Local chapter working on remodeling home, looking for community
support and families in need
After months of planning, organizers of the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity have found their first project, and are asking community members to donate whatever they can to help move the venture along.
The 12-member board of directors have been conferring on ways to raise money to begin remodeling homes in the community, said board president Cynthia Holthouse.
Because of the city’s building moratorium, volunteers cannot build homes until the moratorium is lifted in 2005 or 2006, but they aren’t willing to let that hinder their work, Holthouse said.
“We’ve been doing a lot of work on doing a remodel for a family in need,” Holthouse said. “Replacing windows, a room addition if it’s allowed by the city – anything to make a home more habitable.”
Coldwell Banker, which has contributed to Habitat for years, is sponsoring two fundraisers to raise money for the growing chapter, said board member and real estate agent Peggy Pierce.
The firm is working on a fund-raiser selling raffle tickets for $2, and is asking for people to donate their old cell phones, of which all the proceeds go to the local chapter, Pierce said.
Community members have been turning in cell phones for the past couple months, and the raffle began on Aug. 1 and ends on Friday, Aug. 27, Pierce said.
“This can help people that otherwise would not be able to afford housing, and there’s always a need,” she said. “People need to have shelter, and they need to have pride in their ownership.”
The raffle drawing will be held Tuesday, Aug. 31, and a $5,000 cash prize, trips to Las Vegas and Maui, San Jose Sharks tickets and many other prizes will be awarded.
The ultimate goal of Habitat is to build homes for people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford one, by partnering with a family to build the home they will eventually purchase.
A family-selection committee chooses the partnering families based on their level of need, their willingness to work with Habitat volunteers and their ability to repay no-interest loans given to them through Habitat.
The San Benito County chapter has not yet appointed a family-selection committee, but urges anyone interested in applying as a partnering family to contact the chapter, Holthouse said.
Holthouse said some community members have expressed interest in donating city lots to the chapter to build on once the moratorium is lifted, but the chapter is asking anyone who has county lots to think about donating them so the chapter can start building actual homes, Holthouse said.
In the meantime, donations of every kind are welcome, she said.
“Obviously we want to make an impact sooner than later and we want to make a difference,” she said. “We’re looking for materials, time, labor, donations – whatever, even if it’s a box of nails… Things like that make a huge difference.”
