NEWS & EVENTS

AN EVENING IN PARIS

Featuring Pianist/Comedian
Mimi Blais

Saturday, November 1, 2008, 6:30 PM, Dixie Center’s Garden Room

AUCTION ITEMS INCLUDE:
Grand Piano • Home Décor • Alaskan Fishing Trip and other Travel Packages • Golf Packages
Fine Jewelry • Sporting Events including Utah Jazz Tickets • And much, much more!

Tickets:
• $75 individual • Tables of eight: $750, $1,000 and $5,000 (recognitions commensurate with table price)

For tickets or information call 674-7669 • Visa or MasterCard accepted

Property Secured

It was a blessed day when Kendrick Rogers called the Habitat office to discuss the purchase of three of his lots in Coronado Ridge in Hurricane. These lots were offered at a drastic discount making it possible to pursue plans for the next Habitat build.

This opened the way to the first community sponsored Habitat home.

A Home for the Holidays

Join with KCSG Television and 95.9 The Hawk in making the dream of owning a house a reality for a local Washington County family.

This community sponsored house will be a green build, under the direction of Jesse Kimball of Globo Green Builders. Click here to see floor plans.

Donations will be taken at all Village Bank locations. Help a family have the holiday gift of a lifetime- A Brand New Home!

Doors Open On Habitat Restore

ST. GEORGE - In September, Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Utah will take a giant step forward in their efforts to provide simple, decent and affordable houses in Washington County with the opening of a Habitat Re-store in St. George - the second such retail outlet in Utah and one of more than 500 across the United States.

According to Dave Huber, president of the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, “ReStores are retail outlets where quality used and surplus building materials, tools, garden supplies and appliances are sold at a fraction of regular retail prices.” Proceeds from the ReStore will help fund the construction of Habitat houses in the community. The 6400-square foot retail building - with adequate customer parking and easy access for receiving and loading merchandise - is scheduled to open by mid-September at 267 E. 1400 South, Suite 105. In the beginning of its operations, the ReStore will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday with plans to extend store hours as demand increases. In anticipation of the store’s opening, Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Utah is already accepting tax deductible donations of new and used materials from individuals, contractors and building supply companies.

ReStore manager Russ Hansen states the non-profit organization’s goals for this ambitious project are two-fold. “First, we want to offer deep discounts on quality used and surplus merchandise to those in the community looking for a really good deal in these difficult economic times,” he notes. “Second, and most importantly, we are raising funds to build permanent homes for qualified, low-income families who are deserving but might not ever be able to afford their own home without the kind of help Habitat offers.” ReStore also helps the environment by channeling good, reusable materials into use by homeowners.

Launa Butler, Executive Director also hopes the opening of the ReStore will help clarify some of the misconceptions about the organization named the nation’s 14th largest homebuilder in 2004. The myths which have surrounded Habitat for Humanity International since its inception in 1976 have been hard to dispel, states Butler, despite an ambitious local, national and worldwide marketing campaign to increase public awareness of the worldwide Christian ministry. After more than thirty years, Habitat for Humanity still struggles to get the international community to understand their efforts to build quality houses for deserving low-income families all over the world.

Myth “one” is the popular belief former U. S. President Jimmy Carter was the founder of the Habitat program. In fact, Habitat for Humanity was the brainchild of Millard Fuller and his wife, Linda of Americus, Georgia. Jimmy Carter and his wife Roselyn did not join the effort until 1984, but there is no question the involvement of the 39th president of the United States gave Habitat for Humanity increased visibility on the world stage which in turn sparked a new interest in the organization’s mission.

Myth “two” would have people believe homes constructed by Habitat for Humanity are “gifted” to low-income individuals at no cost. In fact, Habitat families must participate in a competitive family selection process, which includes 250 sweat equity hours per adult. Sweat equity is earned through work on theirs or other Habitat homes, or on Habitat committees and community service. Once requirements are met the family purchases the home, but the 0% interest mortgage is held by Habitat for Humanity with monthly principal payments deposited into a revolving construction loan fund for use on future Habitat homes.

A third misconception Habitat would like to dispel is that the 501( c)(3) organization only builds houses in third world countries, such as Mexico or Africa. In truth, today more than 1,000,000 people - about 30,000 families - are sheltered in Habitat homes worldwide, including hundreds in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans and 13 families in Washington County. Habitat International does require affiliates to pay a tithing of 10% annually which funds are then used to build homes in third world countries; but, the remaining 90% of Habitat funds raised in the local community, stay in the local community to build houses - “not homes,” states Butler. “Habitat builds houses . . . families build homes.”

And, the final myth is that Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Utah and the other 1500 affiliates around the world “belong” to and are funded in their efforts by Habitat International. According to Butler, Habitat’s work is done at the community level where each affiliate coordinates all aspects of the building process, including fundraising, securing property, family selection and support, and construction. “It’s all local,” states the executive director. “We have a local board of directors and we write dozens of grants, hold fundraising events and knock on hundreds of doors every year to find the land and financial support we need to meet the needs of families in Washington County! The “Building Houses, Building Hope Breakfast” in March raises some funds. The Hope Banquet held annually in November generates more construction money, but there is still tremendous need for more houses in Washington County and everything must come together in order for us to build each one.”

Butler states Habitat’s future in southwestern Utah looks bright. “We are proud of the 13 homes we have already built in Washington County in our nine years of operation. With the proceeds from a ReStore we believe we can re-double our efforts to provide qualified families with a hand up - not a hand out - as we build more houses.”

By Linda Sappington
TODAY IN DIXIE, October Issue