Habitat for Humanity building its success
Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity will place its 75th family into a home and will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2010.
This year it still has two more homes to build and its biggest fundraiser to plan.
The annual dinner and auction fundraiser helps the nonprofit Christian housing ministry continue its mission to help place low-income families into homes and to support the many volunteers, businesses and community members who support Habitat's work throughout the year.
This northeast Brainerd home was built by Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity volunteers. A family will move in Thursday. Construction of a Habitat house on a lot behind this house will begin Monday. Brainerd Dispatch/Jennifer Stockinger » Purchase reprints of this photo.
This year's dinner and auction fundraiser begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Breezy Point Convention Center with a social hour and silent auction. Dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m., followed by a live auction. Tickets are $60 each, of which $35 is tax-deductible. Tickets may be purchased by calling Habitat at 828-8517.
Kevin Pelkey, executive director at Habitat, said he hopes to sell 350 tickets and so far two-thirds have been sold. Pelkey said fundraiser sponsorships that range from $250 to $1,000 are up compared to previous years. Last year Habitat raised nearly $40,000, an amount Pelkey hopes to reach again this year.
More than 300 items, representing goods and services, were donated to Habitat for the fundraiser. Auction items range from two weeks at a Fort Myers, Fla., condo to lefse-making lessons. Pelkey said there will be a 50/50 raffle drawing where tickets will be sold for $10. One ticket will be drawn and half the money will go to the winner and the other half will go to Habitat.
Pelkey said any support Habitat can get from the community is appreciated. He said the dinner and auction is the organization's main fundraiser for Habitat, which serves families in Crow Wing, Cass and Hubbard counties. Habitat also has an annual bike ride fundraiser each July in Walker. And there are several small fundraisers in Hubbard County, an area Habitat took under its wings two years ago.
"Our single, largest source of income comes from the ReStore," said Pelkey. "Right now it is full and people are always bringing in more stuff."
Habitat has a lot of people to thank this year. Laurie Ziebell, volunteer and public relations coordinator, said Habitat tracked 15,829 volunteer hours in its fiscal year. Of those hours, Ziebell said 140 volunteer hours per week are at the ReStore and 130-140 hours in home building each week.
Ziebell said Habitat has been fortunate in finding volunteers. There are times when she's short on volunteers before a build and she worries. But in the end it all works out. Ziebell said people who want to help Habitat build houses do not have to be skilled. She said anyone can help.
Ziebell said on average it takes six weeks to build a Habitat home. Pelkey said the homes go up rather quickly because of the number of volunteers and because of the simple floor plans.
By the end of this year Habitat will have built five new homes - two in Brainerd and one each in Pillager, Pequot Lakes and Akeley - and reconditioned three homes. At this time, two more homes need to be completed.
Pelkey said this year Habitat had two lots to build two homes in northeast Brainerd. One home is completed and the homeowner will move in Thursday. Construction will begin Monday on the other home. The lots are on the site of the former Nazarene Church on Fourth Street Northeast. Pelkey said the church burned down a few years ago and Habitat was able to secure the property. Habitat demolished the church, cleared asbestos and debris and prepared the lot.
Habitat volunteers, along with Heavy Equipment Program students at Central Lakes College, a group of National Guardsmen and foreign exchange students from Brazil, will assist in the building.
The Pillager home Habitat built included a solar heat system donated by Rural Renewable Energy Alliance of Pine River. Pelkey said the homeowner, who is disabled and on a tight budget, will be able to live more efficiently in this home.
Pelkey said the three reconditioned homes are homes Habitat purchased from Habitat families, including one home that was going into foreclosure. Pelkey said basically the homes needed minor repairs to be ready for new families.
By the end of this year, Habitat will have helped 122 adults and 194 children get into homes. And more help is needed. Pelkey said there are three families waiting for homes and 185 people who want to fill out an application to get on the waiting list. Pelkey said normally they receive nearly a 100 names a year.
Pelkey said application meetings will be scheduled soon for the year 2010. For more information when meetings will be set contact Pelkey at 828-8517. More information on eligibility for a Habitat home is available online at www.lakesareahabitat.org.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.