It's November 27—Happy Giving Tuesday!
Giving Tuesday is a "global movement to inspire individuals to help others through the gift of time, donations, goods or using their voice in support of a cause." This year, we're asking supporters to sign up to support our Multiplying the Impact campaign, as we seek to double the number of Habitat homeownership opportunities we're able to provide for local families.
With Thanksgiving just days away, are you looking forward to or dreading the family table conversations? If you fall into the latter category (even if you don't), you might get a good laugh from this 2015 sketch on Saturday Night Live called "A Thanksgiving Miracle." In the sketch, a family barely makes it into their Thanksgiving dinner when they start arguing. But then something happens that miraculously brings everyone together: Adele's hit song "Hello" starts playing, and no one can resist singing along. It's hilarious.
At Habitat, we know something else that brings people together: home. We believe that everyone deserves a safe, stable place to call home. When we advocate for policies that support affordable housing, politicians of every political stripe get on board. Here are a few ideas of things you can do with your family that also make a positive difference for housing in the Twin Cities.
For Todd Roach and his family, giving has always been a part of family life.
Halloween has come and gone, and that means it's time to kick off Minnesota's annual season of giving with Give to the Max, starting today through November 15!
Twin Cities Habitat relies on support from the local community in order to carry out our work each and every day. The material donations and financial contributions help us combat high costs associated with construction and repair work, and helps to keep mortgages affordable for homebuyers. One group of donors help to lay the foundation for our work by making convenient, ongoing monthly contributions to our organization. These sustaining donors are members of our Carpenter's Club.
Guest Blog by Grant Gray
Leadership Giving Officer
With hot coffee and fresh donuts in hand, Builder's Circle volunteers gathered at a Habitat build site for a morning safety talk from Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Site Supervisor Dave Madzo and AmeriCorps Matt Benson. As they wrapped up the talk Dave reminded the volunteers that at the heart of everything we do, “Habitat is about building communities."
The basic philosophy of Habitat for Humanity is simple: neighbors working alongside neighbors to create safe, stable homes and strong communities. But the story of each house has unique characters—homebuyers, volunteers, sponsors, donors, site supervisors, neighbors—who fill the home with energy and love.
Summer can be busy, and not every Habitat supporter can spend a day volunteering on a Habitat build or home repair site. That's why we've put together a list of fun ways you can support Habitat's mission and enjoy our Minnesota summer, too!
After Jan Pederson retired as a social worker with Ramsey County, she did not slow down one bit. She was all about helping people. Among many things, she served lunches for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity volunteers every summer through her church, Centennial United Methodist, part of the Holy Hammers Coalition. When Jan passed away in 2016, it wasn’t surprising for those closest to her that she laid out her estate to benefit organizations close to her heart, like Habitat.
Guest blogger:
Laura Tanner, Major Gifts and Planned Giving Officer
For many people, the holiday season is a time for reflection and gratitude. Last week, we took a morning to thank some of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s Legacy Circle members who have thoughtfully included Habitat in their will or retirement plans.