It’s the season of giving and gratitude! As winter approaches, this is the time for warm drinks, family gatherings, holiday shopping, and giving. November brought milestone events that celebrated our partner families, completed critical home improvements, and ushered in new homes built by the Habitat LA community. We’re excited to share each moment with you!

On November 19^th, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) hosted one of our biggest home dedication ceremonies to date. We celebrated the achievement of nine families reaching their dreams of homeownership with a day filled with community building, family, and tears of joy and wonder.  READ MORE

Habitat LA is continuing to make progress at Isabel Villas, our newest development which includes 8 homes built in Los Angeles’ Willowbrook neighborhood. Our staff and incredible volunteers are currently building the homes in phases that include two homes at a time.

In Phase 1, the first two units were painted with flooring and woodwork to follow. We also have our volunteer “Sparkies” helping install switches, outlets, and light fixtures. The exterior of the first two homes is nearly complete! We are looking to get the remaining underground utilities installed soon, so we can build the remaining fences and finish the landscaping. For Phase 2, we are nearly finished with wall framing, and we are assembling the roof trusses. Next month, we are looking to “dry in” the two houses; install house wrap, windows, doors, and roof shingles.

Fun Fact - This is the first of many projects with solar panels! Isabel Villas will also include additional green features such as drought-tolerant yards, energy-efficient heating systems, insulation made of recycled material, and low-flow plumbing fixtures.

The Washington neighborhood community in Long Beach recently hosted its 5^th annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration after two difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The residents felt valued and celebrated as they welcomed their community with a vibrant celebration, including a traditional mariachi band, face painting, photo booths and altars holding photographs, food, memories, and hope.

Every activity was community-led and organized. When asked what it felt like to see their hard work in action, Resident Leader Herlinda H. enjoyed seeing “the joy in the faces of the residents in the community, children, youth, and the elderly when seeing and remembering their traditions.”

We thank the 37 residents and more than ten organizations and businesses that joined the event to share resources and collectively activate 14^th Street Park. We appreciate our great partners, such as Councilmember Mary Zendejas from District 1, Centro CHA, Long Beach Arts Council, Washington Neighborhood Association, Sk8Dojo, and sponsor, Lendlease. 

Whether you missed the celebration or want to remember all the fun, check out the photo gallery here.

In time for Veteran’s Day weekend, this month Habitat LA along with its sponsors and volunteers, provided critical home repairs to four local families as part of our year-long efforts to serve veterans through our Habitat for Heroes program. Volunteers and Habitat LA staff tackled roof repair, exterior painting, and stucco repair among other critical improvements that will significantly improve the quality of life for our incredible veterans and their loved ones. READ MORE

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) is pleased to announce that City National Bank will support the 2023 Los Angeles Builders Ball^® as our presenting sponsor. The Builders Ball — which will be held on Wednesday, March 8^th, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California — is Habitat LA’s largest annual fundraiser. Proceeds from the event contribute to Habitat LA’s efforts to build and repair affordable housing throughout greater Los Angeles. This marks the fourth consecutive year that City National will serve as the event’s presenting sponsor.

This year’s Builders Ball celebrates Habitat LA and our counterparts in the building, real estate, and related industries, as well as partners and donors who are helping transform the landscape of Los Angeles. Join us for an extraordinary evening to raise awareness and funds to help empower families and build strength and stability in our communities through homeownership. For sponsorship info, visit 2023 LABB.

Hope to see you there!

The holiday season is here! Our volunteer team is leading Build-A-Basket of Holiday Cheer, an opportunity to build a basket for individuals and families served by Habitat LA! Now more than ever, it's time to come together to help those in our community feel extra special during the holidays. This year, we are encouraging our supporters to contribute towards our Build-a-Basket fundraising campaign by Saturday, December 10^th.

We are focusing on four holiday basket themes this year. Holiday Bake Set, Holiday Story Time, Relax During the Holidays, and Movie/Game Night. If you want to get creative and build a basket, pick one of the fun and festive themes and start decorating! Please contact our Volunteer Associate Director Anna Rubino at volunteers@habitatla.org to schedule a drop-off time at our Bellflower office.

If you can't build a basket, your contribution will help us create beautiful holiday baskets full of goodies, which we will deliver to families throughout greater Los Angeles from December 15-17. Please donate HERE or text HOLIDAYBASKET to 71777. Thank you for helping us spread holiday cheer to our partner families!