It’s AmeriCorps Week (March 14-19), and we salute Habitat SKC’s AmeriCorps members and alums for their service. We are so grateful for the many AmeriCorps service members who have grown with us and help us do so much for our community. Their hard work and dedication in building homes and hope – totaling 13,885 hours this past fiscal year – has made a tremendous impact on the hard-working and deserving individuals and families we serve throughout the Seattle-King County region. Thank you, AmeriCorps!!!
Check out more about these amazing hard workers on our social media all week!
We are hosting our annual Kip Korper Memorial AmeriCorps Alumni Build at our North Bend site on April 2nd! Former SKC AmeriCorps from around the country will be be coming together to build once again.
Habitat for Humanity strives to exemplify what can be accomplished when we work together, and this year’s Interfaith Build, which began on Saturday, September 11 at our La Fortuna (Renton) site, was a perfect model of that kind of teamwork and community. A poignant day of remembrance for many, Interfaith Build 2021 commenced on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Thirty-five volunteers and members of several different faith groups gathered to build both homes and bridges between communities.
Initiated in response to 9/11 under the name “Together We Build,” dozens of Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and other faith groups have come together each year to build for the community, overcome the cultural divisions that rise in the wake of violence, and to practice building a better world together. More than 50 faith communities have participated in Interfaith Builds with Habitat SKC since 2001.
The 35 volunteers hailed from a variety of regional faith communities, including St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Seattle; Bothell United Methodist Church; University Unitarian Church in Seattle; Holy Rosary in West Seattle; North Shore Church in Kirkland; Church of Jesuit Christ of Latter Day Saints – Eastside; Holy Family in Kirkland; and numerous religious (but unaffiliated) individuals. All came to support Habitat for Humanity as part of its annual Interfaith Build.
Volunteers, working in small groups led by Americorps helpers, spackled and painted the La Fortuna buildings, as well as made repairs to one existing resale home in a previously completed La Fortuna building nearby.
The morning build began with a blessing by led by Andrea Liggett from Holy Family in Kirkland. Lunchtime speakers included Gary Fallon, Habitat for Humanity board member, faith committee member and member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church; Vince Stricherz , founding member of Interfaith Build and longtime Habitat volunteer, member of Interfaith Committee and member of Holy Names Catholic Church; and Joel Feldman, former Habitat corporate and faith relations director, Jewish – unaffiliated.
Stricherz pointed out that Christians are in the Season of Creation (Sept. 1 – Oct. 4) and how this year’s theme, “A Home for All,” was fitting. Feldman spoke about how this Interfaith Build event timed with Rosh Hashanah (New Year); he shared sliced apples and honey with the group, a Jewish custom that symbolizes the hope of a sweet New Year. He also spoke to KING-TV, explaining the history of Interfaith Build and its significance in bringing all faiths together for a common cause.
Additional upcoming Interfaith Build dates include Friday, Sept. 17 & Saturday, Sept. 18, 8:45 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Thursday, Sept. 30, 8:45 a.m. – 4 p.m. Learn more about Interfaith Build.
We are inspired by our accomplishments when we work together and push forward as a team. Thank you so much to all the faith groups and volunteers making our 20th Anniversary Interfaith Build such a success!
Advocacy doesn’t end when the legislative session does – nor does Habitat for Humanity SKC! While we have been building homes and changing lives at various work sites, we’ve also been introducing policymakers to Habitat for Humanity and our mission. Over the last three months, we’ve been lucky to be able to host and sit down with 16 different lawmakers to talk about the work we do, and show them some of the amazing homes that our volunteers, homeowners, and staff have built.
One of the lawmakers we recently met with was Representative David Hackney (LD-46). We showed off our project in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood for which Habitat SKC won a national design award. Representative Hackney was able to walk through one of the 13 permanently affordable homes we are actively building in that legislative district. We had a great conversation, and look forward to working with him to keep making a difference across King and Kittitas Counties.
Another lawmaker we had the privilege to meet was Representative Shelly Kloba. She represents part of north King County and south Snohomish County, and she joined us at the Lake City site just prior to the recent dedication of eight homes during the completion of Phase 1 of the project. Discussing the impact that these homes will have on the families that were moving in and seeing the result of what those budget dollars can turn into was incredibly powerful for everyone there. Seeing first-hand the impact of their votes shows how policy makes a significant difference.
It doesn’t end here. We look forward to working with all 16 lawmakers and policymakers as well as the other 28 lawmakers who represent parts of King and Kittitas Counties in the 2022 legislative session, but we’ll need your help to make sure that all 44 know what Habitat’s policy and legislative priorities are. Sign up now for Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties’ Text Alerts and make a difference today!
Last year the Habitat Home Repair Program created a new facet of our program called Home Preservation. The Home Preservation Program provides minor home repair and maintenance to owner-occupied homes. These types of projects are typically volunteer- friendly and focus on preserving the home and safety of the homeowner, while improving the community as a whole. Home Preservation is offered in communities and areas that Habitat for Humanity SKC designates for community impact and neighborhood revitalization.
In the past year we completed 20 home preservation projects, and are hoping to increase that number this year. We facilitate home preservation projects throughout the year on an individual project basis, but the bulk of our home preservation projects come through our home preservation events.
These events are a one-day endeavor designed to serve between three-to-five homeowners and increase our outreach in specific locations. The events also allow us to make an important impact in a short amount of time, and hopefully foster a homeowner’s understanding of long-term maintenance needs.
During the events we use a combination of volunteers, staff, and AmeriCorps members to complete minor home repair and maintenance tasks which include gutter cleaning, fence/gate repairs, brush and debris removal, handrail installations, and exterior house cleaning. In return, homeowners pay a one-time $50 fee to participate in the event, and are also asked to contribute at least two hours of sweat equity alongside the volunteers (accommodations are made for those who are not able to physically participate).
Recently, we served two homeowners in the Skyway area. The repair team, along with a small group of volunteers conducted exterior house cleaning, gate and fence repair, debris/brush removal, as well as a few other minor tasks. This work will help these homeowners maintain their homes in the long-term as well as set them up for the transition into fall.
Historically, one of Habitat’s core values has been “Honoring the inherent dignity of individuals and communities, we treat others the way we ourselves would like to be treated.”
Historic discrimination in U.S. housing policy — particularly discrimination against Black Americans — is one of the chief drivers of racial inequities that persist today. Given homeownership is one way to build generational wealth and community, organizations like Habitat that work on housing must understand this history, and it must inform our work moving forward.
At Habitat SKC, we are committed to connecting issues of racial and social injustice with historic barriers to affordable housing and the resulting wealth gaps, and working to eradicate those barriers.
As important as these issues are for those we serve, they are also critical to our work environment, and we are also committed to attracting and hiring a diverse and multicultural staff, and improving employee engagement, inclusion and belonging.
To formalize our commitment, Habitat SKC’s Board of Directors recently adopted a Diversity, Equality and Inclusion commitment statement, where it affirmed its commitment to breaking down the systemic barriers in place that prevent access to affordable housing for marginalized members of the community; and affirmed its commitment to guiding the affiliate in its efforts to create a more inclusive community for its board, homeowners, staff and volunteers.
Following the lead of Habitat for Humanity International, we commit to doing the work in our practices, our programs and our networks that brings equity to our efforts and helps bring justice to the communities in which we work. We must do a better job of connecting issues of racial and social injustice with historic barriers to affordable housing and working to eradicate those barriers.
