Habitat for Humanity
The Madeleine Inter-Faith Build, 2014-15
The Madeleine is building a second Habitat for Humanity house as part of an inter-faith build involving various Christian, Jewish, Moslem, and Unitarian faith communities. Volunteers of varying faiths will be working side-by-side for a common goal of building affordable housing for deserving families. The Sebastian-Pascual family will eventually purchase and occupy this home. The home is being built in a development called Trillium Court, located at 6875 S. W. Capitol Hill Road, Portland, Oregon.
Ricardo and Micaela legally immigrated from Guatemala 17 years ago, and their family consists of three children, including an infant. Ricardo is a welder. The family has been living in a two-bedroom apartment in North Portland. As is all-too typical of families seeking Habitat homes, the landlord is slow to respond (or is non-responsive) in making basic repairs (i.e., leaky roof and walls leading to serious mold problems and health issues). These are the basics we enjoy and often take for granted.
The Sebastian-Pascual Family
The building of a Habitat house in the Portland Metro/East affiliate costs $60,000. The Madeleine is fortunate to not be required to raise funds as a pre-requisite to participating in this inter-faith build. Instead, we will focus on providing volunteers to work on the construction site alongside other faith communities, and to further the reign of God outside our church walls.
Volunteer Construction Opportunities
Volunteer opportunities on the construction site will begin in approximately
early November, and will include some weekends (Saturdays) and the first Wednesday
of every month. Dates will be announced in the bulletin, on this web site,
and via e-mail from our Volunteer Coordinators. If you have not already done
so, please register with our Volunteer Coordinators, Mark and Susan Miller, hoosiersusan2@gmail.com,
503-708-7395, so you don’t miss out on the latest news and volunteer opportunities.
Please be aware that you cannot show up to the construction site without registering
with our Volunteer Coordinators and receiving confirmation that space is reserved
for you.
Working on the construction site is a great family project. However, for safety reasons, no one under the age of 16 is allowed to work on the construction site, and youth ages 16-17 cannot operate power tools. For those who are not old enough to work on the construction site or who may have physical limitations precluding them from actively participating in construction work, we offer equally important hospitality, communication, and photo volunteer opportunities.
Prior to working on the construction site, completed and signed Waivers are required for all volunteers. A separate youth waiver is required for anyone under the age of 18, and must be signed by a parent or legal guardian over the age of 18. Our Volunteer Coordinators are responsible for collecting waivers in advance of your volunteer service, and once signed, are in effect for one year.
Volunteer Leadership Opportunities
We currently have some leadership position vacancies that we wish to fill as soon as possible. If you have a talent you want to share and the Holy Spirit moves you in one of these directions, please contact Co-Chairs Jim Laubenthal or Darlene Maurer.
Hospitality Coordinator – Coordinates the donation and serving of a simple lunch and beverages for volunteers (served at approximately Noon). Invites participation of parish youth who—due to age—are not eligible to work on the construction site.
Communications Coordinator – Communicates the progress of the house construction through bulletin submissions, pulpit announcements, and church web site updates. May include the preparation of a photo book at the conclusion of the build.
Photographer – Takes and collects photos that chronicle the house build at all phases of construction. Provides photos to Volunteer Coordinator and Communications Coordinator upon request. This is an unpaid position, and all photos taken on the construction site become the property of Metro/East Habitat for Humanity.
If you have any additional questions or would like to volunteer, please contact one of the committee members.
About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with low-income people in need to provide simple, decent and affordable homes. The people Habitat for Humanity works with are hard-working, want to improve their family’s lives, and need a little help.
Contrary to what most people may believe, Habitat for Humanity does not give away houses. Habitat provides a "hand-up, not a hand-out" to families. Each family selected to receive a Habitat for Humanity house must complete 500 hours of sweat equity on their home and/or on one of the other homes being built. A family is not formally assigned a house until they have completed 250 hours of sweat equity. They work side by side with Habitat volunteers to build their home, which have a 0% mortgage with reasonable monthly payments. Habitat for Humanity holds the interest-free mortgage and reinvests the monthly mortgage payments to purchase land and build more homes. Stable housing is important to all families, and studies have shown that stable housing has a dramatic impact on the success of children in school and in their overall lives.
Habitat has in place an application process that thoroughly screens prospective families. This screening process looks at the following: (1) need (including the family’s current living conditions), (2) ability to repay a mortgage, and (3) an interest in partnering with Habitat for Humanity. Where applicable, this screening process also includes verification of immigration papers. Highlighting the ongoing need for safe, healthy, and affordable housing, there are significantly more applicants than Habitat for Humanity has the funding and capacity to build homes. Oftentimes, a family is not approved the first time they apply, but may be approved in subsequent applications. Persistence pays off!
Families are also required to take classes offered by Habitat for Humanity on such topics as finance/budgeting and home repairs. The idea is that the more tools Habitat for Humanity can put in the hands of first time homeowner families, the more successful they will be as homeowners and contributing members in their community.
The Mission of Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to generating homeownership and benefiting communities by building simple, decent, affordable housing, in partnership with low-income people, volunteers, donors and organizations, with an emphasis on building neighborhoods.
Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International:
- Is a grassroots Christian nonprofit organization dedicated to the elimination of poverty and substandard housing worldwide.
- Believes that every person deserves, at least, a simple and decent place in which to live and grow into all that God intends for them to be.
- Works with people of all faiths and people of no faith.
- Sells its houses at no profit, with no interest charged.
- Has built and renovated over 200,000 houses worldwide since 1976.
History
Founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people from all faiths and walks of life to work together in partnership, building houses with families in need.
Habitat has built more than 200,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1,000,000 people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.