Raisin' The Roof August 2011

Raisin' The Roof August 2011

Read all about how you can get involved with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County TODAY!

The new Habitat Guelph ReStore

The Guelph ReStore has gone under several changes over the past few weeks.

You'll note that there will no longer be a 50% off sale on the last Wednesday of the month.
You'll also note that you will no longer turn to www.guelphrestore.ca as your website for ReStore news but rather www.habitatwellington.on.ca/restore.html.

However our commitments and priorities have not wavered. Here's what you can expect from us going forward:

1. Continuing to be the major HFHWC fundraiser that offsets the administration costs of Habitat's operations; meaning all donations (financial or in-kind) go directly to our build projects.



Quality Home Building Materials & Furniture

2. Continuing to accept and sell quality donations of home building materials and furniture. In fact, when you come into the store now, you'll see the emphasis we've placed on this objective.  
3. Continuing to provide the Guelph community an e-waste depot and divert reusable goods away from the landfills.
4. Provide our loyal customers new and opportunistic promotions and contests including upcoming contests through Four Square. We want to thank our customers for your loyalty and believing in the Habitat for Humanity mission.

We invite you to the new Habitat Guelph ReStore!

Guelph's Community ReTail Store

Wild Wacky Summer - Get Involved with HFHWC

Like many organizations and companies, save snow shovel manufacturing companies, summer is a hectic time of year for Habitat for Humanity; especially our affiliate in Wellington County.

So, what's going on with us?

Let's start with Women Build. The project is off to a furious start. We've been documenting a lot of it on our Facebook Fan Page. The photos our Women Builders are posting to our page are awesome! We are also encouraging our Women Builders to check-in (when you're actually on site, don't be cheeky) with Facebook Places and/or Four Square, you never know what we may reward your due diligence with!

Building a house doesn't just require hammering nails and drilling in screws, it also requires funding the project. Women Build have done a great job fundraising for the project and continue to hit the pavement in fundraising efforts. Did you know it costs us, up to $180,000 to build a home? Women Build continues their fundraising and that includes a Family BBQ coming up on Sunday June 26th. A fun, ongoing fundraiser is our Flamingo Flocking that allows ANYONE to "Flock" their friend, neighbour, colleague and/or co-worker. $25 will get you the ultimate gag to your "victim" (for lack of a better word), several Flamingos spread across his/her/their lawn. Check out this pic!

Are other build of the summer of 2011 will fall in the late stages of summer as we kick of the Whirlpool Canada build at 28 Huron St.. This is a semi-detached home that will house two deserving families in the eventual goal of eliminating poverty in the Royal City.

Our Golf tournament is near the tail-end of the summer as well. This will be our 5th tournament at beautiful Cutten Fields. Those that participate love it! Register here. Sponsor here.

The Buy a Hammer, Build Our Community campaign is currently running at your local Home Depot at 63 Woodlawn Rd. W, until July 3rd. $2 will allow you to buy a "Paper Hammer" and support Habitat Wellington County. We appreciate that support and want you to tweet your generous contribution! The Home Depot Canada Foundation and The Home Depot Guelph Store are extremely supportive of our home building programs and we want to thank them for that. If you see Store Manager, Sheila, tell her Luke said "Keep On, Keepin On!"

Finally, The ReStore continues to be HFHWC's biggest fundraiser. The ReStore concept is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2011 and the Guelph ReStore certainly held a great sale event in honour of the landmark. Have you seen pictures? Videos? Check them out! Don't forget about the last Wednesday of the month sale... I think everyone in town knows the last Wednesday of the month is our 50% off sale. The lineup around the building at 9am would indicate so. If you forget, I'm sure we'll provide countless reminders.

Definitely, we have a busy summer! So you want to get involved?
How so? Volunteering? Women Build? Adopt-A-Day/Week? Truck Sponsorship? Donate?

The truth is, not only do we WANT your help, we NEED your help. We value this community and the people that live in the Royal City. After all, MacLean's did call Guelph the most caring city in 2008. Without volunteers, donors and supporters, we cannot build homes for deserving families, and that's why we do what we do!

How The Home Depot Canada Foundation is building sustainable homes and communities with thousands of “Paper Hammers”

Did you know that you can help build your community using only a paper
hammer? It’s true. All it takes is a few thousand people to buy $2 “Paper
Hammers” at their local The Home Depot store between June 2 and July 3.


This year, as part of The Home Depot Canada Foundation’s annual Buy
a Hammer, Build Our Community campaign, more than 150 stores
across 16 districts will try to raise $750,000 to support local Boys and Girls
Clubs and Habitat for Humanity affiliates. The Home Depot Canada
Foundation will match the proceeds of the district that raises the most
funds during the campaign.
If you want to get involved, please visit your local The Home Depot
store and buy a $2 “Paper Hammer.” You
can also learn more about The Home Depot Canada Foundation and
its community partners and even donate online by visiting their
website

Use Your Mortgage to Help Build Homes through MCAP’s Key to Hope!

Now homeowners with MCAP mortgages can help Habitat for Humanity Affiliates build even more affordable housing! By adding a specified donation amount to each mortgage payment, participating homeowners will not only make regular contributions to Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC), but MCAP will actually match their donations!

It’s part of the ingenious Key to Hope program that MCAP, a leading Canadian mortgage company and long-time Habitat partner, launched for Habitat in January 2010. The goal of the program is to raise an additional $1 million for Habitat for Humanity Affiliates in Canada over five years.

Your charitable contributions can be put towards your income tax credits.  And, whatever amount you contribute with your mortgage payment, it will be doubled when MCAP matches it!  It’s a win-win situation all around.

To make the Key to Hope program even more effective, MCAP is encouraging its brokers to make their own donations. These donations will again be matched by MCAP.

MCAP has generated more than $1.9 million in cash and services since becoming a partner for Habitat for Humanity Canada in 2000. As a result, dozens of Habitat for Humanity homes have been built Canada-wide in regions where MCAP offices are located. Supporting the Key to Hope program will help Habitat for Humanity Wellington County and other HFH Affiliates to provide even more families the benefits of owning a decent and affordable home, including improved health, longer life expectancy and a stronger connection to the community.

Join the Key to Hope program!

If you would like to make ongoing donations to Habitat for Humanity through your own MCAP mortgage payments, please contact MCAP at service@mcap.com or 1-800-265-2624.  If you do not have an MCAP mortgage, contact your mortgage broker today and find out more about MCAP and Key to Hope!

“As an organization that firmly believes in the work of Habitat for Humanity Canada, MCAP is always looking for new ways to engage its employees and customers in the cause. By arranging for our customers to donate to Habitat through their mortgage payments, we are providing them with an effective way to support the organization.”

John Thompson, Senior Vice President and Chair, Corporate Social Responsibility, MCAP

Words of Women Build

Words of Women Build

T

he Women Build Program is about building Habitat homes with a focus on promoting women as leaders in the trades with the majority of the planning and execution undertaken by women volunteers. The Women Build Program is not about "excluding men” but it is all about "including women”!

 Since 2000 the Women Build Program has built 49 homes across Canada. A historical moment was marked last year as the first ever Habitat for Humanity Wellington County Women Build happened in Guelph with the help of 250 women volunteers in a variety of capacities including 175 on-site ladies putting hammer to nails. We not only built a home at 133 Bagot Street - we built lasting friendships, started a new chapter in a deserving family’s life journal, gained new skills, confidence and faith in each other that nothing is impossible with the power and  dedication of a team of women and a big dream! 

Community Business Champions like RBC, under the direction of Laurie Davidson, RBC Regional Vice President, Guelph North Halton donated $50,000. to move this initiative forward.  RBC, Fusion Homes, Linamar, Fusion Hair inspired us on-site, at work and in community ensuring the funds and support were there....applause!!

Why do it again?  ........I can’t imagine not.  As shovels hit the dirt on June 7^th, I’ll be there alongside an amazing group of women dressed in pink shirts, cheering each other on and knowing for certain we are changing lives.

It takes time, talent and treasure to make dreams come true. It is a challenge to raise the needed funds to build these homes but as a community that recognizes the value of providing a safe home for each of our neighbours, it’s a challenge worth finishing. Please join us – dreams really do come true!

Kimberley Rogers
Women Build Chair, 2010

Women Build 2011 is here at last

                                                                                                                

Media Release

Friday, March 4, 2011

For Immediate Release

Women Build is Back, Building at 439 York Rd.

The Habitat Wellington program motivates women to construction sites

GUELPH – There will be a surge of women heading to the 439 York Rd. construction site next week. Habitat for Humanity Wellington County’s (HFHWC) women empowering program, Women Build, will start their second project on June 7. The single home construction will be for a single mother of two daughters. Women Build is not about excluding men but promoting women as leaders and providing an opportunity for women to learn new skills, to build confidence, to work in solidarity, and to really make a difference to a family.

This Saturday, HFHWC will host Meet the Neighbours event at the build site. Volunteers will be able to meet the participant family and project leaders, as well as the Habitat’s ritual ‘Blessing of the Foundation’.

“I still can’t believe this is happening to me,” said the Habitat home recipient.

Since 2000, the Women Build program has built 49 homes across Canada. With the help of 250 women volunteers in a variety of capacities including 175 on-site ladies, Wellington County had their first Women Build in Guelph last year at 133 Bagot Street. Women Build ultimately provided a brand new home for a deserving family but 2010 Chair, Kimberley Rogers believes the project meant much more.

“We not only built a home on Bagot Street; we built lasting friendships and gained new skills, confidence, and faith in one another,” said Rogers.

It takes volunteers to build a home, but it also takes money. Months leading up to the build project that will start next week, Women Build enthusiasts held fundraisers like Bowl-A-Thon and Flamingo Flock to raise funds and awareness towards the York Rd. project. Fundraising will continue throughout the build as they will be hosting its first Family Barbeque on June 26 at the Riverside Park, featuring Cold Stone Creamery, Harvey’s burgers, face painting, bouncy castles, live entertainment and more. The launch of online fundraising now makes it easier than ever to support Women Build. There is a growing interest in becoming a ‘Heroine Hybrid’ or a ‘Flirty Fundraiser’ and raise $500. Flirty Fundraisers will be entered to draw for a Hot Air Balloon Ride for two.

Meet the Neighbours will be held on the morning of Saturday, June 4 from 9 to 11 at the 439 York Rd. build site as well as Robinson’s Flowers at 440 York Rd. Speakers include  HFHWC Executive Director, Diane Nelson; MP Frank Valeriote; MPP Liz Sandals; Cheryl Ambrose; and Kimberly Rogers.

“Please join us,” said Rogers, “Dreams really do come true!”

For more information on Women Build and to register as a volunteer, please visit www.habitatwellington.on.ca/womenbuild.html or the Women Build Facebook and Twitter pages at www.facebook.com/WomenBuildHFH and www.twitter.com/WomenBuildHFHWC

-30-_____________________________________________________________________________________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.

Luke Hancock
Fundraising & Communications Coordinator
Habitat for Humanity Wellington Countyfundraising@Habitatwellington.on.ca
519.767.9752 ext. *28