Views from the Porch - March 2023 E-Newsletter - Essex County Habitat for Humanity

Views from the Porch

March 2023

Helping the elderly one home at a time.

Our most recent Critical Home Repair was for Judith, a lovely elderly woman in Peabody. She and her husband bought their mobile home a long time ago, but since her husband passed away, she has had trouble with upkeep. With a rotting and unsafe deck, she contacted Essex County Habitat for help.

When we went to see the property, we realized it was actually worse than she thought and soon got to work replacing not only the deck, but the back door and steps, some windows and the kitchen floor.

After her new windows were installed with proper insulation, Judith told us she couldn’t believe how much warmer her home was. And after we finished the job she began to cry saying she was overwhelmed by how well it came out and how quickly it went.

We are happy to have had the opportunity to help Judith continue to live safely in her home for years to come.

Support families today

In clashes over new housing, can we turn down the foe's voices?

As noted in a recent Letter to the Editor in the Boston Globe, "Opponents of housing are often labeled as 'the residents' but rarely is this accompanied by survey data or a clear indication that this is a representative voice of a community's residents rather than self-selected outliers. People who attend neighborhood meetings, zoning hearings, and similar public forums do not necessarily represnt the broader community....The framing should reflect something closer to reality rather than the worldview of the loudest NIMBY groups."

So how can we turn down the foe's voices? Advocate to your elected officials. You don't need to speak publicly, but you do need to make your voice be heard. Write, call or email your city council or select board. Tell them you believe housing is a basic human right and that everyone deserves a decent and affordable place to call home.

Golf Fore Homes registration is now open

Join us for the Golf Fore Homes tournament. Not only will you have a great day of golf at this scramble format tournament, including lunch, cocktail reception and an awards ceremony, but you'll also be supporting Habitat's mission of providing safe, decent and affordable homes.

For sponsorship information and registration, click here.

Thank you for your support

Many thanks to everyone who supported us on a build site or at the ReStore this past month! Below are just a few of those who did.

FRSUU

Austin Prep

We'd also like to recognize the following businesses that offered their support:

Massachusetts Mortgage Bankers Association for their generous grant.

Gray Co. Plumbing and Heating for donating all the plumbing in the Salisbury D building.

Become a member of the Building Dreams Society today!

By making a planned or legacy gift to Essex County Habitat, you will become a member of the Building Dreams Society and have the satisfaction of knowing that you have made a lasting contribution to our mission of bringing people together to build affordable homes, strengthen families, and communities, and foster hope.

To learn more, read about Planned Giving here.