Guest Blog by Shannon Twiss
Resident Outreach Coordinator
Over 70 volunteers came to Morgan Avenue in the Jordan neighborhood of North Minneapolis as early as 6:30 a.m. on Saturday to set up for the 2017 Jordan Week of Kindness celebration. Coffee in hand and ready to work hard, they prepared a resource fair, block clean-up, and planting projects.
Home dedications are celebrations of challenging work, determination, volunteerism, family, and faith. They are also a great reminder of living in the present and rejoicing in new beginnings.
We've compiled a list of tips for those in search of their first home, and a few suggestions for once you've purchased your very first home!
Guest Blog by Amanda Meemken
Women Build Volunteer
When your group arrives at the Women Build site, you’ll be greeted by a Habitat Site Supervisor. For the past month, that has been Ashley Rose. I recently had the opportunity to meet this awesome woman, and I want you all to as well.
Kenny Drangstveit used his carpentering skills to build houses for Habitat for more than twenty years and he is an inspiration in the eyes of many. Kenny and his wife, Helen, welcomed us into their beautiful home, which he helped build, to share his Habitat journey and some of his memorable moments.
There is a wealth of knowledge to learn when volunteering for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. From working the front desk, to teaching homeownership classes, to building Habitat homes—volunteers are a fundamental part of creating positive change in the community, and one of those caring, committed volunteers is Tim Blaisdell.
Nothing takes the sting out of the frustrating debasement that is today’s political dialogue than pounding a 16-penny nail into a floor tress of a Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity house. I only know to use the term “16-penny” after showing my Habitat supervisor two differently sized nails and asking him to pick the one he wanted.
Women Build is a month into the 2017 season and going full steam ahead! Since June 5th, all-female teams have been crushing it daily at the Women Build site in North Minneapolis. So far, 19 Team Leaders have recruited women crews and fundraised to support their build days.
On the gorgeous evening of June 29th, three Habitat families celebrated the start of the summer in their new Habitat homes.
We are thrilled to announce that Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity has received $247,108 in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service programs.
This investment will support 26 AmeriCorps members total—22 at Twin Cities Habitat, and an additional 4 who will serve with other Habitat affiliates throughout Minnesota. AmeriCorps members in our program serve in three, six, or twelve-month positions. Without their dedicated service, Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the country would struggle to meet the needs of their communities.