Hello from our Executive Director
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Dear Friend of Habitat,
As I sit here on our sixth day that we have had to adjust our operating hours in 2019 due to winter weather (snow, cold, ice, snow, repeat), I cannot help but reflect on the home I get to go home to at night, the home that I can work from when our office is not open and the home that is simple, decent and affordable for me and my needs.
One of our partner families and future home buyers stopped into our office earlier this month. She was nervous to ask us a question about her current living situation. During the frigidly cold days we had, her apartment was drafty and there was condensation build up in her son's room because of the windows. The landlord wouldn't do anything for her when she called to ask for help. She was coming in to ask if she could give notice at her apartment and move in with her mom until we are able build her home and sell it to her. Of course, we said yes!
One of the qualifications for our Home Buyer Program is a demonstrated need for housing. It is hard to believe, but many people in our community live in housing that is not decent or affordable for their needs. It is sad that weather has to be a reminder of how much of a human right decent shelter is, and yet, it is not accessible for everyone. As we finish out the harsh winter that we are experiencing, please consider all of the organizations who make decent shelter possible for individuals and families in Sheboygan County. Visit our websites, consider a donation, see what is on our wish lists or volunteer your time to help us further our missions of providing housing solutions to community members along the housing and homeless spectrum.
Sincerely,
Sarah Beckman
Executive Director
Habitat for Humanity Lakeside
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The Latest News from Habitat Lakeside
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Habitat Provides Job Skills to 30+ High Schoolers this Fall
This fall we welcomed students from four area high schools onto our build sites and into our ReStore for hands on learning opportunities through their classes. Here is a recap of the student involvement we had:
- Howards Grove High School: 13 students contributed over 40 hours of work in our ReStore and on our build site when they came out for a half day, school-wide community service initiative
- Plymouth High School: 5 students contributed over 8 hours of work when their Tech Education class took partial day field trips to our build site located at 3106 S 9th St in Sheboygan
- Sheboygan South High School: small groups of students accompanied by teachers work 2.5 hours every Friday in our ReStore as part of their special education class
- Sheboygan Falls High School: 8 students contributed over 120 hours of work when their Tech Education class took full day field trips to our build site located at 3106 S 9th St in Sheboygan
We take great pride in any opportunity we have to work with students. On our build sites, they learn about safety and the task for the day and then get to help build our homes. In the ReStore, customer service is key. Students are able to greet and interact with customers and help with cleaning, store projects and merchandising. At both locations students punch in and punch out to track their hours, just like they would at a job. This spring, we will continue welcoming students into our mission and are excited to welcome Sheboygan North High School to the list of schools participating in our mission.
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Pictured from left to right: Sheboygan Falls High School Tech Education Class, Plymouth High School Tech Education Class, Howards Grove High School Students
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Associated Bank Sponsors Repair Program
Associated Bank is the first company to provide funding in the form of a grant for our Home Repair Program in 2019. Vice President & Community Accountability Officer, Bill Kopka and Residential Loan Officer, Ann Rodgers stopped by the office in December to drop off the check and talk about how excited they are to be able to invest in our neighborhood revitalization efforts. Thank you Associated Bank for your support!
Pictured from left to right: Ann Rogers (Associated Bank), Sarah Beckman (Habitat Executive Director) and Bill Kopka (Associated Bank)
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U.S. Bank Sponsors Home Buyer Program
U.S. Bank is the first company to provide funding in the form of a grant for our Home Buyer Program in 2019. During the check presentation, Chris Graeber, Vice President of Commercial Banking, said the following about their support, "We're proud to support Habitat for Humanity with a grant for their Home Buyer Program. We believe in their mission and support neighborhood revitalization efforts throughout the community." Thank you U.S. Bank for your support!
Pictured from left to right: Chris Graeber (U.S. Bank), Robin & her two children (future Home Buyer), Sarah Beckman (Habitat Executive Director) and Chris Varah (U.S. Bank)
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Executive Director to Speak at National Habitat Conference in March
Each year Habitat for Humanity International hosts a conference at its headquarters in Atlanta, GA and invites staff, Board members, volunteers and other individuals representing affiliates from across the country to participate in learning and professional development opportunities in the areas of leadership, construction, homeowner services, neighborhood revitalization, ReStore operations, volunteer management, resource development and more. This year our very own Executive Director, Sarah Beckman, will be leading a 90-minute session titled, "Strategic Annual Engagement Plan - Year at a Glance." As of February 1, over 125 people were registered to attend her session. Sarah says the following about the opportunity to present to colleagues from across the country, "It is a great honor to be selected as one of the conference presenters. Professional development is a great tool to help all of our affiliates serve more families, and I feel privileged to share my knowledge and expertise with others." Habitat for Humanity Lakeside will be sending three staff members to the conference, all of whom look forward to bringing best practices and new knowledge back to our community.
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Farewell from Jon Hoffman, Construction Manager
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For those who have not heard the news, Jon Hoffman is departing Habitat for Humanity Lakeside for another career opportunity. His last day at the organization will be Thursday, February 28, 2019. A new Construction Manager has been hired, and we are excited to introduce him to the Habitat family soon!
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Thank you to the faithful, mission driven people at Habitat for Humanity Lakeside! Working with all of you has been, perhaps, the most rewarding professional experience of my lifetime! From the very beginning of my journey at Habitat to the moment I write to say farewell, I have felt blessed to work in the presence of such dedicated volunteers, staff, and leadership. The greatest lesson that I have learned from all of you over the last 5 years is the power of
Joy
. As we seek to put
God’s love into Action
, It is the
Joy
of God’s Love that
we share
that gives us the strength to confront challenges that are presented to Habitat’s Mission. As I move forward to challenges separate from this Mission, my prayer for my path and yours is the same:
"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands!"
-Isaiah 55:12 -Sincerely, Jon Hoffman
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JOIN US TO WISH JON HOFFMAN FAREWELL
Date:
Friday, March 1, 2019
Time:
4:00-8:00 p.m.
Location:
Urbane, 1231 N 8th St, Sheboygan
On Friday, March 1 we will host a farewell gathering to thank Jon for his years of service to Habitat and to wish him well on his next journey. All staff, Board members, committee members, volunteers and community partners who know Jon are welcome to stop by during this time. Light appetizers will be provided at 5:00pm. No R.S.V.P. is necessary.
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CLOSEOUT SALE on Select Windows, Doors, Furniture and Toilets
We have a CLOSEOUT SALE going on with furniture, doors, windows and toilets. All products in these categories with a GREEN tag are being reduced for quick sale. Stop in to check out our inventory.
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Shop NEW Kohler Sinks Before They're Gone!
In January, the ReStore received a donation of NEW Kohler sinks. Check out the photos for a sample of what we have and stop in the ReStore to see our full inventory before it's gone.
*Other
NEW
Plumbing inventory in the store right now includes a variety of sink faucets and handles.
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NEW Operating Hours Beginning April 1, 2019
Our ReStore is located at 1911 N 8th St in Sheboygan and is currently open to the public for shopping Tuesday-Friday from 10:00am-6:00pm and Saturday from 9:00am-4:00pm. We also have limited donation drop off and donation pick up hours within these times.
In order to accommodate a growing need for donation pick-ups and more time for processing them, we will be changing our operating hours beginning April 1, 2019. Our new hours include:
Shopping:
Wednesday-Friday from 10:00am-6:00pm & Saturday from 9:00am-4:00pm
Donation Drop-Offs:
Tuesday-Friday from 10:00am-4:30pm & Saturday from 9:00am-4:00pm
Donation Pick-Ups:
Tuesday-Friday from 9:30am-3:00pm & Saturday from 9:30am-1:30pm
We look forward to better serving Sheboygan County with this change.
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3106 South 9th Street, Sheboygan
After a bit of a weather delay (snow, cold, more snow!), construction is wrapping up at 3106 South 9th Street in Sheboygan. Our subcontractors are completing electrical, HVAC, insulation and drywall. Stay tuned for a few mid-March volunteer opportunities including painting, cabinetry, trim and other finish work.
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2723 Wilgus Avenue, Sheboygan
We will be breaking ground on our next Home Buyer Program project in mid to late April. The home will be located at 2723 Wilgus Avenue and will be built in partnership with The Taylor Family.
Currently, U.S. Bank is the lead sponsor for this home at $15,000. We are seeking additional financial support before we break ground.
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Become a 2019 Investor in our Housing Programs
What does it mean to invest in our housing programs? We put together the graphic below to help explain how our funding model works. In 2019, we are looking for funding to:
- Construct and sell 3 homes through our Home Buyer Program (avg. of $110,000 x 3 homes)
- Complete 7 repairs and loans through our Home Repair Program (avg. of $7,500 x 7 repairs)
- Complete 10-15 repairs with loans through our Rock the Block Block (avg. of $1,500 x 10-15 repairs)
Investing in our housing solutions is possible in a number of ways, including through a grant, corporate sponsorship, unrestricted giving, donation of stock and more. If you are interested in becoming an investor for one of our programs, please reach out to Sarah Beckman, Executive Director, at 920-458-3399 ext. 301 or [email protected] to learn more about the year ahead.
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Habitat for Humanity Lakeside is always in need of volunteers. Some of our biggest needs are listed below. Please contact us if you are willing to help out!
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CASHIERS
Habitat for Humanity Lakeside is looking for individuals who have an interest in volunteering with us as a cashier at the ReStore. Cashiers operate the register and greet customers as they enter the store. They also respond to customer and donor related questions to the best of their ability. Orientation and training would be provided. Two-hour volunteer shifts are available between Tuesday-Friday from 10am-6pm and Saturday from 9am-4pm. Please reach out to Emily at
[email protected]
or 920-458-3399 ext. 303 if you are interested.
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ADOPT A LOT
We are looking for an individual, family or group to adopt and maintain our last vacant lot for the winter months. Typically this means shoveling the sidewalk anytime there is 1 inch or more of snow. The last lot in need of adoption is located at the 1100 block of St. Clair Avenue.
Please reach out to Emily at
[email protected]
or 920-458-3399 ext. 303 if you are interested in helping us out.
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OFFICE HELPERS
We are looking for individuals to help with data entry and other administrative tasks in our business office. Volunteers can commit to as little as 1-2 hours per week during our normal office hours which are Mon-Thurs between 8:30am-4:30pm. If you are interested in this opportunity, please email or call Emily at
[email protected]
or 920-458-3399 ext. 303.
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Top Volunteers from January
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We would like to recognize and thank the following individuals for the 20+ hours they put into our organization during the month of January. If you see or know one of them, be sure to thank them for their support of our mission!!
- Heidi Hediger - 62.5 hours donated in the ReStore
- Larry Doolittle - 24.5 hours donated in the ReStore
- Neal Ruffalo - 24 hours donated in the ReStore
- Jim Freeman - 21 hours donated in the ReStore
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Check out these Snapshots from the last few months!
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We had a volunteer appreciation lunch on December 18 with all of our regular volunteers
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A group from Sargento came and helped us organize and clean in the ReStore on January 14
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On December 19 we celebrated with one of our homeowners who closed on their home
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Mission:
Seeking to put God's love into action, Habitat for Humanity Lakeside brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.
Vision:
We believe in a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Make a donation today
and i
nvest in housing solutions that provide strength, stability, self-reliance and shelter to families right here in Sheboygan County.
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Habitat for Humanity Lakeside | PO Box 973, Sheboygan, WI 53082 | 920-458-3399
Habitat ReStore | 1911 N 8th St, Sheboygan, WI 53081 | 920-452-4175
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