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Habichat: Newsletter from
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
Sept 27, 1:00PM: Applicant
Orientation Session, Sidney Pollock House, 450 High Street,
Pottstown
October 4, 9:00AM:
ReStore Garage Sale, 848 Cherry Street,
Norristown
October
4, 9:30AM: Love in Action
Tour, 848 Cherry St., Norristown
October
11, 9:30AM: Love in Action Tour,
1st Baptist Church, 301 King Street,
Pottstown
October 25, 9:30AM:
Pottstown Dedication, 449 Beech Street,
Pottstown | |
It's the Economy
I think I would be putting my head in the sand if I were
to say that I wasn't concerned about the economy and Habitat's
place in it. I will admit, I am worried for the
financial health of our organization, but more importantly,
I am worried about the families we serve.
With Wall Street's collapse last week, gas prices
hovering around $4.00 per gallon, the price of food
rising 30% in the last year, it is harder to
make ends meet. For Montgomery County families
already living paycheck to paycheck and paying more than 1/3
of their income to housing costs, things have gone from
difficult to nearly impossible. Dollars that were
already stretched are not going as far and families that
were barely making it are in jeopardy for their very
survival.
At Habitat, we take the plight of these
families very seriously. This is why, even in
(especially in) a time of economic downturn, it is imperative
that we grow. Families throughout the county
are in danger of losing the most basic of
human needs - shelter. If we can help these
families balance their lives a bit, by providing no-interest,
low-cost mortgages for a simple, basic, decent home, then we
have done our jobs. It is not easy when donations are
lower and materials cost more, but we will continue to
move forward to meet the ever-growing need.
In this edition of Habichat, we will share some of the
creative ways that we continue to grow, even in the face of
almost-certain recession. With a bit of ingenuity
on our part and the activation of groups and individuals
like you, giving what thay can (even if its just a
dollar), we are helping many families back away from the
economic "edge" and live more in balance.
Brenda Egolf-Fox
Executive
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Habitat Garage Sale!
SATURDAY, October 4,
2008
Across the Street from our office at 848 Cherry Street,
Norritown, PA 19401
This is just one
creative way for us to serve more families!
We have:
- building materials
- appliances
- carpet
- cabinets
...and so much more for a fraction of retail value.
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Growing On Linden Ave! 
On September
13, The Episcopal Unity Build and Habitat for Humanity of
Montgomery County celebrated the groundbreaking of
203 Linden Avenue in North Hills!
Almost 100 people attended to the
groundbreaking to 
welcome Susan Boesler and her boys into the
community. The day was started with a welcome from
Brenda Egolf-Fox, Habitat Executive Director and came to a
close with Susan, her sister and her sons breaking ground in
front of what will be their new home next summer.
Thirteen members of the
Episcopal Deanery throughout eastern Montgomery County,
as part of the Episcopal Unity Build, have gathered together
to make this project a reality - raising the $90,000 for Whole
House Sponsorship and providing volunteers to build it.
These churches have used the power and creativity of many to
accomplish this amazing goal. In fact, the Church of the
Messiah, has raised more than $13,000 toward the goal by
having such simple fundraisers as "sign-a-stud" and t-shirt
sales.
Roxanne Walter, organizer of the EUB
initiative, shared her thoughts on the project,
" The members of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Glenside
had a special opportunity through the funds available from the
Stuart Fund Grant Committee to make a significant impact in
our local community and wanted to partner with Habitat for
Humanity. St. Peter's also wanted to partner with a
broader community. When we learned the Montgomery
Deanery clergy were interested in doing a Habitat for Humanity
build as a way to bring the churches in the Deanery together,
we knew we shared the same vision. The Episcopal Unity
Build (EUB) brings Episcopal Churches in eastern Montgomery
County to work together in a way which has never been done
before. We are pooling our time, talents and treasure to
work together on a very special outreach project, particularly
at a time when the Diocese of Pennsylvania is in
transition. All of the parishes participating in EUB are
enthusiastically supporting the Build with fundraising and
volunteers. "
When complete, 203 Linden Avenue will be part of
a community of seven new homes on Linden Ave in North
Hills.
*All Photos Courtesy of
Frank Toia |
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Cars for Homes
Did you know that, through Habitat International, you can
donate your car, motor home or boat and have the donation
applied directly to Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery
County?
It's easy to do, you get the maximum value as
allowed by law for your vehicle and the value can be as much
as a bedroom sponsorship!
Many people are considering turning in their old gas
guzzlers for more fuel-efficient models these days, but
find when they arrive ready to trade it at the
dealer, they get far below what the vehicle is worth. By
givng your vehicle to charity, you can deduct the value
from your taxes. For Habitat, even if these vehicles
aren't driveable, they can still be used for scrap steel,
providing much needed funding for local Habitat
affiliates. If you are interested in learning more about
the program just visit www.carsforhomes.org.
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You're Invited to the Pottstown
Dedication!
Come Welcome Carolyn and her family to their new
home!
10AM
449 Beech Street, Pottstown
19464 |
 Celebrating Young
Philanthropists!
Jamie wrote a wonderful letter to the Chesterbrooke
Academy and to several other organizations asking them to
participate. Jamie's Dad got on board, starting the
program at his company as well. Finally, Jamie asked family
and friends to save their cans for Habitat too! Thanks
to some wonderful outreach and a bit of effort,
Jamie recently presented Habitat with a check for $200!
We were extremely moved by Jamie's philanthropic spirit
and encouraged that Jamie saw the potential to make a
difference at such a young age.
If you are interested in starting a can recycling program
in your area, we have all the necessary equipment you
need! Through the Cans for Habitat
program, we can provide you with bags, recycling
containers, signs and lots of information to get started and
then to promote the program. Please contact
Marianne Lynch, marianne@habitatmontco.org for more details.
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How can one dollar
build a house? By being combined with thousands of other
dollars throughout the County.
In one moment, you can
make the decision to help people right in your community come
away from the edge and live in a more stable
environment where their family can grow and thrive.
In another moment, you can
take the challenge and send the link to a friend, asking them
to give one dollar as well.
In a final moment, you can
answer the call to action - to volunteer, to give, to build.
Help us end poverty
housing in Montgomery county with one dollar and one
moment. |
Make a Match with Habitat!
Many companies throughout Montgomery County generously
match contributions made by their employees to charitable
organizations.
For Habitat of Montgomery County and
many small, local organizations, these matching gifts are
the life's blood of our work. We are extremely
grateful for those of you who give this way.
Habitat of Montgomery County does not receive direct funding
from Habitat International, so our families rely on the local
community to achieve the American dream of homeownership.
photo courtey of
Frank Toia
Imagine that you challenged two others in your
organization to sign up through your employee giving program
as well - if two hundred employees at a company such as Merck
or Aetna decided to give just $20 per month and were matched
by the corporation, Habitat would have enough money to build
an addtitional home in no time ($100,000+)! Take it one
step further and challenge colleagues at other companies to do
the same - within no time, Habitat could build 10
homes per year every year!
Right now, many companies are in their sign-up period for
employee contributions. We urge you to use this
virtually painless method of giving - whether it be to Habitat
or other local charities that do great work. In this
economy, it can mean the difference between serving few and
serving many in need right in your
community. | |
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"Generosity is giving more than
you can, and pride is taking less than you need.
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- Kahlil Gibran
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With that final thought, thank you again
for your support and commitment to Habitat for Humanity of
Montgomery County.
Sincerely,
Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery
County
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