What is Habitat for Humanity International?
Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing
ministry. HFHI seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the
world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses
together in partnership with families in need.
Habitat has built more than 100,000 houses around the world, providing more than
500,000 people in more than 2,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable
shelter. HFHI was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller along with his wife Linda.
How does it work?
Through volunteer labor and 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 used to build still more
Habitat houses.
Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the
monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their
own labor -- sweat equity -- into building their Habitat house and the
houses of others.
What's happening in the Zelienople area?
Habitat for Humanity of Butler County, Southwest Chapter, as the name
implies, serves the Boroughs and Townships in southwest Butler County.
We have completed five houses since 1991 and started the sixth house in
Zelienople on July 27, 2002, completed December 2005. Habitat for Humanity
will be beginning two new projects in April of 2009 in Connoquenessing and
in Cranberry Twp.
Our chapter meets the first Tuesday of every month at Calvin Presbyterian Church in Zelienople at 7:30 PM. We are in need of volunteers to help with the different committees and work groups to work Saturdays on site. If interested join us on Tuesday or contact Judy Kercovich at (724) 452-7560 ext 126 or (724) 774-5746.
The following pictures show the five houses we've done in various stages of construction and the groundbreaking for the sixth house.
