“I’ve never had a family home,which was mygreatest dream. I’m a 50 year old mother of four children. Fifteen years ago, after the birth of my fourth child, I had a stroke. This, I thought, was the end of my life. I wanted my own home so that I could plant flowers, sit on my porch with family and friends, drink my morning coffee on my porch and listen to birds sing in my yard, be able to watch my grandchildren play in my yard or have my family over forbarbeques. Blessings in my own home, prayer in my own home, praises in my own home and joy in my own home… let me know that my dream is alive.”
-Ms. Beryl
*Ms. Beryl has been in her Habitat home since June
Left to Right: HFHMGC BOD Members Edmond Hughes, Delmar Robinson, Latan Griffin, HFHMGC COO Barbara Levine, First Lady
Marsha Barbour, Governer Haley Barbour, HFHMGC Homebuyer Doris Freeman, Long Beach Mayor Billie Skellie,
Pascagoula Mayor Robbie Maxwell, HFHMGC CEO Chris Monforton
Governor Welcomes Families HomeThrivent Lane Ribbon Cutting in Long Beach
CEO Chris Monforton greets Governor Haley Barbour
Thrivent Lane at the Trace Subdivision, Long Beach, MS
In This Issue: •HFHMGC Goes Green•World Habitat Day•Welcome New AmeriCorps•And much more!
Vol. 1, Issue 2 Fall 2009
By Meg Potts ThriventLanewasfullofcelebrationthissummerasHabitatforHumanityoftheMississippiGulfCoasthostedvariousdignitariesinthesubdivision.OnAugust28,HFHMGC’sleadershipteamtouredthenewlyconstructedstreetwithHUDSecretaryShaunDonovanandMississippiGovernorHaleyBarbour.Theneighborhood,completedthispastSpring,sparkedgreatconversationregardingtherecoveryeffortsalongtheGulfCoast. Thefollowingday,Saturday,August29,GovernorBarbourreturnedtoThriventLane,alongwithFirstLadyMarshaBarbour,toparticipateinakeyandbiblepresentationandribboncutting.LocatedinLongBeach,ThriventLaneisatwenty-eighthomedevelopmentsponsoredbyThriventBuilds,astrategicalliancebetweenHabitatforHumanityandThriventFinancialforLutherans.Throughthisalliance,ThriventFinancialforLutheranshasdonated$125milliontoHabitat for Humanity affiliates worldwide. TheribboncuttingalsomarkedfouryearssinceHurricaneKatrinamadelandfall.GovernorandFirstLadyBarbour,alongwithLongBeachMayorBillieSkellieandPascagoulaMayor
RobbieMaxwellwereamongthoseinattendance.AlsocelebratingwereHFHMGCvolunteers,HFHMGChomebuyers,HFHMGCboardmembersandfriendsinthecommunity.TheprogrambeganwithaprayerreadbyHFHMGChomebuyerandThriventLaneresident,DorisFreeman,andcontinuedwithspeechesfromBoardTreasurerDelmarRobinson,MayorBillieSkellie,HFHMGCCEOChrisMonfortonandGovernorBarbour.GovernorandFirstLadyBarbourpresentedkeysandaBibletoMs.Freemanbeforeallparticipatedintheribboncutting. TheribboncuttingceremonyhighlightedtheprogressmadealongtheGulfCoastsinceHurricaneKatrinaandHFHMGC’scommitmenttothearea.CEOChrisMonforton,alsohopedtheeventwouldcreatehappiermemories,especiallyforMississippi’s
youngresidents.“FormanyThriventLaneresidents,tooyoungtohaveexperiencedKatrina,letAugust29thberememberedasthedayyouwerewelcomedintoyournewhomesbyyourcommunity.” Whenthestormtorethroughin2005,itssheerforcedestroyed300,000homesanddamagedcountlessothers.Thankstothehelpofmorethan21,000volunteersandendlesssupportfromfriendsinthe
areaandorganizationsworldwide,
HFHMGChasbeengiventheopportunitytohelpprovidehomesandhopeforSouthMississippifamilies.HFHMGChasconstructedmorethan300homessinceJanuary2007.Weareproudofourmanysuccesses,butrealizetheextentofwhatremainstobedone.
Doris Freeman receives a Bible and keys from Governor
and First Lady Barbour
Getting Things Done OnSeptember1,menandwomenthroughouttheUnitedStatesmadeapledgeto‘getthingsdone’byjoiningAmeriCorps.Theyhavecommittedtheirtimeandtalentstobetteringsociety.AmeriCorpsmembershavebeenintegralintherecoveryoftheGulfCoastandsinceitsearlydays,HFHMGChasreliedonAmeriCorpsmemberstoassisttheorganizationbothontheconstruction site and in the office. AmeriCorpsisanationalserviceprogramthatunitesAmericansinimprovingourneighborhoods.Thesememberswillbetakingoneverythingfromtheconstructionandrehabilitationofhomes,tocapacitybuildingwithinourVolunteerServicesandCommunityRelationsdepartments.Overthecourseoftenandahalfmonthstheywillbeearningameagerlivingstipendanduponcompletionoftheircommitment,willreceivean
educationaward. Thisyear,HabitatforHumanityoftheMississippiGulfCoastwelcomedfourteennewAmeriCorpsNationalDirectmembersfromacrossthenation!They’vetraveledfromMaryland,Michigan,NewYork,Ohio,Pennsylvania,Minnesota,andOxford,MSandseveralarefromtheBiloxi–Gulfportarea.HFHMGCisalsohostingtwoNCCCteamsfromthenewVicksburg,MScampus.Theseteamsaveragetentoelevenmembersrangingfrom18-24yearsofage.TheyhavebeenworkingwithHFHMGCfor6-8weeksandwillbemovingontoanotherorganizationinneedof assistance. They are the first class of AmeriCorps NCCCtobestationedoutoftheVicksburgcampusandthecampuswillbesendingmoreteamstoHFHMGCthroughouttheyear.
Approximately75,000volunteersareengagedeachyearinprogramsdesignedtomeetthe specific needs of communities across the nation.InlargeandsmallcommunitiesAmeriCorpsmembersaretakingresponsibility,learningvaluableskillsandfulfilling their pledge to get things done. Thank youtoallofourAmeriCorps.
2009 AmeriCorps National Direct andVISTA Members
Toprow,lefttoright:DeniseRybak,KurtMorton,JoelLeindecker,JoeStowell,StevenBurkholderCenterrow:SandraMcBride,DanyelHosey,AustinSabbatini,MegPotts,DaveSuydamBottomRow:JennyNieder,MikeCarter,DustinRenaudNotpictured:StevenMortonandTommyWhite
Didyouknow...•100millionpeopleworldwidearehomeless.•Almosthalfoftheworld’spopulationlivesonlessthan$2perday; One-fifth lives on less than $1 perday.•Globally,1outofevery3peoplelivesinaslum.•11millionchildrenundertheageof5dieeachyearfrompreventableillnessasaresultofunsafewaterandsanitation.
A Day of Awareness WorldHabitatDaywascreatedbytheUnitedNationsin1985.Sincethen,ithasbeenusedtofosterincreasedawarenessandconcerntoissuesofpovertyandhomelessness.Thegoalistoencourageeveryonetotakeontheresponsibilityofimprovingourhumanhabitat. Thisyear,HFHMGCcelebratedWorldHabitatDay,alongwithoveronehundredHabitatforHumanity affiliates across the UnitedStates.OnOctober6,morethan100volunteersworkedalongsideourstaffandAmeriCorpsontheconstructionofeighthomesintheConnor’sGardensubdivisioninGulfport,MS. LocalcompaniesincludingtheBeauRivage,BestBuy,HancockBankandWellsFargosponsoredthedayandprovidedeveryonewithT-shirtsandlunch.GulfportMayorGeorgeSchloegelwelcomedthevolunteerstotheGulfCoastduringalunchprogramandWellsFargopresentedHFHMGCwitha$10,000check.Thankyoutoallofoursponsorsandvolunteersforasuccessfulday.
HFHMGC Goes to Asia2009 Jimmy andRosalynn Carter Work Project ThisNovember,representativesfromHabitatforHumanityoftheMississippiGulfCoastwillbemakingajourneytoAsiainhonorofthe2009JimmyandRosalynnCarterWork
Project.Thisyear’sprojectwillbeheldalongtheMekongRiverareaofSouth-eastAsia,withbuild
sitesinChina,Cambodia,Laos,ThailandandVietnam.HFHMGCstaff,boardmembersandfriends,willjoinvolunteersfromallovertheworldforaweek-longbuildandwillworkalongsideapproximately175familiesinanareathatismarkedbydeplorablepoverty. Lastyear’sJRCWPwasheldalongtheGulfCoastandHFHMGCwasfortunatetohostapproximately2,000volunteersaswellasformerPresidentandFirstLadyCarter.Thisyear,HFHMGCisreturningthefavorbytithing$250,000towardstheconstructionofhomesinChiang
Mai,ThailandandKeSatVillage,Vietnam.HFHMGCtithesannuallytosupportsimple,decentaffordablehomesworldwide.ThesponsorshipwillbepaidthroughHFHMGC’sannualtitheoffering.
Mark your calendar:•November15-20,2009:JimmyandRosalynnCarterWork ProjectinThailandandVietnam•February7-April10,2010:CollegiateChallengeSeason•April26-May2,2010:PGAChampionsTouratFallenOakGolf Course Benefitting HFHMGC
The city of Chiang Mai, Thailand will be the host site for this year’s JRCWP
Photo by Mikel Flamm for Habitat World
CEO Chris Monforton and Mayor George Schloegel with Wells Fargo
sponsors
Jimmy Carter inPascagoula, MS 2008
Jimmy Carter inPascagoula, MS 2008
GoingGreenSustainable Building Practices at HFHMGC
HabitatforHumanityoftheMississippiGulfCoastisproudtobealeadingbuilderofaffordablehousingalongtheGulfCoast.Wearecurrentlyevaluatingourconstructionprocessesanddevelopingnewwaystobuildsimple,decent affordable housing that is also energy efficient and sustainable. HFHMGCalreadystrivestobuildahighqualityproduct;weareincorporatingnewefficient and sustainable building practices. Currently, all newly constructed Habitat homes undergoHERS(HomeEnergyRatingSystems)testingandaredesignedtomeetallENERGY STAR requirements. By constructing highly efficient homes, we hope to reduce monthly utility bills by up to 30% for our qualified home-owners. Ourorganizationistakingmeasureablestepstoreducetheimpactourconstructionprocesshasontheenvironment.HFHMGCiscurrentlydevelopinganewSustainable
BuildingPolicytoincorporatethefollowing:•AdoptionofGreenbuildingstandards
•Incorporationofmorerecycledandlowimpactmaterials
•Advancedbuildingandframingtechniquesonallprojects
•Newtechnologiesandmethodstokeeputilitycostsdown
HFHMGCiscurrentlyworkingwithbuildingexpertstodeterminehowbesttobuildaffordableandsustainableHabitathomes.Wearededicatedtoreducingourenvironmentalimpactonthelocalcommunityasweprovidesimple,decentaffordablehousingtodedicatedpartnersalongtheGulfCoast.
ByDougFowler
A Day in the Life of an AmeriCorps NCCC
By Zach Taber and Garrett Wisby
Rustlingoutofbed,wetheelevenmembersofAmeriCorpsNCCC’sRiverSixperformourmorningrituals:webrushteeth,shower,pullonuniforms,packlunchesandwolfdownaquickbreakfastinthecafeteriaatOceanSprings’CampVictor.AnotherdayworkingwithHFHMGChasbegun.AfterfourweekswithHFHMGC,wehaveconstructeda house from floor system to roof, learned the finer points of how to shingleashed,luggedandinstalledappliancesandshelves,laidsodandputininsulation.Today,afterafewdayspracticefinishing and siding sheds, we’ll beapplyingwhatwe’velearned,workingtosideahousefromthegroundup.Weworkwitheagerintensity at first, quickly surveyingthetaskathand,snappingchalklinesandcuttingtheboardsweneed.Thesidinggoesupquickly,andthesharpreportsofnailgunscanbeheard
fromacrossthejobsite.Oursupervisorcomesbytoinspectourwork,pointingoutatragicflaw in our plans- we haven’t matchedthesidingupatthecornersofthehouse!Afewboardswillhavetocomedown,butwelaughitoffandstaypositive.Afteraquickbreak,weredoubleourefforts,workingslower,butsmarter,thesidingcreepingupthehouseboardby board, the flow of progress interruptedonlybybreakstoeatlunchandstayhydrated,untilwehearoursupervisorcall“Cleanup!”.Westowourtoolsandcleanupthesite,tiredandmuddied,butencouragedbyourprogress.Asthedaycomestoaclose,ourteampilesintoourtrustygreengovernmentvantoreflect on our experience before returningtoCampVictorforphysicaltraining,dinnerandafewhoursofrestandrelaxationbeforewestarttheprocessalloveragain.
New homes available in Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs & Gautier!
Qualified buyers may be eligible to receive:•DownPaymentAssistance•0%GapFinancing•ClosingHelpEligibility based upon household income
To learn more, come to one of our upcoming events:
10/28/09 4:30-6:30p.m. OpenHouse 371237thAve.,Gulfport
11/4/09 5:30-6:30p.m. InformationalMeeting InnovationCenter,Biloxi
11/12/09 4:30-6:30p.m. OpenHouse 371237thAve.,Gulfport
11/19/09 4:30-6:30p.m. OpenHouse 3ThriventLane,LongBeach
11/23/09 12:00-1:00p.m. InformationalMeeting InnovationCenter,Biloxi
Formoreinformationcall228-314-0011ext.324orvisitwww.hfhmgc.org
Testing a house for energy efficiency
Affiliate Staff & AmeriCorps MembersLeadership TeamChris Monforton - Chief Executive OfficerBarbara Levine - Chief Operating OfficerScottWalker-DirectorofGovernmentandCommunityRelationsKimBalch-DirectorofFinanceandAdministrationEricaHiggs-DirectorofClientServices
Construction & WarehouseTreyHaney-Sr.ConstructionManagerLeeAnderson-ConstructionManagerTerriBreazealeMikeDurandLoganGrantCalvinHarrisGreggHewinsBradHollandGregLadnerKenLadnerJamieMortonDonaldPoffIrvingSpikesMarkVanamanStevenBurkholderMikeCarterDanyelHoseyJoelLeindeckerSandraMcBrideKurtMortonSteveMortonJennyNiederDeniseRybakJoeStowellDaveSuydamTommyWhite
Land Acquisition & Special ProjectsVictorAlfsen-Pre-ConstructionManagerDougFowler-SpecialProjectsManagerKenForresterScottUnderwood
Client ServicesCorrieBrownCristalHuntTomeshaJohnson
Volunteer ServicesJeannieAntonetti-DepartmentManagerLorenMoylanAustinSabbatini
Community Relations & DevelopmentLindsayFreiseMegPottsDustinRenaud
Finance & Office ManagementDebra Thomas - Office ManagerBelindaMauldinFlowerRobinsonGinaTodd
Board of DirectorsLatan Griffin - ChairmanToddTrenchard-Vice-ChairmanMarciaMcDowell-SecretaryDelmarRobinson-TreasurerArtYoung-PastChairmanJohnArmstrongGaryBlackwellBillByrdMaxineConwayBernieCousinsChrisEstradeBobFavreJenniferGarrawayYolandaGutierrezEdmondHughesCindyLambArnieWilliams1636PoppsFerryRoad,SuiteM-13Biloxi,MS39532www.hfhmgc.org228-314-0011(phone)228-374-4952(fax)
PublishedquarterlybyHabitatforHumanityoftheMississippiGulfCoast,Inc., an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International.
Editors: MegPotts,LindsayFreiseContributors:MegPotts,BerylFair,DougFowler,ZachTaber&GarrettWisbyPhotos: JamieMorton,MikelFlamm,HFHMGCstaffGraphic Design: AustinSabbatini
1636 Popps Ferry RdSte. M-13
Biloxi, MS 39532
Habitat for Humanity of the MS Gulf Coast (HFHMGC) works in partnership with community
stakeholders throughout Harrison, Jackson and Stone Counties to create innovative, sustainable
housing solutions by empowering all members of our community to actively participate in creating
opportunities for people in need totransform their own lives.
Find Us Online!
Wondering what we’re up to? Visit us at www.hfhmgc.org Find us on facebook Follow us on twitter by going to twitter.com/HFHMGC
EQUAL HOUSINGOPPORTUNITY