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!
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 ofCentre
Wellington.
On Saturday, March 10th 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
14th.
Sincerely,
Colleen Roberts
Habitat For Humanity Centre Wellington Build Committee
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.
*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!
What better way to stay connected with Habitatfor Humanity Wellington County then by having all the latest information at your finger tips, everywhere
you go. This mobile app is currently available on all Blackberry, Android and iPhone touch phones and tablets, and will be available on Windows phones later this year.
This app, developed by Weever Apps out of Hamilton Ontario. This will provide our smartphone and tablet-using supporters to stay connected to and learn more about our organization. This app features:
The primary goal of the Habitapp is to provide a platform for our Habitat for
Humanity Wellington County supporters, that will allow you to continually feel a part
of the Habitat organization.
"Our volunteers are the heart and soul of the Habitat for Humanity organization, and we strive to make supporting Habitat as accessible as possible to the community," Said Diane Nelson, executive director, Habitat for Humanity Wellington County. "Mobile apps like Habitapp demonstrate how social media is transforming the not-for-profit sector, and making volunteering or donating more convenient."
HFHWC is advancing their communications and wants you to come along for the ride. This app will bring you a whole new level of simplicity, that you can easily be shared with everyone you know by clicking on the "Share App" feature.
Become more engaged with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County at the click of a button and KEEP HABITAT IN YOUR HAND.
With the busy holiday season here, more and more people are looking to online shopping to buy all their holiday presents. This year why not give back while giving gifts and use Shop and Share.ca. This online shopping website was launched in August 2009 and makes giving back to local charities easier than ever. A portion of the money spent online gets donated to the charity of your choice.
Founder and CEO Richelle Skrilec started this program to reinvigorate the fundraising landscape throughout the nation.
There are three simple steps to create an account and then you’re ready to shop.
There are more than 200 stores on Shop and Share.ca from flowers and beauty to clothes, electronics, toys and more! Once you have selected the store you wish to shop at the site then getting redirects you to the online retailer and you can start shopping. And the great part, the products you purchase don’t cost anymore than they would at the store! So all those who are looking to give back this holiday season can without putting any extra strain on their pocketbook, Skrilec explains...
"Everyone feels more charitable at Christmas but not everyone is able to give, especially with extra expenses during the holidays. We're offering an easy way to support your favourite charity when buying gifts and making purchases you would normally make anyway."
Each retailer on Shop and Share.ca donates a percentage of the amount purchased to the charity. Once Habitat for Humanity Wellington County has received a minimum of $50 worth of donation credits from online purchases made by people like you, Shop and Share.ca will send us a cheque to help fund the building of affordable housing.
We invite you to check out Shop and Share. You have the ability to add power to your purchases this Holiday Season and help make deserving families' dreams of decent homes, rewarding realities. You have the ability in...Helping Dreams Grow, One Purchase at a Time.
As a mother of two active school-aged children, I quickly became frustrated with traditional fundraisers. It seemed like we were always being asked to sell and/or purchase items that no one wanted or needed - just to support our local school, sports teams, etc. Plus, as a volunteer with numerous organizations, I spent substantial time and energy helping with some of the fundraisers, counting money, photocopying forms, compiling orders, etc. And, although I knew I was helping to make a difference in our community, I also knew that there had to be an easier way to raise money given the increasing popularity of online shopping. After a great deal of brainstorming and research, the 'Shop and Share.ca' concept was born.
Homeownership helps shape who we are or want to be, it gives us the freedom for creativity and expression, all while providing safety and security for us and our families. It’s a place to come home to and where friends and family can find you. Homeownership gives individuals a stake in the community, creating ties and building neighbourhoods, which is why finding a home is important to us all.
You can help make homeownership a reality in our community. During this holiday season, think of those that don't have a home to decorate. Give today and give the gift of a home!
According to The National Summit on Affordable Homeownership, a project started by Habitat for Humanity Canada, homeownership, especially affordable homeownership is an important aspect in every community.
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.
The 3rd annual Habitat for Humanity Wellington CountyBuilding a Dream Celebration was held on November 3 at the Delta Guelph Hotel & Conference Centre. The largest Habitat Wellington fundraiser was a pivotal event because of the affiliate’s plan to build a record four homes in 2012. At the conclusion of the night the event committee highlighted on a video screen that $42,700 was raised throughout the evening. This was nearly $10,000 more than what last year’s event raised.
“There are many families in this community that need a hand up and because of the support of this event we will have the capacity to help four deserving families next year,” said Habitat Wellington County Executive Director, Diane Nelson.
The attendees were treated to an evening of great food, entertainment and auctions. The sweet mellow sounds of the Adrian Raso Band pleased the crowd. The evening was highlighted by the delightful MC, ‘Tool Girl’ Mag Ruffman. Right before the final tally was displayed Auctioneer Robert Milburn hosted an eventful live auction that was highlighted by duelling bidders on the “Livin’ Large Outdoors” package.
About Delta Hotels and Resorts A leading Canadian hotel management company, Delta Hotels and Resorts operates and franchises a diversified portfolio with 46 full-service, city centre and airport hotels and resorts under the Delta brand. Widely regarded as Canada’s “brand of choice” by guests and owners, Delta also distinguishes itself as an exemplary employer. It is the only hotel company to have been recognized for its sustained focus on business excellence by the prestigious National Quality Institute with three Canada Awards for Excellence, including the award program’s highest honour, the Order of Excellence (2007). The company has also consistently ranked as one of the country’s 50 Best Employers for 12 years, and has been named to the Green 30 since 2010. As well, its national sustainability program, Delta Greens is the most comprehensive and ambitious in the industry touching on every aspect of the hotel business. Its Corporate Social Responsibility platform, Delta Helps, includes a chain-wide commitment to the communities it serves through a national partnership with Habitat for Humanity Canada, participation in the Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Key Eco-Rating program, and work with various other charitable groups.
Delta Hotels and Resorts entered a partnership with Habitat for Humanity in Canada in 2009 and have since raised over a total of $1.5 million for the national charitable organization.Employees at the Canadian hotel chain participate in construction volunteering at various builds across the country.Delta also sponsors an entire home build annually including one in Sault Saint Marie and another retrofit in Ottawa where they’ve recently established new hotels.
“The partnership with Habitat for Humanity is an important part of our ongoing commitment to help build a stronger community,” said Delta Guelph Hotel General Manager, Alan Boivin.
Habitat for Humanity Wellington County is the local affiliate of an international, non-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of poverty housing throughout the world. Using volunteer labour and donations of funds and building materials, we build simple, decent houses and sell them through no-profit, no-interest mortgages to low-income families in need of adequate shelter. Mortgage payments go into a fund that is used to build more homes.
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