Habitat SKKC hosted our most successful fundraising event to date in Kittitas County with the second annual A Full House for Habitat Gala. Thanks to our event sponsors, Tucci & Sons, Suncadia, and Legends Casino, and the generous support of event attendees, we raised $300,000 to build and preserve affordable housing in our community!
Held at White Barn Retreats in Cle Elum, A Full House for Habitat Gala happened on a stunning fall evening filled with generosity, connection, and community. Attendees enjoyed a silent auction, yard games, live music, a dessert dash, and more. John Curley energized the room during the live auction, helping secure critical funds for Habitat’s mission. Every detail of the event reflected the character and generosity of Kittitas County.
But the most meaningful moments were the stories. A local surgeon shared why he chooses to volunteer his time with Habitat and what service to his community means to him. We also heard from a current Habitat homeowner who spoke about what having a safe, stable home has meant for herself, her sister, and her son with autism.
Kittitas Area Director Stephanie Bohman summed it up perfectly, “Those stories brought the evening back to why we build. A Habitat home is more than a house. It is a solid foundation from which families can build stability, opportunity, and belonging—and from which generations can write the next chapters of their lives.”
The gala provided the perfect setting for celebrating an important milestone: This year, we completed the final phase of our 18-home Stuart Meadows neighborhood. This Saturday, October 3, we’ll welcome another six families to their homes. We have closed the chapter on this Kittitas County development and are excited to turn the page to the next two: Willow Street (Ellensburg) and Floral Avenue (Cle Elum).
The gala was an opportunity to take a break from the important work of building affordable housing to do something else important: Gather in community. Throughout the year, we see many of our supporters out on our construction sites, in our Ellensburg Store, at City Hall, and at our annual Give & Golf event. They make our work possible by donating resources, time, and voices to affordable homeownership, and for that we are forever grateful. Seeing them at the gala gives us all a chance to reflect on and celebrate our previous year’s accomplishments and dream together about what we’ll accomplish next year.
The 2026 Fall Women Build, held over two weeks in September, saw over 100 volunteers donate their time and energy into building homes and inspiring other women to work on construction sites. This season’s build took place at Yarrow Townhomes and Riverbend Comunidad in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood, along with volunteer days at the Habitat Stores and Volunteer Workshop.
Women Build is an affinity build that celebrates women heads of household, who make up 60% of Habitat homeowners. It is also about creating welcoming construction sites where women feel comfortable accessing this industry. Onsite mentorship means that those who have blazed a trail in the construction industry help to lift the next generation.
Women Build is also about recognizing inequities that still exist in the construction industry, and that meaningful change requires both individual and structural investment. Liz Mathiesen, a former AmeriCorps turned Habitat SKKC staffer on the Construction team, said of her time in the industry, “Construction sites have a reputation for being boys’ clubs, and unfortunately, that reputation has a lot of validity. Women have been historically excluded from the trades—and given that most tools, equipment, and PPE in use today are designed exclusively for men, that history is far from over. As someone who regularly makes do with high-vis vests and work gloves that don’t quite fit, I’m reminded all the time that the construction industry has a long way to go when it comes to including women.”
This event reflects our commitment to doing the work needed to make construction a more welcoming field to all. Most importantly, Women Build—and particularly the Women of Impact Day—is about the power of gathering in community, as women celebrating and supporting other women.
Women of Impact, the premiere event of Women Build held on September 12, saw over 30 volunteers participate in one action-packed day at our Riverbend Comunidad site. The morning kicked off with an orientation, speeches from Habitat SKKC’s CEO Brett D’Antonio and Lily Kim, Principal at Amazon, and safety instructions from Liz Mathiesen.
Participants also heard from Danacia S., one of Habitat’s homeowners, who discussed what being a first-time homeowner has meant to her: “Homeownership gave me the security I needed to start building a life instead of simply trying to survive. My home has given me a foundation. It has given me a place to heal, a place to create, a place to work, and a place to imagine what comes next.”
Led by Habitat SKKC staff, volunteers at Women of Impact had a variety of projects to work on at the build site, from framing walls to building planter boxes. The day brought out many groups, from coworkers to friends to a couple of mother-daughter duos, including Habitat SKKC Senior Manager of Repair Kate Lemly and her mom, Kathleen. Kathleen said proudly of her time onsite, “It’s a delight to be anywhere my daughter is. I’m inspired by her leadership.”
The ability to do hands-on work is a draw for many Women Build participants, but even more so is the opportunity to build camaraderie with the other volunteers.
At the end of the event, Liz optimistically reflected, “Despite the data bias and stigma of being a woman on the job site, women show up anyway. We have so many wonderful women volunteers who come out during Women Build and work incredibly hard, building useful things with equipment that wasn’t designed with them in mind. I find it so meaningful to work alongside these women and prove that the job site is our space, too. Women Build is always so awesome, so I hope to see more women volunteers out year-round!”
On Saturday, July 18, 2026, Habitat SKKC welcomed the community to Columbia City to celebrate the completion of the newest affordable homeownership building in the South Seattle neighborhood, Liberty Commons. The event, part of Habitat SKKC’s 40th anniversary year, brought together new homeowners, community partners, volunteers, supporters, and neighbors to mark the milestone completion of the largest single-building, multifamily project in Habitat for Humanity’s history.
Columbia City is one of the most diverse and desirable neighborhoods in Seattle. It’s also meaningful to our organization, as it’s where we completed our first home in 1988. From a single home nearly 40 years ago to 58 homes today, Liberty Commons is emblematic of the immense growth of our impact on the region. At the dedication, hosted by our friends at the Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club, over 200 people gathered to celebrate the new Liberty Commons community and connect with the neighbors who have long called Columbia City home.
The lineup of speakers included representatives from the many organizations who helped fund this project, along with Habitat SKKC CEO Brett D’Antonio and Habitat for Humanity International’s (HFHI) Adrienne Goolsby. While reflecting on the project, she pointed out its location on MLK Jr. Way S., drawing inspiration and hope from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s instruction that, “We must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.”
We too were inspired by Dr. King’s vision for a better future via a more just society, and we felt that Liberty Commons needed a name that reflected the possibility that homeownership promises. In 2025, we partnered with The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change to name the building in honor of Dr. King’s legacy as an advocate for fair housing. “Liberty” represents the freedom implied in the 1968 Fair Housing Act that prohibited discrimination in housing. “Commons” represents the shared community we hope residents of this building will find in their new home. Dr. King’s daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King joined us at a special event last spring to unveil the new name, and now a plaque honoring the moment is featured in the lobby of our new building.
During his speech, Habitat SKKC CEO Brett D’Antonio acknowledged the difficulties that first time homeowners face in the competitive Seattle market, a challenge that Habitat helps buyers overcome: “These homes create opportunities for people to start investing in their futures now. With a median age of 40, market rate first-time homebuyers in Seattle must wait longer than ever before to enjoy the benefits of homeownership. But not the homeowners at Liberty Commons. These incredible people, including a teacher, a microbiologist, a tutor, a union organizer, and so many more, start the next chapters of their lives today.”
Habitat SKKC’s starter homes reach this demographic by offering those making less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) affordable homes with mortgages set at no more than 35% of their incomes. As with other Habitat SKKC properties, Liberty Commons will be placed in a Land Trust ensuring permanent affordability for future generations. Goolsby, citing the benefits of the Habitat model, pointed to a study conducted this year on national Habitat homeownership, “On average, Habitat homeowners accumulate $1,800 more in liquid assets than their neighbors.”
Speaking on behalf of Washington Trust Bank, an investor in this project and one of our 40th anniversary sponsors, Christin A. Malek, Community Development Officer II, offered her well wishes for the 58 new homeowners at Liberty Commons: “I hope these homes are filled with laughter, family dinners, celebrations, quiet mornings, loud kids, good neighbors, and all of the beautiful, messy, ordinary moments that make a house truly become a home.”
The event gave guests the opportunity to mingle with fellow Habitat supporters, volunteers, and staff over an ice cream bar, lawn games, and a community resource fair. They also had the chance to visit Liberty Commons to tour model units. The building’s five stories of condominiums include five studios, 26 one-bedroom units, and 27 two-bedroom units. The building also includes a 2,000 square-foot outdoor courtyard designed to give residents a space to gather as a community.
Another important feature of the building is its proximity to public transportation. Multiple speakers at the dedication highlighted this benefit, including Eddie Lin, Seattle City Council Member, District 2, who pointed out that “the second most expensive piece of a family’s budget is transportation.” Liberty Commons, Lin noted, will give residents a walkable life and help the environment at the same time.
New Habitat homeowner Martin S. closed out the program with a touching tribute to the Columbia City neighborhood he already calls home as a renter and will now find permanence in as a homeowner: “I am elated and deeply, deeply grateful to say that my daughter, Helen, and I will be homeowners at Liberty Commons. Let me take a moment to tell you why this home means so much to us. My daughter/roommate and I have lived in this neighborhood since she was only a couple of months old. Her grandmother and her mother live here. She goes to our neighborhood school, does rec classes at Rainier Community Center, and runs wild with her friends every Wednesday from May to October at the Columbia City Farmers Market. This neighborhood is part of us.”
Now, Martin, Helen, and all the new homeowners at Liberty Commons are a part of this neighborhood.
During this year’s Pride Build, Habitat SKKC invited local members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies to donate time and resources to our affordable homeownership programs and support our LGBTQ+ homeowners.
During this year’s Pride Build, which ran from June 17-27, 94 individual and corporate volunteers worked onsite at our Riverbend Comunidad and Yarrow Townhomes construction sites, both in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle, as well as at our Habitat Workshop space in Kent. Volunteers donated over 650 hours of service.
In addition to individual build days, we welcomed three sponsor groups: Amazon, Gen Cap, and Redfin/Rocket.
“We want to support the community at any point in time, but especially right now, it’s a pretty scary time to be queer out in the world. And I think it’s important for those of us who have a certain amount of privilege to give back and make sure that we’re passing it on and helping those in the community that might not have as many resources as we do. As corporate Amazon employees, we can take this time off to come and do this,” said Roxanne Grantham, HCLS Global Account Manager at Amazon.
Roxanne organizes volunteer participation for Glamazon, the LGBTQ+ affinity group for Amazon and AWS. They participate in volunteer opportunities like Pride Build. They also host happy hours and networking events and provide general support and community for anyone at Amazon that is a part of the LGBTQ+ community or wants to support the community.
For their second year volunteering with Pride Build, the Glamazons visited the Habitat Workshop to build and paint special Pride flag planter boxes. As for whether she learned any new skills at this year’s Pride Build, Roxanne joked, “I’ve learned that I’m really bad at taping in a straight line, which is maybe not ironic for today.” Standing in a sea of rainbow-painted planter boxes in various states of finish, she added, “It’s really fun to do something a little bit more whimsical.”
Over at the Yarrow Townhomes construction site, the team from Redfin and Rocket took on tasks ranging from installing subfloors, joists, and beams to framing exterior and interior walls.
“Our team members at Rocket and Redfin are always excited and proud to volunteer with organizations like Habitat for Humanity,” said Bryan Beran-Miceli, Senior Director of Volunteer Engagement and Giving at Rocket Community Fund. “Our company’s mission is to ‘Help Everyone Home’ and this Pride Build was a wonderful reminder of how important that mission is.”
The two-week affinity build ended with a celebratory flare as Habitat SKKC marched in the annual Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28. Habitat SKKC staff members, volunteers, and community members joined another 250+ organizations to show support for LGBTQ+ rights.
Throughout Pride Build, Habitat SKKC raised awareness of affordable homeownership’s role in building better communities where everyone feels included.
Yesterday, more than 1600 staff, AmeriCorps, volunteers, Board members, and supporters gathered to celebrate Habitat SKKC’s 40 years of impact at the annual Beyond the Build Luncheon. The event featured heartfelt speeches, videos of Habitat homeowners and repair clients, recognition of the volunteers who make our work possible, and an inspiring conversation with Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald.
Event emcee Steve Raible, the “Voice of the Seahawks,” kicked off the program with a call to action: “During our time together today, and through your generosity, we will draft the next big play for affordable housing as we lay the groundwork for the next 40 years.”
The event was a perfect mix of looking back and looking forward. We wouldn’t have made it to our 40th year if it weren’t for the volunteers and supporters who believed in our mission, and we turn to them as we begin to plan for the next 40.
When Pastor Kristin Joyner from Bothell United Methodist Church took the stage for the traditional convocation, she remarked upon the work Habitat SKKC has done building homes and shining light into communities along the way. “Shining lights are symbols of hope, and that hope is brought to families in their kitchen lights, their family room lights, dining room lights, and porch lights,” she said.
She led the room in a symbolic moment where every guest lit a candle to represent the thousands of lives Habitat SKKC has lit up through homeownership. It was a powerful visual to see a darkened ballroom come to life with small beacons of light. Later, when Coach Macdonald took the stage for a Q&A, he referred to the Seahawks as “beacons of light” in his quest to ensure that the team becomes even more connected to its local community. His desire to lead through service made him a fitting keynote speaker for this year’s luncheon.
Following an inspiring compilation video highlighting Habitat SKKC’s history, CEO Brett D’Antonio took the stage and looked back on the past 40 years of Habitat SKKC’s work, starting with the organization’s first house: “In 1988, our affiliate dedicated its first home, two years after our founding. At that time, they looked at the future and made the goal to finish another 40 houses in 20 years. This was a bold number. But you can’t serve more people if you don’t push and grow—these are words we continue to live by.”
Looking to the future, D’Antonio continued, “We’ve had 40 years to mature as an organization, and that means we are more dynamic than we have ever been before. Look to our home production for the best example of this: It’s growing towards 70+ homes completed every year with hundreds more under construction. We have more than tripled our annual home builds and home repairs in the last five years.”
“But it’s not only our production that is scaling; our operations are as well,” D’Antonio continued. “We’ve refined our model and are deploying more capital to acquire and develop projects at a greater speed than ever before. When we talk about a pipeline of more than 300 homes, we’re really talking about the more than 1,000 individuals and families across King and Kittitas Counties—people whose futures will improve because they had access to affordable homeownership and the long-term stability it provides.”
Our efforts are part of a broad coalition of nonprofits, associations, and government agencies who are working together to tackle the biggest crisis our region is facing. When he spoke, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay recognized Habitat SKKC for “continuing to be a driving force for change” and “central to this work” of finding solutions to the housing crisis. We do this as part of a network because it’s going to take everyone to solve this problem.
Our network also includes the volunteers who show up to our construction sites and stores and dedicate their time and energy without the expectation of receiving anything in return. We couldn’t let them go unnoticed during our biggest celebration of the year, which is why we took time in the program to honor this year’s Volunteer of the Year, Beverly S. Bev first came to a Habitat build in 2004 with her church group on Vashon Island, and 22 years later, she still shows up week after week, rain or shine. Over the years, Bev has contributed well over 3,000 volunteer hours during more than 250 volunteer shifts, becoming a beloved member of Habitat’s Construction Regulars crew.
Jimmy Carter once said of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, “We get a lot more out of it than we put in it.” For Bev and the other highlighted volunteers—Lorraine Y., Amber C., Tracy C., David B., Vince S., Michael L., and Jennifer T.—we hope that rings true for them too.
From our dedicated volunteers, the program moved next to the homeowners who embody our mission. Colleen Clayton, Associate Director of Homeowner Services, shared an important Habitat SKKC tradition: every time a Habitat homeowner gets their keys, they ring a brass bell and the office erupts with applause. At today’s luncheon, we had the honor of celebrating that moment with four new Habitat homeowners: Tiffany F., Joey R., Annabella Y., and Dalona M.
The event’s keynote speaker, Coach Mike Macdonald reflected on the meaning of home during his conversation with Steve Raible. As a football coach, Macdonald is required to move for work, whether that’s to take on a new coaching job in another city or the regular travel required during the football season. Wherever he goes, no matter how much the settings change, he finds a sense of home. He does it by putting down roots. The opportunity to put down roots has been given to over 3,000 people in our region thanks to Habitat SKKC’s donors and volunteers.
Hearing firsthand from Habitat homeowners is one of the most memorable parts of Beyond the Build, and this year’s luncheon was no different. Legacy homeowner Joanne W. spoke about the long-term impact her Habitat home has had on her life: “Because of your generosity, I haven’t had to worry about where we’re going to live for eight years. That’s about 3,000 nights of sleep without a knot in my stomach. There are so many other families right now sitting where I was eight years ago—waiting for a flyer on a bulletin board to change their lives. Your support today ensures they get that same chance to trade their worries for dreams.”
Thanks to everyone who gave at the event, we raised $2.2 million (and counting) for people like Joanne W., Tiffany F., Joey R., Annabella Y., and Dalona M.!
It was another inspiring and meaningful Beyond the Build luncheon—the largest yet! Thanks to everyone who gathered and celebrated with us all we have accomplished together these past 40 years and for helping shape our impact over the next 40 years.
