Volunteers from Iona College share an evening with Habitat CFC families.

Greetings!

It is the end of January, and if the statistics I found online are accurate, 88% of our New Year’s resolutions are already as forgotten as a telephone with a dial and a cord. I am not pointing to our collective weakness to depress. I am as guilty as everyone else, but I do have a suggestion for a meaningful resolution that may be much easier to keep.

When in the midst of this year’s inevitable bad days, step back for a moment from the angst and think about how much worse it would be if you weren’t able to escape it all in the refuge of your home. A home certainly can’t solve every problem – but most problems do seem a little less daunting when you are wrapped in the safety, stability and warmth of your home. Test my hypothesis by thinking about how hard it is to leave the comfort of your warm bed on a cold morning when you’re anticipating an unpleasant day.  

The above is only step one – of my suggested resolution. Once you recognize just how grateful you are to have a place to call home, resolve to help others who aren’t quite as fortunate. Come join us in a Habitat build, shop or donate used items to the ReStore, attend an event, visit our website or make a contribution. It will take very little time to fulfill this resolution, and though you won’t look any better in a swimsuit, the benefits will last a whole lot longer! 

Regards, 

Collegiate Challenge 

Volunteers from Iona College gave a week of their winter break to help build Habitat houses. This group of hard-workers helped with painting, cleaning, prepping, flooring and a number of other miscellaneous projects at our home sites. Two students had even participated in the Collegiate Challenge program in past years. The event proved so rewarding that they decided to return and contribute to our cause.

Through the Collegiate Challenge program, Habitat CFC provides alternative school break volunteer opportunities to college and high school students. While some view this as a needed academic pause, Collegiate Challenge participants regularly express how impactful this event is on their educational careers. The interpersonal bonds and self-development that can emerge from a service trip are invaluable and unique.

To cap the week of service, the students had a cheerful dinner with two of our Habitat families. The family dinner started off quietly but ended with the Iona students and family members singing, dancing and hugging goodbye. The students left fulfilled having made an impact on affordable, adequate housing. The families left with a stronger sense of community support and a more complete home.

For more pictures, click here.

Planned Giving

Resolve to join our Legacy Planned Giving Circle!  

Legacy Gifts, aka Planned Gifts, can be made in a variety of ways including naming Habitat CFC as a beneficiary in your will, life insurance policy, or retirement fund. Charitable trusts and gift annuities are other options. Speak with your financial advisor about what's best for you. Through planned giving, you can have a direct impact on the future of our community far beyond your lifetime. If you're interested in building homes and hope for future generations, please contact Kristen Alvanson, Director of Development and Communications, at (203) 333 - 2642 Ext:109 or email [email protected] . 

Family Services Department Christmas Party

The Family Services Department (Maribel Sanabria, Leo Ayala, Nereida DeLopez and Iris Cordero Taylor) worked around the clock to put together a Christmas party for our Habikids ages one to eight. Our large conference room was turned into a winter wonderland for our 40 guests. 

We want to thank Steve Boyle from State Farm Insurance for the pizza and other great treats. This party would not have been so successful without the generosity of our board and the members of our staff who donated the gifts that put smiles on the faces of our Habikids.

Santa (Charlie Griggs) and his wife (Sue Griggs) were the hit of the party with children and parents alike. We also had two adorable elves from the Royal Court of the Puerto Rican Parade of Fairfield County. Our Habikids headed home with their gifts and goodie bags compliments of the Morneau Family from Wilton Congregational Church. What a great way to end the year!!

Volunteer Leadership Opportunities

 

This year promises to be an exciting one at Habitat CFC! Though we always welcome those who help us build houses, we are also actively seeking volunteers for our fundraising committees.

If you are interested, please send a brief e-mail with your interests and qualifications to Kristen Alvanson at  [email protected] . Thank you for your interest in helping Habitat CFC grow!

Meet our New Staff Member

We're excited to welcome Hussein Hussein to the Habitat CFC Family as our new Communications and Events Coordinator.



Hussein grew up in Iraq and has worked between the Middle East and Connecticut for several years in the creative field. Hussein recently graduated from the University of Bridgeport with a Master’s Degree in Design Management. He has worked as a creative Designer for agencies and nonprofit organizations and has been involved as a volunteer at local nonprofit organizations since he moved to the United States three years ago. We're excited to have him aboard! 

Women Build Events

You can build houses while forging relationships with other women in the local community. Women Build provides the opportunity to develop skills through hands-on learning, all in a collaborative and friendly environment. We have upcoming build days on February 8th, March 3rd, and March 16th. Also, watch for more information on this year's "She Nailed It" event.

Our Women Build events also give women a chance to take a proactive step in serving their communities and making home-ownership attainable. No experience is required to make your impact. For more information, contact Eileen Bakos at

[email protected] .

Giving Day

March 1st is Fairfield County’s Giving Day and Habitat CFC will be participating! Hosted by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, Giving Day is a 24 hour online event to “Give Where You Live” and celebrates our work, and the work of all local nonprofits. We invite you to be a part of this fun, exiting event which will help Habitat CFC and Fairfield County as a whole!



You can help to create affordable homeownership opportunities for hard-working families in Fairfield County by donating to Habitat CFC on March 1st during FCGives!

April In Paris

Mark your calendar for Habitat CFC’s biggest event of the year! We will return in April to the trendy space at the Fairfield Theatre Company Warehouse. Guests will be treated to a creative and fun evening featuring cocktails, dinner, dancing, a silent auction and live music! Come dressed Casually Chic or Fashionably French for APRIL in PARIS! The proceeds from the evening will help build decent stable homes and bright futures for hard-working Fairfield County families.



Check here for more information and the announcement of more exciting details! 

Our ReStore in Stratford accepts donations of new and gently used items and sells those items to the public at a reduced cost, usually 50-70 percent of the original retail value. All proceeds from the store go toward building homes in Fairfield County; we are currently able to fund the building of 3 additional new Habitat CFC homes each year! Want to learn more? Check out our ReStore website here.

Have Something to Donate? Click here for more information on how to donate items. We offer FREE pick up in Fairfield County.