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About Beaches Habitat for Humanity
Our Mission
Our mission is to eliminate substandard housing by putting God's love into action by:
Building quality affordable homes for qualified families in need through partnership with volunteers, community and future homeowners;
Providing training to guide families through homeownership, as well as educational opportunities to allow families to build brighter futures.
- Tithe - Beaches Habitat for Humanity donates 10% of all undesignated dollars to its sister affiliates in Costa Rica.
- Habitat for Humanity International provides affiliates with publicity and informational materials.
- Many in our community are living in substandard housing. The 2000 Census data shows that Beaches area rent is nearly 125% of the state average for comparable living space.
- More than 25% of households in the Beaches area consume greater than 35% of income for rent.
- HUD fair market rent for a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom home in the Beaches area is $850 a month.
- By comparison, monthly payments for a Beaches Habitat for Humanity homeowner average about $450 per month, including taxes and insurance.
- It costs roughly $50,000, excluding land, to construct a Beaches Habitat for Humanity 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom home.
About Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI)
- 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.
- builds or renovates houses in partnership with families who qualify for homeownership based on three criteria: need, a willingness to partner with HFH and an ability to repay a no-interest mortgage.
- works with people of all faiths and people of no faith.
- sells its houses at no profit, with no interest charged following a biblical mandate (Exodus 22:25).
- has built and renovated over 200,000 houses worldwide since 1976.
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 100,000 houses around the world, providing more than 300,000 people with safe, decent, affordable shelter.
Through volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit, financed with affordable, no-interest loans. The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are recycled into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more houses.
Whether in the U.S. or overseas, families in need apply to local Habitat affiliates. The affiliate's family selection committee considers applicants' level of need, their willingness to become partners in the Habitat program and their ability to repay the no-interest loan. Every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing Habitat homeowner families.
If your family, or a family you know, is in need of decent, affordable housing, contact the Habitat affiliate nearest you. If you're not sure where a local Habitat affiliate might be, contact the Habitat help line at 1-800-HABITAT. Your local affiliate can give you information on the availability, size, costs, and sweat equity requirements for Habitat houses in your area, as well as information on the application process.
There are now more than 1,300 active affiliates located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. There also are more than 250 international affiliates coordinating some 800 building projects in 56 other countries around the world.
Habitat is a grass-roots movement. Concerned citizens from all walks of life come together as volunteers to form a Habitat affiliate in their community. Fundraising, house construction, family selection and other key decisions are carried out by the local affiliates. Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) headquarters, located in Americus, Ga., provides information, training, support and other services to Habitat affiliates worldwide.
Donations, whether to a local Habitat affiliate or to HFHI headquarters, are used as designated by the donor. Gifts received by HFHI headquarters that are designated to a specific affiliate or building project are forwarded to that affiliate or project. Any undesignated gifts are used where most needed. HFHI's most recent audited financial statement is available upon request.
An ecumenical, international board of directors determines policy and monitors operations in conjunction with a board of advisors. Board members are dedicated volunteers who are deeply concerned about the problems of poverty housing around the world. HFHI headquarters operates with an administrative staff, assisted by a core group of clerical and support employees and supplemented by long-term and short-term volunteers. Each Habitat for Humanity affiliate is managed by a local volunteer board.
Habitat does not accept government funds for the construction of new houses or for the renovation or repair of existing houses. Habitat does accept government funds for the acquisition of land or houses in need of rehabilitation. Habitat also accepts government funds for "stage-setting" infrastructure needs (streets, sewers, etc.) so long as the funds have no strings attached that would violate Habitat's principles or limit its ability to proclaim its Christian witness.
Beaches Habitat for Humanity is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Executive Director, Ralph Marcello, on the Role of Your Local Habitat Affiliate:
"Most of us can recall at some point in our life, when all we needed was a helping hand. Beaches Habitat is all about helping hands. At Beaches Habitat we are not about a hand out- we are about a hand up. That's right, we help families help themselves to become responsible homeowners and contributing community members."
"If you would like to join us in this mission, we extend a welcoming hand to you. Please consider volunteering or donating. Just like a home is built one nail at a time, we welcome your help one hour at a time or one dollar at a time. If you have thoughts on how we can better serve our mission, I'd like to hear from you (Click Here)."
Ralph Marcello
Executive Director
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