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Celebrating our 10th Anniversary serving the Northeast Kingdom!
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Ten Years: Ten Stories
2007 - 2017
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Ten years! Wow. Habitat NEK began meeting at the North Church in St. Johnsbury in the fall of 2007 and starting from those beginnings, we have repaired nearly 100 houses, built three brand new homes, held yard sales and other fundraisers, opened a ReSale Store...then moved it twice... and then moved again to our current offices. Lumber, nails, drywall, paint. Lots of it. But most importantly, people. The folks who applied for Habitat help, and the folks who responded to the need. Amazing stories of people who just needed a hand up, of self-sacrificing volunteers who have been with us the whole time. In the coming months, on our Facebook page and through our monthly newsletters, we'll be highlighting these moments and the people who made them happen.
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2008:
Our first project: building a house
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Chad & Billie Jo in Brownington
As NEK Habitat for Humanity was just getting organized in the winter of 2008, we found ourselves with a handful of ready volunteers but little funding and little experience in any actual building. By coincidence, affiliate chair Dan Swainbank, who was teaching at Lyndon State College, made the acquaintance of two students, Chad and Billie Jo Abbott of Brownington. The Abbotts had acquired a piece of land, had gathered building materials, and were ready to build their home. Chad was a veteran of tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The f
amily had two children and Chad's mother was also living with them. After a formal application process, we committed to the Abbott's project, and began work.
With a grant from Upper Valley Habitat, we opened an account at J.B. Colton Hardware in Orleans, and were able to contribute building materials to the project.
The building lot had a cement block foundation and some log framing, which we dismantled and rebuilt for better structural integrity. Using revolving site supervisors Fritz Fay, Jo
dy Paine, and Billie Jo's brother Tobin, as well as our own st
alwarts Bruce Starbuck, Jesse Tatum, and Bob Gondar, we framed the two-story home and put on the roof. Working mostly on Saturdays,
with the Abbott family always on site providing sweat equity, we instituted policies and processes which
we continue to foll
ow today: family selection, sweat equity, volunteer recruitment,
no-interest lending, lunch,
and supervision. It was like building an airplane as we flew it.
We worke
d in Brownington all summer and into the fall, and the Abbotts were in their home by Thanksgiving. With the equity in their home, the Abbotts secured a mortgage loan from Community National Bank, and repaid Habitat for our expenses. Chad and Bil
lie Jo both graduated from college. They live in the home s
till with their two children now ages 14 and 17.
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At Habitat NEK, we are so very thankful for our
wonderful volunteers: every person who provided lunch to building teams; every person who lifted a hammer or carted trash, hung drywall, installed new windows, repaired roofs, fixed plumbing or painted; every person who worked in our office supporting our staff --- all of this volunteer work
helps Northeast Kingdom
families live better lives. We wish all of our volunteers the most blessed Thanksgiving, and the time to enjoy it with their loved ones.
May we each find the blessings in each of our lives, for we are indeed blessed, and even if it is just for the day, may we find the thankfulness in our hearts for them all.
Habitat's vision:
A world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Habitat's mission statement:
Seeking to put God's love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.
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Ten Years: Ten Stories
2017 is an important year for us, a milestone we are celebrating from now until June 2018. We look forward to celebrating our 20th anniversary with more stories about the families we've helped! Our goal for our 2017-2018 annual budget, which supports our mission in the Northeast Kingdom, is $58,500.
Will you help us? Donations can be mailed to: NEK Habitat, 459 Portland Street, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819. Or stop in anytime for a tour and a chat...and a Christmas cookie or two!
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Scentsy Candles Helping Habitat for Humanity
Each season Idaho-based fragrance company Scentsy, Inc. partners with a charitable organization for a fundraiser, and this season it's Habitat for Humanity! Scentsy, a direct-selling company, will donate $9 from each "Built With Love" porcelain-white house-shaped warmer to Habitat for Humanity. Here at our affiliate office, we are especially delighted to announce that local Scentsy consultant Ann-Marie Blake of Sharon, Vermont will be generously donating her personal commission from all sales during this time to Upper Valley-NEK Habitat, whether or not the order includes a purchase of the Built With Love wickless and flameless candle.
To join Ann-Marie and Scentsy in their support of Habitat, and to order your warmer from Ann-Marie, please visit Scentsy candles.
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