May 25, 2021
Nafziger can use his back yard again
Steven Nafziger needed a wheelchair ramp and his wooden deck was starting to give way. It also prevented him from reaching his own back yard.

A Brush With Kindness and Ambucs partnered with him to provide safety and accessibility and the chance to sit by his fire pit once again.

We're planning to build soon
Habitat McLean County is cautiously moving forward with building houses this year.

While we are very proud A Brush With Kindness small home repair program completed nearly 20 projects in 2020, we are anxious to get back to new construction. The need for affordable housing has only increased since Covid.

Our latest hurdles, however, are the shortage of building materials and the skyrocketing cost of those we can find. The additional $30-$50,000 in costs we anticipate for each new house we build takes them out of the realm of affordable for our homeowners. We are diligently looking at every possible scenario to make building possible. Additional house sponsorships are always welcome and can make all the difference for families in need of safe, decent, affordable housing. Email development director Linda Healy to learn how you, your church, or your organization can become a house sponsor.

We are planning our volunteer needs now, so please check in with volunteer coordinator Lindsey Jarboe to find out how, when, and where you can join the construction. She'll also have some opportunities to work on A Brush With Kindness projects. Email Lindsey now.
Ice packs needed
Our volunteers need to keep hydrated during builds and we are looking for help keeping coolers of water chilled. Use your Amazon Smile account to purchase a 2-pk of these Cooler Shock ice packs.
We only need 5 2-pks, so please check in with Lindsey Jarboe before ordering to let her know of your intent. Email Lindsey.

Don't have an Amazon Smile account? It's easy to set up.

Amazon Smile will give a portion of every one of your Amazon purchases to Habitat McLean County. It costs you nothing. You shop how you always do* and you give at the same time. It's like free money for Habitat!
 
Take advantage of this giving plan by going to smile.amazon.com and creating an account. You'll be asked to choose your charity; in the "pick your own charitable organization" field, search "Habitat for Humanity of McLean County” – then select us.
 
After that, .5% of every purchase you make through smile.amazon.com
will be donated to our affiliate.* Effortless!
 
*Important: you must start from Smile.Amazon.com to generate donations (not Amazon.com)
Get creative this summer
Time to plan ahead for next year's Chairs 4 Change. Spend the summer creating something beautiful we can auction off in June of 2022 at our next fundraising event to benefit both Recycling Furniture for Families and Habitat McLean County. We'll even give you the chair for free! Ask at the ReStore and they'll help you pick the perfect one.

Although our focus is on the chairs, next year we will also be accepting a limited number of alternate items: SMALL tables such as end or lamp tables, decorative boxes, candlesticks, and picture frames. Be sure to use appropriate paint or embellishment techniques for your item's material.

So we can easily keep track pieces, we will only give away free chairs. Other items need to be purchased or recycled from home.
Shown above: "Don't Be Koi" by Margie King, 2020