 Views from the Porch January 2022 News  Groundbreaking at newest project On December 16, gold shovels scooped up fresh dirt at the ground breaking ceremony for Essex County Habitat for Humanity’s newest affordable homeownership project in Lawrence. The property will include two semi-detached homes; a three-bedroom and a four-bedroom, and provide two families with the foundation for success and a better future. Meegan O’Neil, Executive Director of Essex County Habitat for Humanity kicked off the event by explaining that the future success of a homeowner is due to the partnership Habitat creates between the family and elected officials, volunteers and donors who all work together to build the home. Board Chair, Richard Sumberg, went on to say “We haven’t been building in Lawrence the last couple years, but most of those 150 homes are in Lawrence,” referring to the number of houses Habitat has built since its founding in 1985. He also recognized the pro-bono work done by engineers as well as the many volunteer builders in attendance. Having been instrumental in getting funding for Habitat through the ARPA bill, State Senator Barry Finegold stated “Lawrence, Mass has had the 3rd largest growth in population of any single city in the Commonwealth of Mass. Which is really great, but the problem is that we don’t have enough affordable housing here in the city. And that is why the project we’re doing with Habitat is so important.” Closing out the ceremony was Mayor Brian De Pena who thanked Habitat for their commitment to the city of Lawrence. The homes will take about 18 months to complete at which time two deserving families, selected by lottery, will take ownership and begin building their new futures. To watch full video of groundbreaking, click here.
Strengthening Communities  We all know how Habitat helps homeowners, but what you may not know about is the long-lasting changes affordable homeownership makes in communities. For example:
Sources: Haurin, Parcel, Haurin 2000; Homeownership Alliance of Nonprofit Downpayment Providers; Harkness and Newman 2003 Thank you for your support  As we begin a new year, we would like to take a moment to thank all of our donors, partners, sponsors and volunteers for their generosity in 2021. It is only through your help, that we are able to accomplish our mission of building strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter. Over the last year, we were able to move 7 families into safe, decent and affordable homes so that they will have a foundation on which to build their futures. They, and we, thank you for your support. Click here to read about who you've helped this year.  Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match charitable contributions made by their employees, retirees, or employees’ spouses. To find out if your company has a matching gift program, please consult with your or your spouse’s employer to make an even larger impact on providing affordable housing to those in need. For questions or more information, please contact Heather Johnston, Director of Charitable Giving at heather@essexcountyhabitat.org or 978-681-8858   Are you looking to give back by volunteering a couple hours (or more!) each week? Think about donating your time to our ReStore near you. You don't have to lift a hammer to help Habitat for Humanity! From customer service to furniture repair, you're sure to find something you love to do here. ReStores rely on volunteers to keep store operations running smoothly. Two hour shifts between 10am and 5pm are available in both the Lawrence and Peabody locations. Will you help? Lawrence ReStore 647 Andover Street 978-686-3323 Peabody ReStore 58R Pulaski Street 978-587-3077 STAY CONNECTED WITH US
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