As Summer is upon us and the weather is warming the ReStore has been busy gathering and stocking up on new and gently used merchandise. Our community has really stepped up and has been donating to our mission to keep useable home goods out of the landfill. This year alone over 300,00 pounds have been diverted from the landfill. Your household goods can be recycled back into the community and sold at the ReStore to raise funds and help build houses in Genesee County. Please stop by to see what we have to help with your summer DIY projects and help Genesee County Habitat for Humanity build homes, communities, and hope. 

By: Jonathan Reckford, CEO – Habitat for Humanity International and Margaret Kato, Retired Executive Director – Genesee County Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is propelled by a vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. We devote ourselves to creating that world because we believe everyone — every single one of us, regardless of who we are or where we come from — deserves a decent life and deserves the opportunity for a better future.
 
Believing is not enough. And so we build.
 
We build houses — and through those houses, the strength, stability and self-reliance that families need in order to achieve a better life. That better life is our primary goal. And so when we build houses, we also build bridges between people of diverse backgrounds, we build paths to more connected communities, we build ways for all people to come together and share in the creation of a new world.

*The following is a blog excerpt from the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Click here for the full blog article.

When a catastrophe like Hurricane Harvey happens, your world can be turned upside down. During these tough times, it may be difficult to know who to trust and where to look for guidance and assistance, as well as what financial steps to take as you begin recovering. These are a few organizations that can help immediately after a natural disaster:

• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website will help you find up–to- date resources and information.
•  The Red Cross can help you find aid and shelters
• The Disaster Assistance Improvement Program (DAIP) can provide disaster survivors with information, support, and services

Once your most urgent needs are addressed
Start thinking about your financial obligations once you have addressed your most urgent needs, especially if you have experienced damage to your home or property. We have five steps you can take to help you secure your home and finances:

1. Contact your insurance company. If the storm damaged your home, car, or property and you have insurance, you can start the claims process by calling your insurance company.
2. Register for assistance. Registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov is the quickest way to register for FEMA assistance.
3. Contact your mortgage servicer. Talk to your mortgage lender right away and tell them about your situation. Damage to your home does not eliminate your responsibility to pay your mortgage, however your lender may be willing to work with you given the circumstances.
4. Contact your credit card companies and other lenders. If your income is interrupted or your expenses go up, and you don’t think you will be able to pay your credit cards or other loans, be sure to contact your lenders as soon as possible. It is important to make those calls before your next payments are due. 
5. Contact your utility companies. If your home is damaged to the point you can’t live in it, ask the utility companies to suspend your service.
   
   

After contacting the companies related to your most urgent financial needs, take a look at your bills and set priorities—including your mortgage, rent, and insurance payments.
 
Warning: Be aware of scams
While many people pull together during times of crisis, there is also an increased risk for scams and fraud. To avoid scams, you need to ask questions—lots of them. Questions will help you determine if something is too good to be true. If the person trying to sell you a product or service can’t or won’t answer your questions, this is a red flag that you might want to look for someone else to do business with.

Summer means our volunteer season is in full swing. We owe a BIG THANK YOU to those that helped with our most recent events – both the Habitat Olympics and Women Build Week were a smashing success! We were able to raise over $18,000 from Habitat Olympics this year! We couldn’t have done it without our sponsors, participants, and volunteers. Congrats to College Hunks for taking home the Gold two years in a row! During Women Build Week we had 100 women on the worksite in four days! The list of tasks we were able to complete at one of our homes on Hill Rd is too long to list here!

​That’s just the beginning of our summer! We still need volunteer groups to join us on work sites throughout Genesee County.

​Please contact me if you have any interest in volunteering! Greg Hull, Volunteer Coordinator, ghull@geneseehabitat.org 810-766-9089 ext. 210.

The Critical Home Repair Program team is working hard to help homeowners in the City of Flint improve their homes.

To date, we have served 231 people, including 111 families, 41 disabled individuals, 9 veterans, 114 dependents and 44 people over 65.
 
We have 14 projects started as a part of our Full Code Rehab program. Thanks to funding from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, we will be competing a minimum of 30 full code updates through this program this year!
 
The Critical Home Repair program has even gained national attention thanks to NFL Quarterback Brandon Carr. Through the support of the United Way of Genesee County, Genesee County Habitat’s Water Assurance Program will be featured in a video by NFL Films. Check in with us on Facebook and Twitter in the coming weeks for pictures and video. 

and from floral gardens planted to honor the memory and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the demolition of blighted commercial structures within busy neighborhood corridors, Habitat is partnering with community members all over Flint to wrestle beauty from blight and build strong and stable communities by investing in catalytic, resident led neighborhood projects. ​

The program, which provides staff support for project planning and implementation, as well as funding to help get the project started, is funded thanks to generous support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. As part of the program, groups commit 10% of their project's cost in sweat equity, and while working with Habitat groups receive access to training in action planning, impact evaluation, and best practices in community revitalization from certified Habitat staff. 

Visit our website here for more information about the FlintBRAND program.

​You can easily #DIY your own checkerboard table! To build the tabletop, we used UrbanWood (available at our ReStore). The surface should be no smaller than 2‘ x 2’. The checkerboard grid is formed by 2” squares burned into the wood, forming an 8x8 grid of alternating colors. This could easily be painted onto the tabletop, as well. For playing pieces, we used wood salvaged from the Flint River. During a neighborhood cleanup, look for a small branch about 1-1.5” in diameter. Make cuts through the wood about ¼” apart to form twenty-four discs to use for playing pieces. Store leftover wood in a dry place to easily replace any lost discs, as needed. We then dipped twelve of the playing pieces in dark walnut wood stain to create a darker color; the rest were left natural. You could also use paint of any color to distinguish between the two players. Once dried, the playing pieces were placed in a small burlap sack and attached to the table.
 
We hope that you, just like those living in the Foss Neighborhood, will be able to connect with neighbors of all ages and get to know one another over a friendly game of checkers!

There are lots of volunteer opportunities available! Check out a full list below.

Habitat Olympics, Friday, May 5th
Our much anticipated annual fundraiser featuring construction-themed games and a silent auction will be Friday, May 5th (Cinco de Mayo!) this year! Volunteers are needed to: Help check in teams, be a caddy for teams, take pictures, sell raffle tickets, set up, and tear down. Contact Greg Hull if you would like to volunteer (contact info below). Also, there are still sponsorship and team slots available! Contact Ashley Everhart for more info on sponsorships or signing up a team, aeverhart@geneseehabitat.org or (810)766-9089 ext. 203.

Women Build Week, May 10th-13th
National Women Build Week is a nationwide initiative of Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program, developed in partnership with Lowe’s. Last year, more than 15,000 women, including Lowe’s Heroes from across the country, volunteered at Habitat for Humanity construction sites across the country. Through Women Build, we can train and equip women to work more effectively, helping Habitat increase its capacity and serve more families. We are getting as many women out to the worksite as we can this week! We already have commitments from a number of local women in leadership, the UAW Women’s Council, and of course, Lowe’s! If you have a women’s group or would like to join us as an individual on site that week, then don’t hesitate to contact Greg H. to get signed up! Also, Lowe’s will be hosting a FREE tool clinic for any interested women on Tuesday, May 2nd, 6PM at the Lowe’s on Corunna Rd. Each participant will get to build a small table that they can take home. Contact Greg Hull if you would like to attend.  Greg Hull, (810) 766-9089 ext. 210 or ghull@geneseehabitat.org.
 
16th Annual Bastille Day Race in Fenton, Saturday, July 15th
 This is a fantastic volunteer opportunity for all ages! The event includes three timed and certified races: the 15K run, the 5K run, and the 5K walk. Volunteers are needed for: registration, guiding traffic and runners at intersections, managing the water stations, and helping to clean up. 100 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Contact Greg Hull if you would like to help with this great event. Greg Hull, (810) 766-9089 ext. 210 or ghull@geneseehabitat.org.
 
Apostle’s Build Sponsored by Thrivent Financial
We are honored to receive a sponsorship from Thrivent Financial for the second year in a row! Thrivent has graciously donated $60,000 towards our new build on Hill Rd in Grand Blanc which will cover half of our total construction costs. We will be approaching various church partners over the coming weeks to help raise the funds and volunteers to build the rest of this home. If your church is interested in participating in this year’s Thrivent Build, this is a great opportunity for the entire congregation to get involved. Contact Greg Hull and we would be happy to set up a time to come and meet with you and members of your church. Greg Hull, (810) 766-9089 ext. 210 or ghull@geneseehabitat.org.
 
Introducing Hammer Club!
As the volunteer calendar fills up with various large groups, we wanted to make sure that we carved out some time for our regular volunteers to keep their hands dirty! Every Wednesday is now “Hammer Club” day. This is an opportunity for our regular volunteers to utilize their large skill set.
 
If you are interested in participating in any of the above events, then don’t hesitate to contact Volunteer Coordinator, Greg Hull, (810) 766-9089 ext. 210 or ghull@geneseehabitat.org. Don’t forget! We also have opportunities to volunteer in the ReStore and our committees.

​Over the past few months, we’ve gotten our water assurance program up and running.  This program offers under the sink 3M filters, replacement faucets, and shower heads for Flint homeowners with positive lead tests.  We also provide shower filters to any Flint resident.  Since February, we’ve completed twenty-seven preliminary site visits for homeowners applying to the full program.  On these visits we’ve installed shower filters and distributed water test kits.  We have distributed a total of ninety shower filters, including those installed on site visits.  In addition to the filters, we’ve been able to provide four homeowners with new water heaters.  As homeowners complete the application process, we will soon begin full installations of under the sink filters and faucets.

Visit our Critical Home Repair Services page for more information.