Habitat Repairs! 82 and Counting
Habitat Repairs! in Catawba County is now three years old. Starting with a grant from Thrivent in 2015, and continuing through the generosity of many private and corporate donors, Habitat Repairs! has raised over $1,000,000 to help low income homeowners stay safe, warm and dry in their own homes. We are now working on our 82nd repair.
Our work includes roofs, plumbing, exterior maintenance, painting, handicap ramps, making safe entrances and exits, gutters repairs, decluttering HVAC, and electrical repairs.
Original roof on a 100 year old house:
Satisfied Mortgage, Proud Mom
Judy Ikard’s son, Brandon, was 14 years old when she applied for a Habitat home. Now she has successfully paid off her mortgage on her Habitat home, and she credits that home with the stability and security that Brandon needed to thrive. Brandon graduated from East Carolina University with a B.S. in Business Administration and a B.A. in Information Technology. His music has been featured in Hip Hop weekly magazine, and he has songs on The Rob and Big Show, CSI Miami, and Breaking Bad. He is also a winner of the ASCAP Music Award. Here’s what Judy wants to say about her Habitat experience:
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Habitat for Humanity for giving me a chance to become a homeowner. This came at a time in my life when I was determined to remove my young son from a neighborhood that I grew up in and loved dearly. At that time the crime rate and drug epidemic was at an all-time high, which motivated me to seek homeownership in a safer neighborhood.
Being able to connect with Habitat was the best thing that could have happened to me at this time. Getting a visit from the committee that informed me that I had been chosen to become a homeowner was life changing. The journey for a better life for me and my son had just begun. Granted, there were many obstacles along the way, such as job loss, losing loved ones, and illness. Through it all I was determined to never give up. Being able to see my son graduate from college with two degrees was truly worth it.
During the good and not so good times there was never a time that I couldn’t reach out to someone at Habitat and receive words of encouragement, recommendations, or just those powerful words “you can do it”, “don’t give up”! These things really meant a lot."
National Women Build Week Recap
From May 5-13, Habitat and Lowe's engaged women nationwide to work together and build Habitat homes during the 11th annual National Women Build Week! The goal of National Women Build week is to inspire and empower women to advocate and help Habitat homeowners love where they live through building or improving an affordable place they can call home. We want to engage women of all skill levels to join their friends, families and neighbors to build up our communities and lend a hand.
Why ReStore?
The ReStore exists to support Habitat Catawba Valley’s mission of providing decent, affordable housing to hardworking, low-income families. Profits generated from ReStore sales help to build new houses and provide critical repairs to older, owner-occupied houses in our community.
Even though at the ReStore our end result is retail sales, think of the ReStore as a Donation Center, focused on collecting donations from local families and individuals, corporations, businesses, civic groups, and manufacturers. These donations are processed: unloaded, cleaned, sorted, researched for value, and merchandised by staff and volunteers.
Habitat’s Generational Impact
Quotations from parents:
“Our house saved me—saved my whole family. It made us safe, and that changed everything.”
“When we became Habitat homeowners, it didn’t change our income or many of the challenges through the years, but it did mean that we went through those challenges together, safe in our own home, and that made all the difference.”
Volunteer Recruitment Meeting
Join Habitat in building something better in our community! We are hosting two Volunteer Recruitment Meetings this month to go over all the ways you can serve with Habitat Catawba Valley! Come explore our service opportunities in new construction, repairs and the...
Crochet and Connections
"I went to the hospital with a friend years ago, and a lady was sitting there crocheting, and she seemed so content. She said that it gave her something to do with her hands, and it kept her calm. It helped her so much that her husband wanted to learn, and so she...
Overlooked, Underserved, Uncounted
By Mitzi Gellman, Executive Director A near capacity crowd gathered in Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Grace Chapel on March 5th to learn about issues facing Catawba County’s homeless population. Sponsored by Hickory’s Police Department, the event featured a panel of...
Habitat’s Ramirez-Escobar Family Pays Off Mortgage
The Ramirez-Escobar family paid off their mortgage recently. Here is their story: "Our lives have changed enormously since our arrival in this country seventeen years ago. We arrived with a suitcase full of dreams and hopes for a chance to rebuild our life. One of...
