Habitat San Antonio Blog

Get a First-Hand Look at HFHSA on Hab-i-Tour

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:28:31 GMT

There's no better way to learn about Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio than to hear what our homeowners have to say about their Habitat homes.

You can read another inspiring story that has just been added to our�"Words from our Homeowners" page. Please take a moment to check it out.

You can also hear words first-hand from homeowners and staff by attending Friday's Hab-i-tour. The event is free and lasts only an hour. It's a great experience if you are a seasoned Habitat supporter, if you just want to learn more or even if you are considering volunteering or donating to HFHSA.

The guided tour leaves our offices at 1:00 p.m. Friday, July 16. It is led by HFHSA staff and features words from homeowners. While on the tour you'll see homes that are completed and homes that are under construction. You'll see volunteers at work building homes that will soon be occupied by very hardworking families in need. You'll also get to hear from one of these families as they are working on their "sweat equity."

Please consider joining us Friday. It's a unique opportunity you will not want to miss. Give us a call at 210-223-5203 to reserve your seat or sign up online.

by Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio staff�

Sponsors Help HFHSA Change Lives

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:39:13 GMT

Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio helps change lives!

We've posted�stories about the families who have entered our program, built their new home and began a new chapter in life for themselves and their children. Many of these families came from dilapidated, overcrowded situations, or from renting homes that cost them so much they couldn't afford all the necessities of life.

With the help of HFHSA and our simple, decent and affordable homes, these families now have a clean, safe place to put their children to bed in at night. And, with affordable mortgage payments they don't have to make the choice between rent and other necessities, such as food and clothing.

We have a whole section of our website dedicated to the benefits of homeownership. HFHSA is able to offer homeownership and the benefits that come with it to a whole segment of the population who otherwise wouldn't have that opportunity.

We've posted�comments from homeowners who say they always dreamt of a home, but without HFHSA, would never have had it. We've featured homeowners at various events who are more than happy to share the stories of their Habitat experience and the difference it has made to them.

There's no doubt, Habitat does change lives - but not without help.

First, we have the volunteers-the heart of our organization-who help build our homes right alongside the families who eventually move into them. But of equal importance are our house sponsors and donors who provide funding to build our homes. Without the funding to purchase quality building materials, our lots would sit empty and the sounds of hammers from our volunteers would go silent. But even worse, hardworking families who were counting on moving into their own home would no longer have that dream.

We have launched a new section of our website to list the�full-house sponsors that help make what we do possible. Please take a moment check it out!!

You may also want to check out our�sponsorship opportunities or our "donate now" page to help make the "American dream" of homeownership come true for more families in San Antonio.

by Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San� Antonio staff

�

"This is my house..."

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:42:52 GMT

One of the greatest privileges of being involved with Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio is meeting the homeowners who take advantage of the opportunities offered by HFHSA and hearing their inspiring stories.

Today, we want to introduce a new page on our website -- Words from Our Homeowners.

This page will feature speeches that have been given at Habitat events, conversations between Habitat homeowners and HFHSA staff, and even artwork and notes from Habitat kids.

Today's entry on this page features a speech given by Roxane Faz at a 2008 volunteer appreciation luncheon.

The page will be updated regularly over the coming weeks and months. We hope you enjoy.

Read on.

by Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio staff

Reflections on Homeownership...

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:10:44 GMT

June is National Homeownership Month. I'm sure to many of us, June is just another month. But for some, especially Habitat families, it's a time to reflect on what a difference homeownership has made in their lives.

There's no truer testament to the impact that Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio and the simple, decent and affordable homes we build in partnership with families in need has than words from the families themselves.

We thought we would take this opportunity to reprint a few comments from homeowners past and present. These comments come from speeches they may have given at various Habitat events, from newsletter articles or just from conversations. Enjoy their comments. And, when you are done, take a look at the�homeowner benefits section of our website.

Read on.

"To have your own home means freedom. To have your own home means having the ability to be an individual in a space that you can call your own. To have a home means feeling safe and secure." - Samantha Coleman, 14

"I am really happy to have a safe place for my wife and kids." -- Art Jasso

"When I was a kid, I dreamed of living in a real neighborhood where people actually look out for their neighbors and are happy to have a tight knit community." -- Donald Farr

"If I could give anyone interested in buying a Habitat Home advice, I'd say don't think twice about it just follow your instinct and do it. You will not regret it. Now is the time." - Ofelia Leal

"Habitat has helped me to patch up the holes in my life. In one hole, there was Frankie, my son who needed more room and equipment that we didn't have space for. In a second hole, my daughter, who deserved stability and a place to finally call home." - Janet Sanchez

"Because of my loving family and because of my experiences with Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio, I know there is hope." - Claudia Ortega

Want to see more? Watch next week's blog on Friday, June 25, for more from our homeowners.

by Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio

We Need You!!

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:05:46 GMT

Volunteers Needed to Help With Landscaping

and Help�Complete Homes on Time

Do you have a green thumb? Are you looking for something to do this weekend? Do you like to volunteer? Are you a seasoned HFHSA volunteer or are you looking to become one?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, WE NEED YOU this Saturday, June 5.

Saturday is landscape day for 12 of the homes that are currently under construction in our Palo Alto Community and we don't have enough volunteers scheduled to get the job done.

This is where you come in: sign up to volunteer and come out to help us lay sod and plant greenery in the flower beds of these 12 homes. You will be filling a great need by helping us put the finishing touches on these homes and complete them on schedule for the 12 hardworking families who are waiting to finally call these houses "home."

Please join us. You'll learn about Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio, put in a good day of volunteer service and leave with the satisfaction of knowing you helped us give someone a "hand up." While there, you'll most likely meet one of our Habitat families and see what they are doing to make a better life for themselves.

For more information, or to sign up, call Sarah in Volunteer Services at 210-223-5203 or send her an email at sarah@habitatsa.org.

�

by Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio Staff

The Many Faces of Habitat

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:16:28 GMT

Throughout my employment with Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio I have watched as a neighborhood in our Palo Alto community has taken shape and as lives have been changed by something I'm sure many of us have taken for granted -- owning a home.

As I've watched, I've realized I'm seeing more than people purchasing and moving into a home. I'm seeing more than construction crews laying foundations, raising walls and putting a roof over what will some day be the home of a well-deserving family. I'm watching more than houses pop up and line the streets of a new neighborhood.

What I've been watching are the many faces of Habitat that ultimately come together to make our mission of eliminating substandard housing in San Antonio possible. These are people from all walks of life and from varied backgrounds coming together for one common goal - making sure as many people as possible have a chance to own a simple, decent and affordable home.

I've seen the thousands of volunteers who give freely of their time to help build these homes; I've seen the hard-working families who are determined to "build" a better life; I'm watching a small group of very dedicated individuals who are committed to overseeing the operations of HFHSA and help make it run as smoothly as it does; and I'm also watching as local businesses, congregations, corporations and other groups join our efforts by manning our construction crews and also providing the funding necessary to build these Habitat homes.

In May's issue of our quarterly newsletter Vision we featured four of the "faces" of Habitat - a homeowner, a volunteer, a house sponsor and a HFHSA board member. Due to space limitations, we were only able to publish a portion of the Q&A. You can see the rest of their comments here. Please take a moment to read what they have to say. You'll find it truly inspiring.

And to the four people interviewed and to the thousands of others out there who have joined us in our efforts, our hats - or should I say hard hats - are off to you.

Thank you!

by Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio Staff

Come Tour With Us!

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:24:00 GMT

We are always busy at Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio. In fact, in just three short weeks we will dedicate 10 more houses. How exciting is that? In just the first four months of 2010, we've already built 20 homes with very deserving and hardworking families in need.

While we'd love to see you at our next house dedication, set for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 1, you don't have to wait until then to come out and see what we've been up to.

Take advantage of the beautiful weather we'we been having and join us on our next�Hab-i-tour on Friday, April 16.

This is a wonderful opportunity to gain some insight into the organization, its building program and the families served by that program - and hear it all straight from those involved: the staff, the volunteers and homeowners.

While on the tour, you can not only see the 10 homes we finished earlier in the year and the 10 homes we are about to dedicate, but you can also see another 12 more that are in various stages of construction! You'll see many of our volunteers in action as they work on these homes and you may even meet one of the homeowners working on their sweat equity hours.

It's a fun, educational experience and a real bargain for the price - FREE! It only lasts an hour so the commitment is minimal and you'll walk away with the reward of knowing just what an impact HFHSA has made and is still making in San Antonio. You'll also get a brief look into the lives of the hardworking and dedicated families we serve.

The tour leaves promptly at 1:00 p.m. from the Habitat offices at 311 Probandt and will return at 2:00 p.m. Upon return to the office you'll be given the opportunity to tour a full-scale model home adjacent to the offices.

Reserve your seat today by calling 210-223-5203 or by signing up through our online registration form. We'd love to share what we are doing with you.

By Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio

Share Your Memories With Us, Win a T-Shirt and Hat

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:53:02 GMT

We love to hear stories and see photos about Habitat experiences from our volunteers and our homeowners - what a�great way to share what Habitat is all about!

We want to invite all of our volunteers - and homeowners too - to share photos of their memories on the Habitat build site. We also want to make it fun!! Whoever submits the "best" photo with the most "likes" and "comments" on our Facebook�fan page will win a Habitat t-shirt and ball cap.

It's very simple! Here's how it will work:

. First, if you�already are a Facebook member, you must log in to your account and go to our page. If you are not a Facebook member, you will need to create a free account. Once on our page click on the "become a fan" button at the top of the page.

. Now the fun begins! Post a comment about your photo on our page in the "comment" box and (using the "attach a photo" button just below that) attach the photo of your choice. Hit the "share" button and that's all you have to do. Now, just sit back and wait for the votes to come in.

. To improve your chances of winning, share our fan page with your friends and encourage them to become fans and vote by hitting the "like" link associated with your comment and photo.

. The voting period will run from today (Thursday, April 1) through midnight on Friday, April 9. The sooner you post your photo, the better your chances of winning.

. All submitted photos will be subject to approval by Habitat staff and any inappropriate photos will be removed and disqualified.

. The winner will be announced and notified via Facebook by noon Tuesday, April 13.�

Start adding your memories now! We look forward to seeing your photos.

�

by Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio staff

Program Ends, But Need for Volunteers Continues

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Well, it's official. We are sad to say that the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day �program has ended!

But what hasn't ended is our need for volunteers. Volunteers are the absolute HEART of our organization and we could not do it without you. If you have not volunteered with us before, please check out our volunteer opportunities and give us a call. You won't get a day at a Disney resort from us, but you will get the rewarding satisfaction that comes from volunteering, and the pride in knowing that you have helped a hardworking family in need achieve ownership of a simple, decent and affordable home.

For those who have already signed up for a day of service through the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day program website, your day of service will be honored with a free ticket once your participation is verified with us. We thank the hundreds who participated in this program. And, we thank Disney and the HandsOn Network for the opportunity to reward our volunteers in such a great way.

Even though this program is over, please don't forget us.

While we use hundreds, even thousands, of volunteers each month on our construction crews, those are not the only opportunities we have. Right now, we have a need for several non-construction volunteers:

. We need either one volunteer to work a full day or two volunteers to work a half day each in our warehouse on a regular basis. This ongoing opportunity is for someone over the age of 18 who is capable of some heaving lifting and physical labor. This person(s) will be helping warehouse staff pull and organize materials for our construction site.

. Our Volunteer Services Department is looking for an individual to come to the office for a few hours every Wednesday to assist with general office and paper work.

. Volunteer Services is also still in need of persons or groups for the volunteer lunch crews, especially during the month of April. Those interested in this opportunity are asked to provide and serve lunch to the volunteers building on one house or approximately 30 people.�Click here to read more about this opportunity.

Please give Volunteer Services a call at 210-223-5203 for more information on volunteering. You won't be sorry!

By Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio staff

Disney Give a Day, Get a Disney Day program winding down

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:00:00 GMT

WOW!!

The volunteer support of Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio never ceases to amaze me. The same goes for volunteers of many other organizations all over the country.

It was just a few short weeks ago that we registered to participate in the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day program. Walt Disney World Resorts had made the generous commitment to give each volunteer of participating organizations one-day's admission to a Disney park in return for one day of volunteer service.

In just the short period we've been registered with Disney as a participating organization, we've had dozens come out and volunteer with us as part of that program. This came at a great time for us as we are in dire need of Friday volunteers and for volunteers to provide lunches on our construction site.

I have been truly in awe of the response. It was also great for us to see our already very dedicated and committed volunteer force have the opportunity to be rewarded for their hard work. And what a way to be rewarded - with a day in a Disney park!!

Through its partnership with the Hands-On network, Disney had hoped to inspire one million people to volunteer a day of service to a participating organization in their communities and celebrate their good works. And WOW..did they.

Original plans called for the program to last until Dec. 15 or until one million tickets had been awarded, whichever came first. It was recently announced that more than 600,000 volunteers had given of their time, and as of this week, organizers expect the program to wind down very soon as the supply of free tickets will be exhausted.

We hope that as many of our volunteers as possible who have already signed up to volunteer with us in coming days will reach their day of service prior to the one-million mark. In the coming days and weeks, you will still be able to search the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day site for available opportunities, but as we get closer to that one millionth ticket, those opportunities will begin to be removed.

You can read more on the program in our recent blog entry.

We thank all of our dedicated volunteers who have been coming out and continue to help us in our mission of eliminating substandard housing by building simple, decent and affordable homes with families in need. YOU help make what we do happen and we look forward to working with you for many years to come.

And also THANK YOU to Disney for allowing our volunteers to be awarded in such a great way.

And please remember, although this program is coming to close, we still desperately NEED you to help us in our efforts. Please check out our�volunteer opportunities section for more information. You can also reach volunteer services by calling 210-223-5203 or by email at sarah@habitatsa.org.

We hope to see you soon!

By Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio staff

Give a Day, Get a Disney Day

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Some of my fondest memories are of going to Disney World with my family a couple of years ago.

I don't know who was the most excited, me or my children. As I walked down Main Street toward Cinderella's Castle with my children on each side of me, I remember thinking "It is truly a magical place."

No less happy are many memories I have of volunteering for various organizations over the years. Well before my employment with Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio, I have served as a Habitat volunteer in other cities. I remember what it felt like to work alongside the families we were helping. It was rewarding and I'm sure thousands of volunteers right here in San Antonio could easily say the same thing.

Now, thanks to the HandsOn Network and Disney Parks, you can combine those two feelings - the "magic" of Disney and the life-changing rewards of volunteering!!

Through their "Give A Day, Get A Disney Day" program, if you volunteer one day with us, you will receive a one-day, one-theme park ticket to the Disneyland� Resort or Walt Disney World� Resort -- FREE. It's that simple. Here are a few things to remember:

. You must go to�www.disneyparks.com and click the start now button where it says "Give A Day, Get A Disney Day" to register.
. You must sign up for your day of service with HFHSA through this website.
. After you volunteer, and your participation has been verified with us, Disney will provide you with a ticket voucher.
. Even though children and adults 6 and older are eligible to participate in Disney's program, you must be 14 or older to volunteer for HFHSA.
. Once pre-registered, search for Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio. Dates of volunteer opportunities with HFHSA will be listed.
. You can only register up to 8 members of your household for the tickets.
. Ticket quantities are limited, so the sooner you volunteer, the better.
. The program lasts through Dec. 15, 2010 or until ticket quantities are exhausted.
. Tickets vouchers must be redeemed by Dec. 15, 2010 and tickets must be used on the day the voucher is redeemed.

The website is super easy to use and there's an overview section that answers probably any question you'd have.

Please explore the�volunteer section of our website to take a look at some of the activities you can do to earn your Disney day. But remember, you must pre-register to volunteer through www.disneyparks.com. We will contact you with any further information you may need prior to your day of service.

If you have any questions, give us a call at 210-223-5203.

Get ready to volunteer, and then have a magical time at a Disney Park!!

by Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio Staff

We Are Making It Easier For You!

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Over the last few months, we've told you about a plethora of changes - both past and present - to our website. We have planned all these as a more interesting, more user friendly and more interesting way to keep you abreast of what is going on at Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio.

The most obvious change has been the new look of our website. We've added a blog and an online calendar, among other things, and we've ventured out into the online world of social networking.

Most recently, we are now offering RSS feeds for our blogs and news section.

Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio has a lot of news we don't want you to miss out on! Now, all of this information can be streamlined directly to you. Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio offers RSS feeds for all of its blogs and updated news content. Just click the little RSS icon and copy the feed url into your favorite RSS reader so that we can keep you informed of all the exciting things going on with Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio.

What is an RSS reader and where do I get one?
An RSS reader is basically a filtering system for all your RSS feeds. All you do is sign up with one of the hundreds, if not thousands, of RSS readers that are available online, add your RSS Feed URLs, and you are ready to receive updated information from your favorite websites, without lifting another finger.

Some popular RSS readers:
.�Google Reader
.�FeedDemon
.�NewzCrawler
. Omea Reader
.�Bloglines

Check it out and keep coming back to�our�website�to view other regularly updated sections.

By�Gray Web Technology and Design and Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio Staff

Wrecking Crew Launched

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

I never thought I would say being a "home wrecker" is something to be proud of. But now, thanks to a new program of Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio, I think it can be.

HFHSA has recently launched the "Wrecking Crew," a free deconstruction or tear out service for local remodeling projects. HFHSA's�Wrecking Crew salvages usable building materials and the donated materials are sold in the Home Centers.

It's a win for everyone involved. You save money by not paying someone to take those usable materials out, you score a "green" point by not sending more to the landfill and we, in turn, have goods we can sell in our Habitat Home Centers.

And even better, future Habitat homeowner score big: proceeds from our three Home Centers fund all HFHSA general and administrative costs. That way, we are able to put 100% of every donated dollar to our building fund. That helps us build more homes so that more families in need have a chance at a simple, decent and affordable home.

What could be better?

For more information on the Wrecking Crew - on becoming a volunteer or to request our services - please see the�Wrecking Crew section on our website or call 210-599-7109.

Happy "Home Wrecking!"

by Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio staff

12,000 Volunteers = Hungry Mouths!

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Have you ever thought about the magnitude of coordinating 12,000 volunteers each year or that hosting all these volunteers means a lot of hungry mouths to feed?

We do, each and every day. Habitat is very fortunate that we have the volunteer support that we do - they are the heart of our organization. It takes a lot of effort to schedule volunteers throughout the construction site, often making sure we have enough for as many as 15-20 houses at a time. We not only have to schedule, but we have to also make sure the needs of these volunteers are met while they are on the construction site and we have to coordinate with our construction department to make sure all construction needs are met.

Just to give you an idea of the magnitude of this task, we currently have 15 houses in various stages of construction. On any given Friday or Saturday, we could have 30 or more volunteers per house on site. That is in upwards of 450 volunteers or more. Our volunteer services department does a wonderful job of making sure it all happens.

We are proud of this because without volunteers, we wouldn't be able to do what we do - provide homeownership opportunities to families in need in San Antonio. Without us, most would not have homeownership as an option. And, without volunteers, we could not continue our mission of eliminating substandard housing in San Antonio.

It's a hand-in-hand operation - HFHSA, families in need and volunteers all joined together for one common goal. But with all these people working hand-in-hand we have a lot of hungry volunteers to feed! We rely on lunch donations to help us provide these meals as well, but recently they have been few and far between. We need donated lunches.

If construction is not your thing this is where you can come in handy. If interested in providing a lunch, groups or individuals are asked to provide enough food to feed the volunteers on one house - approximately 30 people. The menu is up to you and can be as simple as pizza or hot dogs, or as fancy as you like, and should include a drink and paper products such as napkins, cups and plates

Lunch donations can also count as 10 hours of community service for work, school or church.

Please see our website, email at�volunteer@habitatsa.org�or give us a call at 210-223-5203 for more information.

�

by Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio staff

Volunteers Needed!

Habitat for Humanity San Antonio — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:00:00 GMT

HELP.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

How will YOU do this in 2010?

I know - at least for me and my family - answering this question in the face of today's difficult economic times can be very hard. It's troublesome, if not impossible, to figure out how to make a difference in the lives of others when you feel you cannot meet the needs of your own family.

As the New Year approached and I thought about my "New Year's Resolution" these thoughts came to mind. The fact of the matter is there are many, many people right here in San Antonio who are far worse off than I am. Working for Habitat for Humanity, it's so easy to see that. In these economic times, these families need us more than ever.

The other fact of the matter is finances may be difficult but there are many ways to help.�VOLUNTEERING is a big way and something we rely heavily on here at HFHSA. Currently, we are in urgent need of weekday volunteers to help us complete homes that we are ambitiously building in 2010. We have 10 homes under construction with more scheduled to begin very soon. These homes already have families who are anxiously awaiting their completion. Many of these families have put in more than their required 300 hours of sweat equity so that they could soon own a safe home that they can afford.

At Habitat, we didn't say "times are hard" and decide not to build these homes. We recognize that the need for affordable homes is greater than ever. We continue our efforts, even increasing our 2010 goal to 4 houses more than in 2009.

We are counting on volunteers to help us make this happen - not only on time but in a way that helps us keep the costs down so that we can continue to offer affordable mortgage payments to Habitat families.

The times are difficult for most of us. It's hard. We know that. But, we are asking for help in continuing our mission to eliminate substandard housing in San Antonio. Please volunteer. Your work will benefit the community. You will help families in need in San Antonio. And, at the same time, you will be making a difference and possibly find some relief from your own worries as you focus on those less fortunate.

Please call 210.223.5203 and begin helping today.

By Shelly, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio staff