Home Repair through the eyes of volunteer Austin Brown
If you ask Austin Brown about his favorite moment as a volunteer with Asheville Habitat, his answer might sound like a platitude: “they all are.” But that is not a brush-off.
Tag Archive for: Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity
Habitat receives transformational gift from MacKenzie Scott
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity International and 83 Habitat affiliates receive transformational $436M gift from MacKenzie Scott
Asheville Habitat will use gift to address affordable housing shortage in Buncombe and Madison Counties
ASHEVILLE, NC (March 22, 2022) — Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, along with Habitat for Humanity International and 83 U.S. Habitat affiliate organizations, recently received $436 million in unrestricted giving from American author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. [Of that, Asheville Habitat received $5M.] This transformational donation will substantially help further Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has equitable access to a safe, decent and affordable place to call home.
“We are incredibly grateful and honored to receive this gift. It comes at an opportune time as we are finalizing our ambitious five-year strategic plan that will keep us on track to realize our current 10-year vision of serving another 1,000 families by 2028,” shared Andy Barnett, Executive Director of Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity.
Over the next 3-5 years, Asheville Habitat will use the $5 million donation to ramp up its home repair program, accelerate its new home construction program in Buncombe County, expand services to Madison County, and secure land to build future Habitat neighborhoods.
Affordable housing is needed more than ever before. Housing costs far outweigh local salaries and nearly half of all households in Buncombe County (48.5 percent) are “cost-burdened,” meaning that they pay more than 30 percent of income toward housing. Nearly two in five households in Buncombe are “severely” cost-burdened, paying half of more of all income to meet housing costs. “Receiving these generous and unrestricted funds allows us to scale up our work and meet more of the growing needs of our region,” added Barnett.
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About Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity
Founded in 1983, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity was the first Habitat affiliate in North Carolina. Through Habitat homeownership and home repair programs, 2,000 adults and children in Buncombe County have achieved the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build a better future. A decent place to call home and an affordable mortgage enables Habitat homeowners to save more, invest in education, pursue opportunities and have greater financial stability. Learn more about Asheville Area Habitat, a Charity Navigator 4-star non-profit, and how you can get involved at ashevillehabitat.org.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity found its earliest inspirations as a grassroots movement on an interracial community farm in south Georgia. Since its founding in 1976, the Christian housing organization has grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.
First Two Aging in Place Homebuyers Move HOME
Thanks to a partnership with Deerfield, 8 single-level Aging in Place (AiP) townhomes specifically designed for low-income aging adults are being built in Asheville Habitat’s New Heights neighborhood– and the first two buyers recently moved in.
ReThinking the Holidays
The holiday season is upon us! And after rethinking how we do almost everything this past year, many of us now find ourselves rethinking how to do the holidays. Whether you are staying at home for the first time ever and wondering how to celebrate without gathering, or whether your values no longer align with the traditional consumption and spending-centric holiday model- the ReStore has a few re-thought ideas on how to do the holidays this year… maybe with a little more reuse and home time, and a little less spending and gathering.
5 Reasons to Donate to Asheville Habitat
A donation to Asheville Habitat makes homeownership possible for all of our neighbors, helps provide a stable foundation so children can thrive, allows homeowners to age in their communities, helps break the cycle of poverty, and helps families build strength, stability and self-reliance.
Volunteers needed to build largest-ever neighborhood
We are currently building New Heights, our most ambitious neighborhood to-date, and community volunteers are invited to help build. Take an active role in ensuring everyone has an affordable place to call home by learning new skills or honing existing ones while working alongside community-minded people and future Habitat homeowners.
Asheville Habitat has been bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope for nearly four decades. The reasons people donate their time and talent to Asheville Habitat are as varied as the volunteer themselves. Those who so enjoyed volunteering once on the Women Build House that they keep coming back every week. Those that spent decades in a corporate boardroom and simply want to do something totally different in retirement. Those that work for a company that sponsors Asheville Habitat and therefore have the opportunity to participate in an employee build day. Those that are in high school and learning about our region’s affordable housing crisis. Those putting faith into action by working on a house their church sponsors. How people come to volunteer with Asheville Habitat is wide-ranging. Why they continue to volunteer is the same: Comradery. Meeting the families. Fulfillment. Fun. Making a difference. Feeling part of something bigger.
If you are ready to be the change you want to see in the world, learn more and sign up now or call 828.251.5702. “Volunteers are truly an extension of our staff,” shares Construction Services Volunteer Manager Stephanie Wallace. “We offer year-round opportunities for those age 16+. It’s hard work, but very rewarding. Stepping back at the end of the day, you can SEE the difference you’ve made and feel proud about it.”
If construction isn’t your cup of tea, contact Carrie at 828.210.9381 or cburgin@ashevillehabitat.org to learn about volunteer opportunities in the Asheville and Weaverville ReStores. Proceeds from ReStore sales support Habitat’s building programs, so your volunteer efforts there directly support affordable housing, too. Volunteer positions include customer service, such as running the cash register and providing sales support on the floor; intake and receiving; sorting and processing donations; testing and repairing appliances; and other fun opportunities. Learn more and sign up today!
Lumber prices adds to challenge of building affordable housing
Skyrocketing building material prices, supply chain issues, and a building boom has created a challenging environment in which to build affordable housing. Unlike other builders, Asheville Habitat can’t pass on to homebuyers increased costs.
Women Build During a Pandemic
Working on the 15th Woman Build house has been a very different experience. When the house was started no volunteers were working due to Covid. By the time core volunteers were brought in most of the framing and roof work had been done. I remember the first day I returned to work and Emily asked me if I was OK with climbing in the rafters to do some bracing. Let’s see, I thought. I haven’t swung a hammer or climbed up in the rafters in many months. Plus seeing where to hammer or place my feet with a mask on and fogged up glasses was a challenge. But sure, why not? It took some time to get the hang of it but I did get some work done and didn’t plummet to the floor which I considered to be a good day.
Core volunteer and WOMbat Julie White taking down scaffolding at New Heights Wednesday February 17.
Over the past few months I have had the pleasure of doing a variety of jobs on this house. Insulation was put in during warmer days. The work itself isn’t bad. However, when dealing with insulation you either have to wear a protective suit to keep the insulation off your skin (which is a sweaty mess on a hot day) or take a cold shower upon
Women Build House #15 as of February 17, 2021
arrival at home to keep the insulation on your skin out of your pores. I haven’t decided which is the better (or worse) way to go.
I had one of my most successful experiences with stucco while working with fellow WOMBAT Terri Harris and our wonderful Americorps workers. We were able to get the front of the house and porch pillars done so that work could begin on the porch.
Other jobs I have done include flooring installation, painting, and work on the porch and porch roof. Of course there was also the obligatory building of scaffolding involved with the porch work. Some of these jobs are ones that I don’t typically enjoy. However, I was glad to be back on the job site working on the Woman Build House and didn’t mind the work I was doing.
There is still plenty of work to be done to finish the house before Ikia’s closing date in April. Good progress is being made towards this end. The work that has been done by the construction staff and core volunteers is amazing, especially considering the Covid precautions we take and the wonderful winter weather we have been experiencing. It is always an honor to work on the Woman Build House. I wish all the best to Ikia and her family as they live in their new home.
Julie White
Head WOMBAT and Wednesday Core Volunteer
Before and After: Home Repair for a former ReStore Volunteer
Carolyn knew it was time to do something about her floor when she had to move heavy furniture off of it and avoid walking on it altogether. Fearful she would fall through and injure herself, she turned to Asheville Habitat’s Home Repair program. She was no stranger to Habitat because Carolyn served as a ReStore volunteer for four years.
ReThinking the Holidays
The holiday season is upon us! And after rethinking how we do almost everything this past year, many of us now find ourselves rethinking how to do the holidays. Whether you are staying at home for the first time ever and wondering how to celebrate without gathering, or whether your values no longer align with the traditional consumption and spending-centric holiday model- the ReStore has a few re-thought ideas on how to do the holidays this year… maybe with a little more reuse and home time, and a little less spending and gathering.
Tag Archive for: Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity
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RESTORE – ASHEVILLE
RESTORE – WEAVERVILLE
61 Weaver Blvd. Weaverville, NC 28787
828-484-9432
Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
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