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

ReStore-ing Our Environment & Our Communities

Did you know that typically 8,000 lbs of waste is put into a landfill during the construction and remodeling of 2,000 square foot home? Habitat for Humanity ReStores are doing their part to divert waste from the landfill by taking used building materials, furniture and other household items and offering them for resale at a fraction of the price. Restores accept donations of various household items including: 

Landfill

§  Windows and Doors

§  Paint

§  Hardware

§  Lumber

§  Tools

§  Lighting fixtures

§  Appliances

Since 1998 Canadian Habitat for Humanity ReStores have diverted over 113,000 tonnes of waste from landfills and in 2010 alone 21,000 tonnes of waste were diverted. Equally important, is the fact that in 2010, Canadian Restores recycled 2.1 million pounds of metal.

In Guelph, the Master Plan identifies a waste diversion target of 65% by 2016, and with the help of places such as the ReStore, individuals can continue to help to reduce the waste being sent to our landfill by donating items of value that might otherwise be thrown out.

In addition, the Wellington County Restore is now taking e-waste and recycle it in environmentally favourable way, further diverting waste from the landfill. E-waste or electronic waste now makes up 5% of all municipal solid waste worldwide, with 20-50 million tons generated every year. Items are being collected by ReStore to be recycled properly include:

§  Cellphones

§  Computers

§  Laptops

§  Televisions

§  Stereos

§  Printers

§  Fax machines and much more!

Purchasing at the ReStore:

§  Lets you help the environment by diverting thousands of tons of usable materials and goods away from landfills and

§  Allows Habitat for Humanity Wellington County purchase more building materials for the homes we build!

You can  sign up to our e-blasts and learn all about exclusive sales, promotions and everything Habitat Guelph ReStore!

Women Build is Back and Recruiting YOU

We’d rather build it than clean it! That's certainly what the Women Build of 2011 accomplished! From June 2011 to October 2011, over 140 volunteers contributed to the Women Build 2011 Project at 439 York Rd. in Guelph. Combined they contributed a whopping 3000 hours of volunteering and 87% of the house was completed by Women!

Women Build 2011

2012 is here and the Women Build is back. We are kicking off the year in style!

January 13th and February 24th, Women Build is inviting you to join them at the Sleeman Centre to help cheer on the Guelph Storm. Tickets for the event can be purchased on the HFHWC website for $15. There will be a 50/50 draw to help support Woomen Build, so wear your PINK and come out and rally your Guelph Storm!

Also, as Women Build will be hosting a Wine & Cheese Recruitment evening at Cutten Fields (190 College Ave. E) on January 19th from 7-9. Women Build Committee members are welcoming individuals interested in joining a Women Build committee out to enjoy some wine and cheese and hear about the wonderful experiences of the 2011 project. If you've thought about joining the powerful movement that's sweeping the city, now is the perfect chance!

Typically women only represent 1/3 of the volunteers on Habitat for Humanity build sites, so the Women Build aims to  promotes women as leaders and provides an opportunity for women to learn new trades or skills, under the direction of both men and women skilled tradespersons. Women Build is not about excluding men, but including more women in the building process.

“It’s about spirit, empowerment, solidarity, fun, learning and pride in working with a family to build a place they can call home.”

Habitat is Back in Centre Wellington

YOU’RE INVITED!!

Habitat for Humanity Wellington County is holding a Build Launch event on January 14^th 2012 at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex in Fergus from 12 to 2. The Centre Wellington Build Committee is holding this launch event in support of the construction of a semi-detached house at 124 Forfar Street in Fergus, which will be built this spring and summer! It will be the first build project in Centre Wellington since 2003.

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come on out and find out more about Habitat for Humanity Wellington County. There will be opportunities to:

§  Learn about the Habitat for Humanity organization

§  Be introduced to the project committee and Habitat for Humanity Wellington County staff

§  Apply to volunteer and become a Habitat Partner Family

§  Support fundraising events

§  Buy-A-Brick Fundraising and Donating

§  Adopt-A-Day Corporate Fundraising 

“We are thrilled to be building in Fergus again, for there are a lot of residents of this town that are deserving of the sustainability and structure homeownership can provide them,” said Diane Nelson, Executive Director of HFHWC.

 Currently, there are 2,965 Social Housing Units in Wellington County.  As of December 2007, 1370 applicants were on the waiting list.

§  Average wait times in 2008 for 1 bedroom (through social housing) in Wellington County was 3 to 5 years

§  2 and 3 bedrooms hovering around a 2 year wait time

 Affordable Housing can lead to improved health, education and economic opportunities for families at risk. It also lessens the financial burden on society in the areas of social services, justice and healthcare. 

 “Our government is committed to helping people who live on lower or fixed incomes stay in their home communities,” said MPP Sandals.

• With 1.7 million Canadian families living without adequate housing
• Over half a million Canadians paying more than 50% of their household income on shelter and food
• Just under 5 million Canadians (15.9%) having incomes below the Low-Income Cut-Off

2010 House on Bagot St.

Habitat for Humanity Wellington County is doing their part to help two very deserving families become homeowners.  

“Habitat for Humanity provided me a hand up by giving me the ability to lend my hand out to others,” said Melanie Fegan, Habitat Partner Family of the Elora home. 

In order to make the dream of a home a reality for a Centre Wellington family, we need you! So please visit us at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex from 12 to 2 on January 14, 2012 and find out more about volunteering, becoming a Partner family and sponsoring the build!

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!

Shop & Share

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.

• Step 1: Sign up for a FREE account
• Step 2: Choose your favourite charity. When choosing your favourite charity, don’t forget to select Habitat for Humanity Wellington County!
• Step 3: Choose a store and start shopping

 

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.

Habitat & Home Depot: Building Sustainable Houses

“More saving. More doing. That’s the power of Home Depot.” The Home Depot Canada

And the power is certainly helping Habitat for Humanity Wellington County. From December 7^th to the 8^th, Team Depot Guelph was on-site, volunteering at our 28 Huron Street build in Guelph. There were 11 team members all eager and excited to help build homes for two deserving families. 

Team Depot "Representin'"

This year The Home Depot Canada Foundation awarded Habitat for Humanity Wellington County the Sustainable Housing Grant of $10,000! This grant is given to support home building projects that incorporate environmentally responsible building techniques and/or materials.

The Home Depot Canada and Habitat for Humanity have a long-standing relationship built on the shared commitment to ensuring Canadian families in need of adequate housing gain access to safe, decent and affordable homes. The Sustainable Housing Grant Program encompasses both sustainable building and social responsibility for green building. This refers to building using a process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. Some of the techniques and build components Habitat for Humanity Wellington County has incorporated to make this a sustainable build include;

·         Drain water heat recovery

·         Energy Star certified building practices

·         Use of spray foam insulation in walls to reduce energy consumption

·         Use of R50 attic insulation to reduce energy consumption

·         Argon gas windows for optimal thermal performance

·         Energy Star qualified hot water tank – 67 efficiency

·         High efficiency furnace- 95% efficiency EMC motor

·         Effective ventilation – HRV unit 75% efficiency  

In 2011, The Home Depot Canada Foundation again held the Buy a Hammer, Build Our Community campaign. At any The Home Depot locations, customers could purchase a 'paper hammer' for $2, which would help build affordable housing and stronger, more sustainable communities. All of the funds raised supported local community-benefit organizations including Habitat for Humanity.

Home Depot's Sheila Fildes presents a cheque to HFHWC's Diane Nelson

In addition to the Sustainable Building Grant and the Buy a Hammer, Build Our Community campaign, The Home Depot Canada Foundation is a titled sponsor in the Habitat for Humanity 360 Built Smart Partnership. This is a national initiative that drives funding to support all aspects of the need for affordable housing, including sustainable community development.

Sustainable community development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Canadian Auditor General Act

The 360 Build Smart Partnership is dealing with sustainable community development by;

·         Enabling families to safe, decent and affordable housing

·         Building to the highest safety standards

·         Building ‘greener’ homes and reducing our environmental impact

·         Creating authentic collaboration and fostering leadership

·         Creating local leaders and stronger connections to the community

·         Reduction of CO2 emissions

·         Promoting the ReStores

As we enter the middle of December, we begin to look toward the New Year and all of the exciting new and continuing projects we have in the works. 2012 will prove to be a very thrilling year as because Habitat for Humanity Wellington County was awarded a $25,000 grant from the 360 Built Smart Partnership and we will use this funding for an exciting project that will allow us to attract more famillies to partner with us in the search for decent housing! STAY TUNED! 

Finally, we want to take a few words to share a heart-felt thank you to all associates at The Home Depot Guelph for their commitment to sell Paper Hammers throughout the month of June and the same dedication they've displayed helping us build two homes and provide a sustainable future for two richly-deserving families. A special thanks to the leader of The Home Depot Guelph associates, Store Manager, Sheila Fildes. It's been a true pleasure to partner with Sheila on many projects throughout the past year and we're thrilled she has an unwavering commitment to Habitat for Humanity.


Team Depot installing the ceiling