Guest Blog by Jackie Peak
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Staff
Summer is a time for BBQ, brews and live blues music! On Saturday, August 5th Mount Olivet Lutheran Church of Plymouth held their 6th Annual Blues, Brews N BBQs, with more than 1,000 music fans and food lovers in attendance.
“We’re here to educate, empower, and protect.”
That was one of the first things Susan Schroeder, Financial Empowerment Program Developer at Dakota County, says as we sit down for a conversation in her office. Together with her colleague, Russell Crissman, they’re doing things differently at Dakota County—in a good way.
State Farm is a consistent sponsor of Habitat for Humanity’s youth programs, regularly supporting Campus Chapters and engaging youth in disaster rebuilding and recovery efforts. This year, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) was awarded a $2,000 matching grant and a $1,000 capacity building grant to expand our youth programs. This enabled TCHFH to engage over 400 youth in Hands-On Building workshops and exceeded the $2,000 fundraising goal by raising $2,830!
We're excited to announce that all summer long (June 1 - August 31, 2017), we will be the featured Charity Partner of Sencha Tea Bars here in the Twin Cities! As part of this partnership, Sencha has created a new summer drink to support Habitat for Humanity:
Faith groups that partner with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity are helping to eliminate poverty housing and build a stronger community. They commit money and volunteers, putting their faith in action to help build, repair and rehab homes alongside hard-working, low-income families.
“It’s not if you can buy a home, but when.”
That’s what Linda White, Homeownership Advisor at Model Cities, tells the families she’s preparing for homeownership through one-on-one financial coaching. With her background in banking and extensive knowledge of the homeownership process, Linda will meet with clients as many times as they need to work with them on their dream of homeownership.
Great things are happening at Bii Gii Wiin Community Development Loan Fund, a referral partner with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. Like Twin Cities Habitat, Bii Gii Wiin offers financial coaching and prepares people for homeownership. But they offer other services too, such as free tax preparation through a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, micro entrepreneurship training for opening a small business, an Individual Development Account program, a credit enhancement loan product, and financial and homeownership workshops.
Amber Leger, VITA Site Coordinator and Executive Assistant at Bii Gii Wiin, says of the programs at Bii Gii Wiin: “It’s the client’s dream and I’m here to build that with them.”
Guest blog by Jessa Anderson-Reitz
Twin Cities Habitat Staff Member
Thrivent Builds with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity began in 2005, with the mission of providing affordable housing to families. This partnership engages Thrivent members and volunteers to make a difference in their community and engages families to build on the cornerstone of financial security through affordable homeownership. Together, Thrivent and Habitat for Humanity have partnered in neighborhoods throughout the US and across the globe to make a real difference for families and individuals.
From May 9 - 14, Habitat affiliates across the U.S. partnered withValspar during Valspar National Neighborhood Week to tackle projects in their local communities. Projects ranged from landscaping to home builds, with Valspar providing more than $2.5 million in paint donations and financial contributions, in addition to thousands of volunteer hours to the affiliates that participated.
In a challenge that resembles something out of the hit show Project Runway, Twin Cities Habitat is partnering with students from The Arts Institute International Minnesota (Aii) to create unique fashion designs inspired by this year's Hard Hat & Black Tie Gala theme.