November, 2018 Newsletter
This month's themes:
Habitat Harvest
Focus on Veterans
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Executive Director's Message
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Harvest Home
Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin;
God our Maker doth provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.
These familiar lyrics penned by Henry Alford in the mid-1800’s paint familiar imagery of rural communities gathering together to bring in the harvest. At Waco Habitat for Humanity we also celebrate Harvest each fall.
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Volunteers raise a wall for the Zuniga Home,
The 2018 Harvest Build
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Habitat Neighbors, Looking at the Zuniga home from the front yard of the Rodriguez home, both on 10th Street.
As many thankful people gather, we celebrate the hard work of the previous year while looking forward to the year ahead.
On November 15
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about 400 people plan to do just that at Phoenix Ballroom. We celebrate with the Zuniga Family the completion of their Harvest Home in 2018 and anticipate what we can each do together to help build Harvest Home 2019.
Habitat believes everyone deserves a decent and affordable place to call home. Furthermore, we believe everyone can do something. Through shelter we empower. So I ask you, what will you do to help us bring in a bountiful harvest?
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Brenda Shuttlesworth, Executive Director
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Harvest, a Celebration of Achievements Realized
and Those Yet to Come
Habitat Harvest - - an evening to celebrate accomplishments of the past year and to look forward to plans for the year to come. Harvest is the signature fund-raising event for Waco Habitat for Humanity. More than $109,000 has been raised since 2016, an average of almost $36,500 per year. Last year’s contributions provided enough to start construction on a home for Luis and Josely Zuniga, at 726 N. 10
th
Street. Harvest has become the cornerstone for providing funds to construct one home per year.
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This year’s Harvest title sponsor is
Thrivent Financial
, an organization whose values are very similar to those of Waco Habitat. From the Thrivent Financial website,
www.Thrivent.com
“For more than a century, Thrivent has been helping Christians build solid financial futures and strengthen their communities. Our mission is to help Christians be wise with money and live generously. To do that, we promise to guide you along what we call the Wise With Money Journey. There are three things that can move you forward on this journey, and we're here to show you how to navigate each one:
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Own your story.
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Practice wise financial habits.
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Give of yourself.”
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Rodriguez Home Dedication
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"For more than a century, Thrivent has been helping Christians build solid financial futures and strengthen their communities. Today, we serve more than 2 million members nationwide." (Thrivent.com)
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Thrivent Builds -- Thrivent employees volunteering on a Waco Habitat home construction site
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In addition to our Title Sponsor, Thrivent Financial, Waco Habitat sincerely thanks our other event sponsors for their generous gifts to the 2018 Harvest.
Gold Sponsor
Bird Kultgen Ford
Silver Sponsors
Central Christian Church
Community Bank & Trust
Extraco Banks
State Farm Insurance
Providence Healthcare System
TFNB
Tymco
Bronze Sponsors
Ben Dever
Capstone Mechanical
Pakis, Giotes, Page & Burleson, PC
American Guaranty
Texas Life
Dupuy Oxygen
Genco
Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee
Big Creek Construction
Central National Bank
K4 Construction
Dayspring
Tractor Supply Company
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Each of these businesses and individuals has given of themselves so that others may have decent and affordable housing. Waco Habitat is grateful that you recognize and support our mission,
Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.
But supporting Harvest only opens the opportunity for all of us to support Waco Habitat. Silent and Live auctions offer unique products and experiences, from fine art to hunting and fishing trips, a custom fire pit, tickets to Baylor v UT (men’s basketball).
One of our special guests is new Baylor Tennis Coach Brian Boland. Coach Boland is a recent, and very enthusiastic, recruit to Waco. Baylor Vice President and director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades said:
"
Brian Boland
is a four-time national champion and one of the most respected coaches in tennis. We are absolutely thrilled he is joining the Baylor Family. Brian is a man of tremendous integrity who shares our common values of Preparing Champions for Life."
Encouraging his athletes to be an active part of the community, Coach Boland sets the example with his participation with Habitat.
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On the Calendar -- Upcoming Events
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GET OUT AND VOTE!!!! November 6
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7:00 am to 7:00 pm
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Veterans Day Parade
November 12 (Monday)
Starts 11:00 am Downtown Waco
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Watch for Habitat for Humanity Veterans Float
in this year's Veterans' Day parade
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Habitat Harvest
November 15 (Thursday)
5:00 - 8:00 pm
Phoenix Ballroom, 401 South 3
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Dedication of Waco Habitat Home # 173
With Luis and Josely Zuniga
4:00 pm
726 10th Street
Carver Neighborhood Association meeting
November 27 (Tuesday)
Carver Middle School Library
1601 J. J. Flewellen Road
Elf on a ReStore Shelf,
December 7 (Friday)
6:00 - 8:00 pm
ReStore, 1224 Franklin
Habitat Homeowners' Christmas Party,
December 11 (Tuesday)
5:00 - 7:00 pm
220 N. 11
th
Street
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Focus on Veterans and Affordable Housing
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Following the surreal experiences of World War II, persons in the United States desperately wanted to return to safety and living the American dream - get a job, buy a house, marry and raise a family. The years following the War saw two pronounced trends. One was the movement of much of the population to newly formed suburbs. The other conspicuous real estate story of this decade was housing, or, more accurately, the absence of housing and the real estate industry's response to the shortage.
By the end of the war in the mid-1940s, it was clear that there was a severe shortage of housing. The federal government passed the Housing Act of 1949, which, in part stated as its goal, "a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family." The business response to the rapidly-expanding opportunity fueled industrial growth throughout the U.S. Suburbanization was born as the supply of both affordable housing and mortgage capital were finally unleashed. Returning veterans, many of whom jumped into military service as teenagers, were eager to start family life. The culture readily opened to the changes, adapting as neighborhoods sprang to life, new jobs emerged, and the birth rate soared.
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Not yet Veterans -- Navy Week 2018, Waco
Volunteers from visiting sailors
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Although the cultural environment is very different, the need for decent and affordable housing is as pronounced now as it was at the end of WWII, especially for veterans. The demographic characteristics of current returning veterans are similar to those following WWII, their discharge is more of a “trickle in” than an “open floodgate” process.
Decent and affordable housing availability is a significant benefit, not only to communities, but to the returning veterans. In addition to programs providing new homes, funds are available for repair.
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Veterans Helping Veterans, Volunteers working with fellow soldier Charles Day, Habitat Ramps and Rails Program
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Older veterans can take advantage of “Aging in Place” programs through which home repairs are sponsored by funding made available through Habitat for Humanity International. Waco Habitat recently received $15,000 for repair to veterans’ homes.
Aided by public funds, community foundations, corporations, churches and individual donors, the 174 homes constructed by Waco Habitat partners will soon attain “critical mass.” That is, as more Habitat homeowners settle in affordable homes, other homeowners build alongside, and the neighborhood comes back to life. Likewise, home repairs allow people to age in place with dignity. Diverse funding sources support home repairs that help eliminate neighborhood blight, further adding value to the community.
If you are, or if you know of, a disabled veteran living in a home that needs repair, contact Waco Habitat for Humanity at 254-756-7575, or email info@wacohabitat.org.
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HOUSING RESOURCES FOR VETERANS
(click the following links)
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Waco Habitat for Humanity
Administrative Office -- 220 N. 11th St., Waco, TX 76701 Phone: 254-756-7575
ReStore -- 1224 Franklin, Waco, TX Phone 254-756-0131
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