AmeriCorps worker seeks volunteers for Habitat
Published 10:05 am Thursday, October 17, 2013
By Patsy Fontes
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is an organization known for building houses. Some of you might recognize it by the work that our A Brush With Kindness program is doing with the Community Housing Improvement Project, or Rock the Block, which offers a little TLC to existing homes in both Freeborn and Mower Counties. In the past year, the organization has been getting some much needed improvements of its own. The affiliate has gained some invaluable staff members who are working hard to remind Freeborn and Mower counties what Habitat for Humanity is all about.
We introduced many of you to our new executive director, Brigette Campbell, recently. In addition, this summer we welcomed our newest AmeriCorps VISTA worker, Andrea Bobrick, to join our effort at Habitat — Freeborn/ Mower. AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program that partners young professionals interested in national service with non-profit organizations through the United States. Andrea is from rural Pennsylvania where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She is serving her second term with AmeriCorps here in Austin. She came to us from Sacramento, Calif., after serving with a National Civilian Community Corps for the past 10 months. She will be working with us full time until August 2014 in Family Selections.
Andrea’s primary role with our affiliate is to make the experience of our applicants as painless as possible. She has worked to assess our policies, procedures and committee structure so that we can find families who are in need of permanent housing. We plan to build two homes beginning in the spring of 2014 therefore, we are accepting homeowner applications.
We base our selection on three criteria: ability to pay, need for housing, and willingness to partner. We serve families who do not qualify for traditional home loans, but have a steady income. We want to serve families that demonstrate a need for housing which is determined during a home visit. We are also looking for families that are not looking for a hand out, but a hand up. At Habitat, we believe that homeownership increases the quality of life for families, we want to partner with families without burdening them financially or creating a dependent relationship.
We just held an informational meeting for potential homeowners on Sept. 26 to inform folks interested in our homeownership program. We had eight families attend and have received five applications in the week following the meeting. Our home owner application can also be found on our website at www.habitatfreebornmower.org.
In order for our affiliate to carry out our mission of putting God’s love into action, Andrea is seeking volunteers who are committed to offering the hope of homeownership to low income families. For more information about joining our effort at Habitat for Humanity-Freeborn/Mower you can contact Andrea Bobrick via email at vista@habitatfreebornmower.org or (507) 433-1349.
If you don’t recognize Habitat’s effort from 30 homes it has built in the past 21 years or the many facelifts we have given homes throughout the two counties, you might recognize us by our thriving ReStore.
Our new ReStore manager, Jessica Gerereo, is working hard to improve our customer service and manage our inventory. She has a great knack for finding just what you are looking for and accepting donations with a smile. She works many long hours to make sure that we are able to fully serve the community. She is always looking for great volunteers to help out in the store. Our store locations are 800 Seventh St. NE in Austin and 919 West Main St. in Albert Lea.
We’d love to get others to join the effort that we are taking here at Habitat to end poverty housing. The first step you can take to do so is visiting our website to help us pick a winner of our World Habitat Day drawing contest that just wrapped up in Lyle. We asked Lyle elementary students to define what “home” looked like to them in a 8×11 drawing.
Check out what they look like on our website: www.habitatfreebornmower.org. The winner will have their drawing placed on a T-shirt.
Habitat for Humanity looking for help on Lyle building project
Habitat for Humanity in Freeborn and Mower counties is looking for volunteers 16 or older to finish a Habitat home in Lyle by Dec. 31.
Volunteers can help build at 302 Fifth St. S. in Lyle on from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.