellington County has been amazingly positive from day one. If you’re looking to volunteer I strongly recommend coming to Habitat for Humanity Wellington County, it’s really easy to sign-up on their Volunteer Hub, you get to pick the types of volunteering you want to do (ReStore, front office or build site), there’s pancake breakfasts,  and you meet so many other helpful and friendly people. Whether it’s at the Restore, in the office or out at the build site, I plan on continuing to volunteer and hopefully I’ll see you there!

A Great Day to Celebrate HFHWC Women Build!

Happy International Woman's Day to all the wonderful, strong and brave Women Builders of HFHWC. Today is a perfect day to let everyone know more about the Women Build 2012 project.

Gain self-confidence in the Women Build Program

To all our current Women Builders. Your commitment, support and fortitude is incomparable and extraordinary. From HFHWC Staff, Board of Directors and even Maddie (who could forget Maddie?), the 2011 Women Build project was simply spectacular because of you. Moving those two girls into their beautiful new rooms is a memory that will last a lifetime. GREAT WORK!

2012 will mark the third annual Women Build here in Guelph, and we want you to be part of it! Women Build is not about excluding men, but including women, in an environment that is comfortable and instructive. No experience is necessary! It’s about spirit, empowerment, solidarity, fun, learning and pride in working with a family to build a place they can call home.

The empowering initiative of Habitat for Humanity Wellington County, Women Build is an experience no woman should miss out on. It works to build the skills and confidence of women on the build site and has them leaving with a sense of accomplishment.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We are seeking strong dynamic women to assist in the planning committees:

• Volunteer Engagement
• Sponsorship
• Special Events
• Construction
• Public Relations

If you are interested in joining one of the committees contact Elizabeth for more information. We are also seeking individuals who are looking to volunteer on site and just want to build! Start an experience to a lifetime of friendship and helping those in need right now!

Empower Yourself to Learn and Help

To find out more information on how you can help, and to also read up on the committee descriptions, visit the Women Build webpage.

Help fight the issue of affordable housing Guelph, Wellington County in a womanly way!

HFHWC still needs you to help finish this home!

Update* The HFHWC Volunteer Appreciation Pancake Breakfast is rapidly approaching and we hope you can make it! Our volunteers are so important to helping us build homes in our communities. Here is a small way to say thanks! RSVP on the event Facebook page or with Annie Devitt.

In today's world, it can be rather hard to find the time to volunteer or to even think about volunteering. Nevertheless, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County comes with many rewarding benefits for you, your family and your community. By volunteering you have the opportunity to build new relationships, reach out to the community, gain new skills and possibly advance in your career. On top of all that, volunteering can help to preserve your mental and physical health.

The following are some of the many great benefits that should come to mind when considering volunteering with HFHWC.



Volunteering connects you to your community

One of the most rewarding benefits of volunteering is the impact you are making on the community. Volunteering is the glue that keeps the community together. It allows you to help your community grow, while improving it and making it a better place. Not only does volunteering impact your community, but it also can impact you and your family just as much as the cause you are helping.  

Volunteering helps to build new relationships

Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you to increase your social skills, widen your network and help you to gain new friends. By committing to a shared activity, you are opening yourself up to people with similar interests that can help you to practice and increase your social skills.

Volunteering is good for your mind and body

Volunteering can preserve your health and enhance your self-confidence, self-esteem and all together life satisfaction. You are giving you time to others and your community, which can give you a strong sense of accomplishment. Taking on the role of a volunteer comes with a sense of importance and identity. Having a positive view about yourself helps to give you a more positive outlook on your life and future goals.  Volunteering has been proven to lessen symptoms of chronic pain and heart disease. It’s an easy way to maintain an active lifestyle and increase your energy level.

Volunteer can Advance your career and help you to gain new skills

Volunteering can give you experience in your area of interest, as well as open doors for a new career by meeting people in the field. Volunteering allows you to learn news skills and practice the important skills needed in the workplace. Learn about teamwork, communication, problem solving, project management, multi-tasking and organization. You will be able to feel more comfortable transferring these skills into your own workplace once you have perfected them in a volunteer position.

Remember volunteering can be an exciting and simple way to discover new interests. Volunteering allows you to step outside of your usual everyday routine and add some extra excitement to your life. Who knows what kind of great hobby HFHWC has in store for you! 

Click here to register as a volunteer for HFHWC. Learn more about volunteer opportunities with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County visit our website

Volunteering w/Habitat builds camaraderie

Inbox Marketer's Christmas Donation Needs Your Help!

Habitat for Humanity Wellington County would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! With Santa making his yearly rounds in just a few days, hopefully all the presents have been bought and greeting cards have been sent out.  

Inbox Marketer is a local company that generously donates their email deployment services year round to help Habitat for Humanity Wellington County continually provide HFHWC news and ReStore sales to you. This year Inbox Marketer has created a special Holiday Christmas Card and pledge to make a donation to Habitat for Humanity Wellington County for every click you make! So please take a minute and send one more holiday greeting, simply go to Inbox Marketer's Christmas Card enter your name and email address and click on the link to help Habitat for Humanity grow a house this holiday season.

If you subscribe to the Raisin' the Roof Newsletter or Habitat Guelph ReStore Latest E-blasts you are familiar with the services they provide us. If not, subscribe today!

Merry Christmas to all that believes everyone deserves a safe and decent place to live!

HFHWC Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Their Greatest Ambassador

HFHWC Executive Director, Diane Nelson speaks to Habitat's partnership with Whirlpool Canada

Habitat for Humanity Wellington County excitingly welcomed Whirlpool Canada back to Guelph on Remembrance Day in celebration of the Home Appliance Brand's centennial anniversary.

Both Whirlpool and HFHWC also welcomed a Habitat Partner Family to 'The Ward' neighbourhood.

Whirlpool Canada is the home sponsor of the 28 Huron St. build project. Their donation of $100,000 helped buoy the current home construction. In fact, this is the third time Whirlpool Canada has funded a HFHWC home construction in Guelph. The other houses are located on Morris and Johnston. Those projects were built in '07 and '09 respectively.

Along with providing a financial donation to Habitat for Humanity projects, the appliance company also gathers a crew of hard-working and dedicated volunteers who accumulate many hours on-site. In 2011, Whirlpool Canada contributed their largest volunteer database to help with the Huron St. construction. 150 volunteers accumulated nearly 1000 hours on-site over a period of six weeks.

Throughout the six weeks on-site, the Whirlpool Canada volunteers shared a wonderful experience learning new skills and working together as a team. They also shared kind words about this experience.

Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity has always been a fun way for me to get out into the community, provide a hard day's work, and learn something new. After my 4th build day I am still enjoying it as much as the first time. I also liked that I was able to contribute in my home town of Guelph this time around. This particular day was the earliest in the building process that I'd been involved where they had just poured the foundation and we were there to help backfill and pack dirt in and around the foundation. Certainly enjoyed the new experience of running the "jumping jack" and the other large packer. Thanks to the Habitat team for the great lunch and count me in for next year!

One of many Whirlpool Volunteer Crews that helped with construction of 28 Huron St.

Despite these wonderful endeavours, their commitment to Habitat for Humanity extends further as they donate a refrigerator, stove and washer/dryer to every single Habitat home built in Canada.

On this Remembrance Day those that gathered at 28 Huron St. held the courageous men and women that fought for our country in the back of their minds and reflected on the communities that these veterans fought to protect. For no such celebrations would be possible without the courageous efforts of our Armed Forces. It is also a day to remember the goodwill to exercise towards our neighbours in need, which became our duty to uphold after 1945.

Thanks to Whirlpool Canada for the outstanding work they perform in carrying out our vision

Finally, to the Armed Forces of Canada that fought for freedom. Thank you.

 LEST WE FORGET

What Meaning of Home Contest has meant to HFHWC

It has been nearly one year since an inspired, opportunistic and creative grade-six student wrote an short story that captured a community and an organization. At the time she put pen to paper, Karson Simpson could never have imagined the impact she would have on the life of a mother of two daughters.

It has been well-documented that this intelligent young woman won the Genworth Financial Canada - Meaning of Home Writing Contest back in January of this year, but what may not be as well known is that her grand prize donation of $60,000 would help the Women Build of Habitat for Humanity Wellington County build a home for Kiran and her two daughters.

The Meaning of Home Writing Contest is back in 2011. One student will effect one Habitat for Humanity affiliate which will effect one community which will ultimately effect the lives of a deserving family. With that said, Some fantastically interesting news has been implemented by Genworth Financial with small changes to their contest. All Habitat for Humanity affiliates and communities will feel a percentage of the overwhelming effect this contest has had on our community and our affiliate as ALL eligible entries will equal in a $5.00 donation to the Habitat for Humanity in their community! If the 6,000 eligible entries are reached it will equal in a $30,000 donation to Habitat for Humanity!
Here are some other need to knows:

What you need to remember:

·         The contest runs October 3 to November 14

·         The essays must be 50 to 300 words long (Shorter essays – easier for the kids)

·         Every entry makes a difference: $5 goes to the local Habitat Affiliate for each eligible entry

·         Entries can be mailed in or submitted electronically

·         You can download a poster from the site here

What else is new and exciting:

There will be a book!  The Meaning of Home will be published in February 2012, featuring the winning essays of the first 5 years of the contest.  Proceeds will be donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Women Build Words to YOU



August 31, 2011

Dear You

     As the summer winds down, so does my time building ‘the house’. It has been a most rewarding experience and one I would repeat again if given the opportunity. Most of the women I worked with, signed up wondering if they had what it takes to build a house. In fact, one lady I worked with scoped out the hardware stores on her way to the site in case she broke something and had to quickly dash out on her lunch hour to replace it! I met so many wonderful people, developed some new skills  and learned a lot about Habitat for Humanity                 

     During my time ‘on site’, I saw many postitive qualities emerge from the people I worked with. Humour was a big one and got us through many frustrating situations. I saw great patience from the site supervisor who each day saw a brand new crew of women and had to break down each task into manageable chunks and then explain it all over again in a different way when she saw that we really didn’t know what she was talking about. It reminded me of getting a brand new Grade 1 class each and every day. Yikes!!  I saw perseverence from women who were bound and determined to ‘get it done’ no matter what. I saw courage from women who conquered their fear of heights (well, maybe not conquered) and climbed ladders they probably didn’t want to climb but did because they were so focussed on the task at hand. But mostly, I saw love. The community came together to support Kiran and her two daughters and give them a house to make into a home. Each day lunch was provided by businesses in our community and they were fantastic!  It wasn’t all work either. We had massages, yoga and tai chi lessons from people who volunteered their time for us, the workers.                                   

                           

Your support helped make all this possible. Your gift helped  buy (just for an example):

$25.00 = a bundle of roof shingles

$50.00 = 50lb box of nails (and we use a LOT!)

$100.00 = 2 interior doors

So, I want to THANK  YOU once again for supporting me in this project. I never in a million years thought I would need to know how to build and ‘un-build’ scaffolding or a bulkhead. Right now, the drywall is being installed and it is beginning to look more and more like a house. I asked Sharon our supervisor the other day if Kiran was getting excited and she said she didn’t think her smile could get any bigger. So on behalf of Kiran, her daughters and myself, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Day 55 (Goal to be finished by end of October) 

Why Adopt-A-Week or Day

The Habitat for Humanity Wellington County Adopt-A-Day and Adopt-A-Week programs have garnered recent buzz in the community. Organization from across Guelph & Wellington County have expressed interest in adopting our build site for a day or week in order to capitalize on the ultimate team-building experience.

In fact we'd like to congratulate Tim Horton's Distribution in Guelph for becoming the FIRST Adopt-A-Week participants! They worked extremely hard to fundraise the $5,000 and even though their organization is going through a difficult transition period, they are enjoying the fruits of their labour on-site for the week of September 26th. The best thing about it, in a few months, our Partner Family will be enjoying a brand new home because of the dedication of ALL our Adopt-A-Day/Week teams!

That said, there are still plenty of opportunities to adopt the 28 Huron St. site before completion in January. If fundraising the $1,500 or $5,000 is a significant road block, don't worry, the staff of Habitat Wellington County has plenty of ideas! So gather the troops and join us on site this year or next year and also join the following fabulous Adopt-A-Day/Week teams:

• RNAO/ONA
• Terra View
• Maxxam
• Cascade Canada
• Tim Horton's Distribution TDL
• RBC
• RLB
• Smith Valeriote
• RWDI
• OSSTF - Educational Assistants
• Accu-Link Call Centres

In fact, here are some inspirational words from an RWDI team member...

Saturday, September 17, 2011

It was a rainy day... no sorry, that's a different story!

The setting:  The temperature is 4 degrees, and we're dressed in layers.  It's 8:00 am and we're on our first cup of morning coffee/tea.  We arrive at the partially built duplex on Huron Street, and meet our build leader John for the first time.  He is an experienced framer, and we learn by the end of the day - a very patient man :o)

The foundation is poured, and the outside walls are already up.  We've been told we will be framing interior walls - whatever that means!

We gear up - donning our Habitat for Humanity T-shirts, tool belts, work boots and hard hats - we're stylin' now!  Oh gee Mr. Soligo, there's only a Pink Women's large t-shirt left over, you'll have to wear that - the early male birds got the white ones!  You get to be in our girl's club!

And so the learning begins:  John (Build Leader) explained the safety basics to us; then we dove right in to learning how to frame a house - exciting!  Who knew Xiangdong Du was a master at all things tool related!  Picture this:  Tim the Tool Man Taylor saying More Power!  Then insert Xiangdong Du's face instead of Tim's - he was the tool master for the day!

We framed the long interior wall between the two homes, with ease.  We were learning quickly, and understood the why's and how's of this fine trade.  Now with that being said - add 6 to 8 engineers to the mix - and you've got straight lines, down to the millimeter! 

The sun decided to join us around 11:00 am and the layers of clothing began to be shed, we were getting down to just our t-shirts now; working hard, and having fun.  Lunch was provided by the HFH group:  Topper's Pizza, fruit, cookies and drinks.  Melissa did a Tim Horton's run so we could get ready for the second half of our 8 hour shift.

Next we added the walls for the garages on each of the houses - we were motoring (or framing?)!  There was no stopping us now!  Not only did the coffee and lunch fuel us, but just knowing we were helping to build not just one, but two homes for 2 families in Guelph, our city, our community!  And there's not much that can top that feeling.

The pictures (which can be seen under the pictures library) tell their own stories - of concentration, learning, and fun!  Enjoy and please do come out for the next RWDI Build Day with Habitat for Humanity!  It's an awesome , fun, team building experience, and you get to help someone else in the process!

Habitat Team, Fall 2011

Melissa Annett
Xiangdong Du
Claire Finoro
Tammy Gazzola
Mike Kennedy
Kat Klaassen (daughter of Peter Klaassen)
Johnny Lepage (son of Mike Lepage)
Mike Lepage
Mike & Rose Soligo
Rob Tonin
Ujjwal Verma

Women Builders Blogging!

Hey there,

Just a little update on the house. I volunteered for the build on Saturday and had a blast again as usual! I hadn't been on site in a while and the house looked amazing! It's really starting to feel like home and it's nice when you can see that all the odd jobs you're doing are really making an impact.

It's amazing how much goes into a building a house and working on the build for a day really makes you understand where the expression "blood, sweat and tears" comes from, however all the build volunteers are amazing and we usually know a lot about each other at the end of the day.

When I began the build, I was really nervous because I'm not handy at all. I'm quite the whirlwind of activity and my attempts at home improvement consist of hanging pictures by eyeball! When I told my friends and family I was going to volunteer this year, they were very surprised and many were worried for my safety, however I am living proof that anyone can join the build and have a blast! My first day on the build I was using a sledgehammer and a table saw and having a blast. In fact, I liked the table saw so much I did all the cuts all day! The nice thing about Habitat is that there is a mix of experience and a lot of patience. You learn some awesome (and handy) skills while volunteering. So, if you're a klutz like me, don't be afraid to come out and do some good for someone else.

Speaking of which, I had the chance to speak to the homeowner on Saturday and she told me her girls were so excited to have their own rooms. That was the only thanks I needed!