Habitat For Humanity Kicks Off Campaign To Raise $250K For 3 Homes
May 8, 2020 at 12:47 a.m.
Habitat For Humanity Kicks Off Campaign To Raise $250K For 3 Homes
By David [email protected]
But the work of charities continues, including that of Habitat for Humanity of Kosciusko County, which remains dedicated to helping families find decent secure places to live that they can afford.
Recently, Habitat for Humanity launched a new fundraising campaign called “500 at $500.” It asks 500 individuals, couples, businesses, churches or other groups to give $500 each from their government stimulus checks.
Executive Director Mickey Kaufman explained, “That’s the idea behind it. We don’t care where the money comes from. The idea is that some people need it to live and if they need it to live, they should use it for that. But if you don’t need it to live, maybe you could help somebody else.”
The goal is to raise $250,000. All donations are tax-deductible.
“The idea is that if we were to get the 500 $500, we can build three new houses,” said Habitat for Humanity board member Jeremy Skinner. “So the idea is we’d be able to put three families in homes in Kosciusko County.”
He said it’s not necessary that a donor give $500. “The intent is to raise the $250,000 to build the three houses to give good housing to three deserving families in our community, and to help them in this time of pandemic,” Skinner said.
Kaufman said they already have the three families waiting for homes to move into.
One family is a single mom and grandmother who lost her job before the pandemic restrictions were put into effect. She secured another job and has taken on a second full-time job. Her housing situation is “inadequate and unsafe,” according to information provided by Kaufman.
The second family is a family of eight, with the father dealing with cancer and undergoing his second round of treatment. They are living in very poor conditions and in a very high-cost rental home. A local realtor donated the property for their new home in North Webster.
The third family waiting for their home lives in the southwest corner of the county, 20 miles away from Warsaw. The man has severe medical needs and is on dialysis treatment three times a week at a Warsaw hospital. The woman is his full-time caretaker. Their current living conditions are not appropriate for his wheelchair and medical needs. They need a home closer to his doctors and one that accommodates his physical restrictions.
As of Thursday, Kaufman said the fundraising campaign has raised about 5% of its goal.
“Obviously, it is our goal to try to start at least one or two of these houses this year. We’d like to do two of the houses this year, so in order to do that” we need to raise the money, Skinner said.
Kaufman said they won’t wait until all the money is raised to start the first home. Once there’s enough money for the first home, that construction project will begin. She said they already have the properties for two of the homes.
“So it’s a question of raising the money for the materials to build it because we build it with volunteers. Volunteers do the work, but we have to have the materials,” she said.
Skinner said, “And the great thing about giving to Habitat is that it’s revolving. These are loans that are paid back, and that revenue helps keep Habitat moving, and at the same time in the future, we hope that will help build more houses.”
“The idea is that the mortgages would go into a revolving fund. We just don’t have that many mortgages at this point to do that,” Kaufman said. “When they pay their mortgage, they’re helping somebody else get a home.”
The loans have no interest on them and are for 30 years, making them “very, very affordable” for lower-income families, she said.
“Everything is done locally. The money is raised locally. The money is spent locally. The volunteers are local. It’s very much a grassroots volunteer organization,” Kaufman said. “And it helps the residents of our county.”
Habitat families have to have an income to qualify for the program, but usually they have a lower-paying job. Kaufman said they have to apply for a home.
“We always get more families than we need. Families come to us because they are in need of housing. They usually can’t find affordable housing. They could be living in very poor housing or be homeless. But they have to have an income to qualify because they have to pay a mortgage, so we have to verify an income,” Kaufman said. “They go through about a three-month vetting process, depending on the family because it could take longer than that. And then it takes us a couple of years to raise the money and get the house.”
If Habitat can raise the $250,000 this year, she said that will be a “great” thing because the families won’t have to wait so long for their homes.
“What is important for us is that they’re Kosciusko County residents. That they have an income, low income. And that they need housing, and that they aren’t able to get conventional loans because of their financial situation, and usually that’s because something has happened to them because they are these lower-income families that are living right on the edge,” Kaufman said.
When she came on board as executive director six years ago, she at first thought she’d be working more with people in generational poverty who use the system to their benefit. “But I don’t find that among our families. Some of them may have come from that kind of background, but they’re not that way. They are hard workers,” she said.
Each adult in a family has to put in 250 hours of “sweat equity” toward building their home. “So they’re invested in many ways,” Kaufman said.
She said Habitat doesn’t give away homes, they’re helping people get them. “There is a difference. And when people are invested, even at a little bit in something, they cherish it much more,” she said.
Kaufman said people’s lives get better each year because of having a Habitat house.
“Having a safe place to live, raise your kids and not having that hanging over your heads allows you to take steps in your life to better it. Housing is always a challenge at the lower end of the rung. Habitat’s goal is provide decent housing to those in need and take that off their plate, more or less,” Skinner said.
More details about the fundraiser and Habitat for Humanity of Kosciusko County, which has been in existence since 1991 and has built around 30 homes, can be found on its website at www.kosciuskohabitat.org or its Facebook page.
Habitat’s Resale Outlet Store, 3970 Corridor Drive, Warsaw, also has its own Facebook page.
The store has everything from tables, chairs and other furniture to windows and flooring. The store reopens today, with its hours being 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
“Everything is donated, so all the profit off of it goes back into Habitat and our ministries,” Kaufman said.
To donate, visit the webpage www.kosciuskohabitat.org and use the “donate” option; or send a check to PO Box 1913, Warsaw, IN 46581 (payable to “Habitat to Humanity of Kosciusko County,” designate it as “500 at $500” on the memo line).
But the work of charities continues, including that of Habitat for Humanity of Kosciusko County, which remains dedicated to helping families find decent secure places to live that they can afford.
Recently, Habitat for Humanity launched a new fundraising campaign called “500 at $500.” It asks 500 individuals, couples, businesses, churches or other groups to give $500 each from their government stimulus checks.
Executive Director Mickey Kaufman explained, “That’s the idea behind it. We don’t care where the money comes from. The idea is that some people need it to live and if they need it to live, they should use it for that. But if you don’t need it to live, maybe you could help somebody else.”
The goal is to raise $250,000. All donations are tax-deductible.
“The idea is that if we were to get the 500 $500, we can build three new houses,” said Habitat for Humanity board member Jeremy Skinner. “So the idea is we’d be able to put three families in homes in Kosciusko County.”
He said it’s not necessary that a donor give $500. “The intent is to raise the $250,000 to build the three houses to give good housing to three deserving families in our community, and to help them in this time of pandemic,” Skinner said.
Kaufman said they already have the three families waiting for homes to move into.
One family is a single mom and grandmother who lost her job before the pandemic restrictions were put into effect. She secured another job and has taken on a second full-time job. Her housing situation is “inadequate and unsafe,” according to information provided by Kaufman.
The second family is a family of eight, with the father dealing with cancer and undergoing his second round of treatment. They are living in very poor conditions and in a very high-cost rental home. A local realtor donated the property for their new home in North Webster.
The third family waiting for their home lives in the southwest corner of the county, 20 miles away from Warsaw. The man has severe medical needs and is on dialysis treatment three times a week at a Warsaw hospital. The woman is his full-time caretaker. Their current living conditions are not appropriate for his wheelchair and medical needs. They need a home closer to his doctors and one that accommodates his physical restrictions.
As of Thursday, Kaufman said the fundraising campaign has raised about 5% of its goal.
“Obviously, it is our goal to try to start at least one or two of these houses this year. We’d like to do two of the houses this year, so in order to do that” we need to raise the money, Skinner said.
Kaufman said they won’t wait until all the money is raised to start the first home. Once there’s enough money for the first home, that construction project will begin. She said they already have the properties for two of the homes.
“So it’s a question of raising the money for the materials to build it because we build it with volunteers. Volunteers do the work, but we have to have the materials,” she said.
Skinner said, “And the great thing about giving to Habitat is that it’s revolving. These are loans that are paid back, and that revenue helps keep Habitat moving, and at the same time in the future, we hope that will help build more houses.”
“The idea is that the mortgages would go into a revolving fund. We just don’t have that many mortgages at this point to do that,” Kaufman said. “When they pay their mortgage, they’re helping somebody else get a home.”
The loans have no interest on them and are for 30 years, making them “very, very affordable” for lower-income families, she said.
“Everything is done locally. The money is raised locally. The money is spent locally. The volunteers are local. It’s very much a grassroots volunteer organization,” Kaufman said. “And it helps the residents of our county.”
Habitat families have to have an income to qualify for the program, but usually they have a lower-paying job. Kaufman said they have to apply for a home.
“We always get more families than we need. Families come to us because they are in need of housing. They usually can’t find affordable housing. They could be living in very poor housing or be homeless. But they have to have an income to qualify because they have to pay a mortgage, so we have to verify an income,” Kaufman said. “They go through about a three-month vetting process, depending on the family because it could take longer than that. And then it takes us a couple of years to raise the money and get the house.”
If Habitat can raise the $250,000 this year, she said that will be a “great” thing because the families won’t have to wait so long for their homes.
“What is important for us is that they’re Kosciusko County residents. That they have an income, low income. And that they need housing, and that they aren’t able to get conventional loans because of their financial situation, and usually that’s because something has happened to them because they are these lower-income families that are living right on the edge,” Kaufman said.
When she came on board as executive director six years ago, she at first thought she’d be working more with people in generational poverty who use the system to their benefit. “But I don’t find that among our families. Some of them may have come from that kind of background, but they’re not that way. They are hard workers,” she said.
Each adult in a family has to put in 250 hours of “sweat equity” toward building their home. “So they’re invested in many ways,” Kaufman said.
She said Habitat doesn’t give away homes, they’re helping people get them. “There is a difference. And when people are invested, even at a little bit in something, they cherish it much more,” she said.
Kaufman said people’s lives get better each year because of having a Habitat house.
“Having a safe place to live, raise your kids and not having that hanging over your heads allows you to take steps in your life to better it. Housing is always a challenge at the lower end of the rung. Habitat’s goal is provide decent housing to those in need and take that off their plate, more or less,” Skinner said.
More details about the fundraiser and Habitat for Humanity of Kosciusko County, which has been in existence since 1991 and has built around 30 homes, can be found on its website at www.kosciuskohabitat.org or its Facebook page.
Habitat’s Resale Outlet Store, 3970 Corridor Drive, Warsaw, also has its own Facebook page.
The store has everything from tables, chairs and other furniture to windows and flooring. The store reopens today, with its hours being 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
“Everything is donated, so all the profit off of it goes back into Habitat and our ministries,” Kaufman said.
To donate, visit the webpage www.kosciuskohabitat.org and use the “donate” option; or send a check to PO Box 1913, Warsaw, IN 46581 (payable to “Habitat to Humanity of Kosciusko County,” designate it as “500 at $500” on the memo line).
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