What can I tell you about Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity in 2014-2015? First Off: We truly believe in community — we truly believe in breaking the bonds of poverty. This affiliate believes that when people have a decent place to call home it changes everything else. We believe that everyone, everywhere, has the right to a decent, safe, and affordable place to live. In 2014-2015 we have returned to our simple mission:

While our mission may be simple our goals and achievements this year are anything but, 2014-2015 has been a year of reinvention and revitalization for our affiliate. We embraced a new social enterprise by opening the ReStore™ in Bloomfield, Connecticut. The success of the ReStore™ demonstrates the significance of

providing a Hand Up, Not a Hand Out. We carry this principle across all aspects of our operations. The application of new technologies has invigorated the affiliate allowing us to celebrate numerous milestones.

Moving forward Hartford Area Habitat intends to continue to evolve and adapt, but we will never forget our foundation. The work of individual volunteers, corporate partners, faith-based organizations, and so many others has allowed us to build nearly 500 homes locally, and world-wide. I believe the stewardship of that legacy is both an honor and responsibility. In fiscal year 2015-2016 we are building on that foundation. Our plans for 2015-2016 include expanding the services offered by our Family Service department. We are in a position to assist our partner families and the greater Hartford community address financial literacy, maintenance, college

DEAR HABITAT FRIENDS AND FAMILY,

Karraine V. MoodyMike DeRoy

Jason MontgomeryChristina D’AmatoMarie McNamaraKevin MorrisonRachel Smith

Bob CasselloKeith PowellJesse MayesRobert Spencer

Tracy Thomas Matt BoyneAnn MittelmannBarbara BlanchfieldJahaira RiveraKyle Schadler

Executive DirectorDirector of Finance

Manager of Development and Marketing Corporate Engagement ManagerIndividual Engagement ManagerPublic Sector Engagement ManagerDevelopment Associate

Director of ConstructionDirector of Construction PlanningConstruction AssistantConstruction Coordinator

Family Services Manager ReStore DirectorReStore Assistant DirectorDonation CoordinatorWarehouse CoordinatorCustomer Service Specialist

HABITAT STAFF

To learn more about Karraine V. Moody, our executive director, visit her feature page on theHartford Business Journal’s 40 under 40 (hartfordbusiness.com)

Seeking to put God’s love into action by coming

together to build homes, communities and hope.

planning and financing and the various other skills needed to achieve financial freedom.

I am truly honored to serve as the Executive Director and look forwarded to our continued partnership. Thank you all for Coming Together and Building Together with Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity!

JULY 2015

HAPPENINGS

PO Box 1933Hartford, CT 06144

860-541-2208

PRSRT STDU.S POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT

NO. 376HARTFORD, CT

UPCOMING EVENTSAND BUILDS

Annual Golf Tournament August 24

Build-A-Thon,September 28-October 10

Veterans Day - Flag RaisingNovember 11

Gingerbread BuildDecember 2-5

Hartford Area Habitat will kick-off our next House of Faith initiative this September.

The House of Faith is a partnership of multiple Greater Hartford faith communities working collaboratively to build homes for our Habitat families, while at the same time coming together to participate in activities fostering open dialogue and cross-faith understanding. Besides construction volunteers, Faith Groups host interfaith forums and social events.

HOUSE OF FAITH: BUILDING ON FAITH

Bildade AugustinMatthew BjorkmanJesse Carabasse

Pamela R. CarpenterMatthew Cooper

Shari Cousin

Lisa Chirichella, Board PresidentEric C. Brown, Vice Chair Phillip Titolo, Treasurer R. Scott Orsey, Secretary

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Hartford and New Britain, CT May 5th — Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity kicked off their annual week long Women Build program with a women led build at 152 Enfield Street, Hartford. Partners from all over the Hartford region helped finish the construction on 3 houses.

Women Build is Habitat for Humanity’s program for women who want to learn construction skills and build homes and communities. This program brings together women from all walks of life to address the housing crisis facing millions of women and children worldwide.

Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity unities Women Builders from across state for week long build

WOMEN BUILD 2015

TO KICK OFF OUR NEXTHOUSE OF FAITH

41 GRAND STREETAT

JOIN US ONSATURDAY

SEPTEMBER 12TH

South Church - Congregational Church in South Glastonbury

Contact Marie McNamara, our Individual Engagement Manager at marie@hartfordhabitat.org for details.

Ben DaigleEndia DeCordova

Luke EbersoldJoseph M. FazzinoSteven HernandezCaren A. Kittredge

Ashley MaageroRev. Sara SalomonsDonald H. Shaw, Jr.

Doris SugarmanThomas R. TrumbleMark D. Vasington

NRI will help improve the quality of life in neighborhoods through local community-planning partnerships and by expanding Habitat’s housing services. This will increase the number of families that we can assist in living in safe, decent, affordable housing. The five (5) components of NRI are New Home Construction, Neighborhood Revitalization, A Brush With Kindness, Weatherization and Homeowner Education

In 2014, our board of directors adopted the NRI model into our Strategic Plan and we completed our pilot program of A Brush with Kindness this past April.

A Brush with Kindness is a home preservation program that offers painting, landscaping and repair services to eligible homeowners so they can continue to live in safe, decent homes for years to come. Hartford Habitat has focused our program to support the elderly, veterans and those with limited mobility. In the past year, we’ve restored stairs, porches, built ramps and revamped bathrooms for wheelchair accessibility. Partnering with a mix of organizations to identify struggling homeowners, Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity provides the volunteers and resources to repair their homes. ABWK works year-round, serving about 20-25 families annually. The end result is that these vulnerable groups are able to stay in their homes, remain healthy and not compromise their well being for home repairs. This past April, we completed 10 projects with sponsorship from Thrivent Builds Repair. We hosted 60 volunteers and worked with homeowners in East Hartford, Hartford and Bristol.

THE COMPONENTS OF NRIAt the ReStore on Cottage Grove Road shoppers will find an eclectic mix of new and gently used furniture, kitchen cabinets, lighting, appliances, windows and other building materials at a fraction of retail price. The store, operated under the umbrella of the Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity gets its ever-evolving inventory through donations from tool manufacturers, building contractors, home improvement stores and area homeowners who turn their donations to the store into tax breaks. All the proceeds from the sale of items in the store goes to building more homes.

RESTORING FAITH IN HUMANITY

Without programs like A Brush with Kindness, seniors must often choose between paying for food, medication, and basic utilities. Years of deferred maintenance can cause a downward spiral of home deterioration and unsafe living conditions. Aging in Place is the "the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level." Habitat’s mission is to eliminate substandard house and to build more than a house. A Brush with Kindness allows them to stay in their homes longer and also provide invaluable support to the neighborhood.

THE COMMUNITY IMPACT

NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION: A BRUSH WITH KINDNESS

In 2009, Habitat for Humanity International announced the formal launch of the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative. The initiative encourages affiliates to serve more families and to create more resilient and sustainable communities by offering a variety of services in addition to new house construction.

“Neighborhood Revitalization is the way of the future and is an essential element of Habitat’s work. By focusing on entire neighborhoods, we can greatly increase our impact.”Jonathan ReckfordCEO, Habitat for Humanity International

The ReStore relies on volunteers from the community, corporate world and youth organizations.

Matt Boyne, the Bloomfield ReStore's Director of Operations is proud of his organization's commitment to the community. The statement below is from Todd Girand, a teacher at the Gengras School of West Hartford.

The kindnesses the ReStore has shown us are numerous. Matt made room for our team of six students and several teachers to volunteer for eight hours each of the first two weeks of school. He greeted us each day by continuing specific ongoing conversations he had with each student, and more often than not he assigned students to specific jobs based on the skill sets he understood them to have. And when the big day finally arrived - despite the omnipresent demands on his time - Matt greeted and took pictures with each of the seven Gengras students and their families who attended the Grand Opening. After the school year was in full swing, he created a specific Friday afternoon volunteer time slot where students who earned privileged time could enjoy the privilege of working with Matt and his remarkable staff. Over this school year, we have come to know his staff to be equally committed to the Habitat mission. Jahaira, Ann, Kyle, and Barbara greet us with welcoming smiles and find meaningful work for us, no matter how harried their busy work days have them. And they all balance the constant rotation of Habitat volunteers and disparate volunteer groups with purpose and grace. In less than a year, this great team has made working at the ReStore a favorite activity for many Gengras high school students.

If you need to have your faith in humanity restored,stop by the Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

SHOP DONATE VOLUNTEER

Store and Donation Hours

Tuesday: 9-5Wednesday: 9-5Thursday: 10-7

Friday: 9-5Saturday: 9-5

Sunday & Monday: Closed

We sell and accept gently used:Appliances, Lighting &

Plumbing Fixtures, Kitchen & Bath Cabinets, Counters,

Doors, Windows, Furniture (Home/Office), Tool...

and more!

500 Cottage Grove Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002

(860) 519-0828

Every once and a while, we sit around home with nothing to do. We may be retired or just have some free time. A great opportunity awaits you. This is a chance to give back, to help families in need and do something that will be rewarding.

Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity has a few openings for men and women that have a desire to give back. Join our Saints group that build with us on a weekly basis. These folks are called SAINTS. This is truly a very fitting name for a special part of our organization. Saints work on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

If this is something that may interest you, please contact Bob Cassello, Director of Construction at bob@hartfordhabitat.org Please include a bit of a resume about your background. Any type of carpentry skills is a plus. Also let me know if you have done work with us in the past.

BECOME A HABITAT SAINT

Do you want to support Habitat’s outside of the construction sites? We would love to have you on board as a Habitat Ambassador. As an ambassador, you could support our mission by attending community events, supporting administrative projects and advocating for affordable homeownership throughout the state. Register for one of our upcoming workshops and we’ll train you to become a Habitat Ambassador.

Register with Rachel Smith at Rachel@hartfordhabitat.org

HABITAT AMBASSADORS

To help our families maintain homeownership, Habitat for Humanity is increasingly looking to solar as a way to lower and stabilize energy bills. Habitat for Humanity International

HABITAT GOES GREEN AND SO CAN YOU?

BECOME A HABITAT AMBASSADORThursday, September 17

9:00-10:00 am

Tuesday, October 205:00 -6:00 pm

Thursday, November 125:00-6:00 pm

All sessions will be held at theCT Nonprofit Center

75 Charter Oak AvenueHartford, CT 06106

SolarCity Homebuilder program.Now launched on the East Coast.

CT HIC 0632778/ELC 0125305, DE 2011120386/ T1-6032, DC 410514000080/ECC902585, MA HIC 168572/EL-1136MR, MD HIC 128948/11805, NC 30801-U, NH 0347C/12523M, NJ NJHIC#13VH06160600/34EI01732700, PA HICPA077343, RI AC004714/Reg 38313, VA ELE2705153278, VT EM05829. Nassau H2409710000, Greene A-486, Su�olk 52057-H, Putnam PC6041, Rockland H-11864-40-00-00, Westchester WC-26088-H13, N.Y.C #2001384-DCA. SCENYC: N.Y.C. Licensed Electrician, #12610, #004485, 155 Water St, 6th Fl., Unit 10, Brooklyn, NY 11201, #2013966-DCA.

National, regional and local homebuilders from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, New Hampshire and Rhode Island are already o�ering solar power to homebuyers through SolarCity, giving hundreds of homeowners the chance to secure low solar energy rates for years to come.

Contact Bill Camp for more info: wcamp@solarcity.com | 203-898-4478 www.solarcity.com/homebuilder

partnered with Solar City to provide solar panels to designated Habitat homes. Solar City has also extended their program to Habitat friends.

MENTION HARTFORD HABITAT FOR A SPECIAL PROMOTION

As part of our covenant with Habitat for Humanity International, our affiliate returns a tithe to support other affiliates outside of the United States. In the past 25 years, our affiliate has tithed over $700,000 to affiliates in Uganda, Vietnam, Haiti and others. Our affiliate has financially sponsored over 250 homes built outside of the United States. Our tithe is also earmarked to support the vulnerable population in these countries including orphans and widows. This year we have designated our tithe to support recovery in Nepal and adopted the Dominican Republic affiliate as our sister affiliate. Our affiliate is looking forward to hosting a global village trip in the fall of 2016.

• You will have an opportunity to contribute to Habitat’s work and create positive change in the world.• You will learn about poverty housing, development challenges and Habitat’s mission to eradicate them.• You will experience the community’s culture, language and social practices while working alongside homeowners and volunteers of all backgrounds, races and religions.• You will take part in a transformative, lifelong journey that may ignite your passion for making this world a better place.

If you are interested in participating in a Hartford Habitat build in the Dominican Republic, please contact Christina D’Amato at Christina@hartfordhabitat.org.

THE BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING ON A GLOBAL VILLAGE TRIP