A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Tim Daley, Executive Director
Dear Friends of Habitat for Humanity,

Habitat for Humanity of Berks County will be ensuring that the Buttonwood-Gateway Project represents the four pillars of success . Research indicates that combining affordable housing, education, employment, and healthcare creates the pillars needed for re-investment into our neighborhoods that have been in decline or at risk for too long. Our Habitat... your Habitat will also being developing an Aging-in-Place program for residents already in the Buttonwood-Gateway area and in need of repairs that will help prevent slips and falls and support a better quality of life for our aging American population.
Proper housing options promote cleaner and safer neighborhoods that lead to less truancy and higher graduation rates. These conditions attract businesses to come into an area and create jobs that bring healthcare opportunities.

I invite you to come see the future of the Buttonwood-Gateway Project and to tell us what you think and how we can change the culture of living in an urban setting so that it will promote hope, opportunity and promise for our neighbors and their children.

Please contact us to schedule a tour of our houses and the Buttonwood-Gateway area to see just how we can make a difference.

Be well,

Tim Daley
Here is what we've been up to in the last month!
At Habitat Berks, we enjoy cultivating partnerships with other community organizations. Our friends at Olivet Boys & Girls Club were in need of furniture for their Blue Mountain Camp in Hamburg. Tim reached out to our Berks ReStore, and a selection of pieces were donated to the camp. We're happy to help out our friends at Olivets!
We are pleased to have been able to share the progress of our Tulpehocken Street project with several groups of friends and supporters in Septbember, including Senator Judy Schwank. Senator Schwank stopped by the properties to check out the exciting progress and met some of our loyal volunteers during her visit. 
Tim Daley spoke to the audience at South Mountain YMCA Camps about Habitat’s project - Feasibility & Citizen Engagement Plan: Neighborhood Revitalization Zone - which has been selected as one of the Leadership Berks Class of 2018-2019’s service learning projects. We’re proud to work with our community partners and happy our project was selected!
Molly Murrill and Tim Daley (seen at right) spoke at GAI-TRONICS during their United Way of Berks County campaign launch. It was a great opportunity to spread the word about Habitat Berks to two large employee groups, and we're grateful to UW Berks and GAI-TRONICS for the opportunity!
Thank you to
United Way of Berks County!
We are grateful to United Way of Berks County for including Habitat Berks in their annual Day of Caring event! Volunteers from Alcon, GAI-TRONICS and Utilities Employees Credit Union helped with projects at the ReStore as well as at the job sites on Tulpehocken Street. Our role as a United Way partner agency is important to us!
THANK YOU,
SANTANDER!


Santander Bank US continues to support Habitat Berks, and we were happy to welcome Ms. Natalia Dominguez Buckley back for a visit to see the progress on Tulpehocken Street this month. The generosity from Santander will help us complete projects on Tulpehocken and look towards our future Buttonwood Gateway project. 
DID YOU KNOW?
Our ReStore is a great resource for gently-used furniture, appliances, rugs, and building supplies!
Please visit the store in Temple to shop for items at great prices!
Are you moving or down-sizing?
The ReStore will pick up your items for FREE!
Please call or email Colleen Hyer to schedule your pick-up!
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 4TH ANNUAL BIRDHOUSE CHALLENGE
BENEFITING HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF BERKS COUNTY!
TUESDAY MARCH 19, 2019
5:30-8:30 PM
$75 PER PERSON
THANK YOU TO OUR BIRDHOUSE PLANNING COMMITTEE:
Patrice Bentz, Connie D'Augustine, Tina Hogue, Michele McCartney, Cheryl Takach
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Update from Mike Rodino, Director of Construction:

Our homes on Tulpehocken Street are progressing well!
  • The home closest to completion recently received all new floors. The sidewalk will be repaired/replaced next month, and the stairs and the brick on the front of the porch will be repaired as well. Volunteers from Youth Build are scheduled for October!
  • In the next home, the porch has been rebuilt, and kitchen cabinets and trim have been installed. Our woodshop volunteers are working on the railings for the porch, and soon our crew will be working on repairing the separate shed/garage in the back of the property.
  • The last home on Tulpehocken Street now has all new drywall installed and the porch has been repaired. Next projects are to paint the interior and replace the porch roof.

If you know of a family who might be a good fit for our program and who would like to own one of these homes, please reach out to our Director of Family Services, Penny Hummel.
STAFF CHANGES AT HABITAT!
Please join us in welcoming Iris Bedwell to the Habitat team!

Iris is a long-time member of the community. She g raduated from Wyomissing Area High School followed by Millersville University, where she earned her BA degree in English. Iris worked for 25 years as a Compliance Officer with the County of Berks Domestic Relations Office. She is a proud mother of one son and is actively involved in local theater, both on and off the stage, since the age of 4. We're happy to have Iris join us!
THANK YOU!
Without our volunteers and donors, we would not be able to do this important work in our community.