Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County

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Welcome to Women Build information session

• Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County

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Habitat for Humanity

• Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit
  Christian housing ministry that seeks to
  eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from
  the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of
  conscience and action. Habitat invites people
  from all walks of life to work together in
  partnership to help build houses with families in
  need. Habitat has built more than 225,000 houses
  around the world, providing 1 million people in
  more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent,
  affordable shelter. HFHI was founded in 1976 by
  Millard Fuller, along with his wife, Linda.

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International FactsHow?

• Through volunteer labor and donations of money
  and materials, Habitat builds and renovates
  simple, decent houses with the help of homeowner
  (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to
  partner families at no profit, financed with
  affordable mortgages.
• The homeowners monthly mortgage payments go into
  a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to
  build more houses. Habitat carries out its
  mission at the community level through organized
  groups called affiliates. Affiliates around the
  world raise the funds used to construct houses.
  All Habitat affiliates are asked to titheto give
  10 percent of their contributionsto fund
  house-building work in other nations.
• Families in need of decent shelter apply to local
  Habitat affiliates. The affiliates family
  selection committee chooses homeowners based on
  their level of need, their willingness to become
  partners in the program and their ability to
  repay the no-profit loan.

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Habitat of Gaston County

• Affiliated in 1989, Celebrating 20 year
  Anniversary
• We have a ReStore
• please shop and donate
• Tithe to Honduras
• - next trip June 2010
• Built 77 homes in Gaston County
• 3 more in the works right now
• 44 in Gastonia 1
• 17 in Belmont
• 7 in Mt. Holly
• 3 in Cherryville
• 2 in Bessemer City
• 2 in Lowell
• 1 in Dallas 2

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Women Build Program

• What is the Women Build program?
• Women Build is a Habitat for Humanity
  International program that encourages women to
  make a difference by building homes and
  communities. The program seeks to encourage women
  volunteers to further the home-building mission
  of Habitat for Humanity. Since Women Builds
  official creation in 1998, Women Build volunteers
  have constructed more than 1,000 homes around the
  world.
• Women Build is not about excluding men. It is
  about including women and opening new doors of
  opportunity. Men are often involved in our
  training programs and build projects in
  supportive roles and as subcontractors when women
  from the necessary trades are not available.
• The homeowners are thrilled to finally have a
  home, and women of all ages have proven
  themselves capable in the construction of homes.
  For single mothers, a Women Build is even more
  empowering. Women and men alike have great
  respect and gratitude for the women volunteers
  and for the skills they acquire working side by
  side

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Women Build of Gaston County

• The Women Build department of Habitat for
  Humanity International and Gaston County has one
  mission, and that is to empower women to take
  action against poverty housing conditions. Women
  Build brings together women from all walks of
  life to address in a concrete way the housing
  crisis facing millions of women and children
  across the globe. The more people we can train to
  become effective volunteers, the better equipped
  we will be to fight poverty housingand we are
  training women to do just that.
• Please Get involved!
• Pray for the work of Habitat for Humanity.
• Contribute financially
• Offer your leadership or expertise by being on a
  committee
• Spread the word about Habitat.

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WB Committees

• Fund-raising
• PR/Media
• Volunteer Team
• Special Events Team
• Construction Team
• Amenities team
• Youth Team

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Fund-raising Team

• Women now own more than 50 percent of the
  investment wealth in the United
• States. Women own 43 percent of stock portfolios
  valued more than 50,000
• and 45 percent of investments in other markets.
  Interep Radio Store
• As of 2006, there were an estimated 10.4 million
  women-owned firms in the
• United States. Center for Womens Business
  Research
• The majority (86 percent) of women business
  owners cited a charitys mission
• and efficiency as key factors in their giving
  decisions. National Foundation for
• Women Business Owners
• More than 50 percent of women business owners
  wish to feel an emotional connection
• to the charities they support. National
  Foundation for Women Business
• Owners
• As of 2006, women-owned firms accounted for two
  in five of all businesses in the
• country. Center for Womens Business Research
• Women-owned firms generated 1.9 trillion in
  annual sales and employed 12.8
• million people nationwide. Center for Womens
  Business Research
• Between 1997 and 2006, the percent growth in the
  number of women-owned
• firms was nearly twice that of all U.S. firms.
  Center for Womens Business Research

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PR/Media Team

• Public relations efforts enhance Habitat for
  Humanitys image in the community,
• Primary function is to educate, not merely to
  advertise.
• A well-planned public relations campaign can
  bring multiple benefits to your Women Build event
  and your affiliate.
• Your campaign can provide an opportunity to
  dispel myths about Habitat and any that may arise
  concerning your Women Build event. Remember, we
  offer a hand up, not a hand out!
• Increase goodwill toward the affiliate and
  homeowners
• Recruit volunteers
• Reach potential homeowners
• Increase donors. Potential donors react very
  favorably to an
• event that is garnering publicity

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Volunteer Team

• Volunteers form the backbone of Habitat and your
  build will
• be tackling a largely untapped resourcewomen.
  You wont have
• any shortage of volunteers, however. Once word of
  your event
• gets out, be prepared for an overwhelming
  response. One affiliate
• has had more than 600 women participate since the
  beginning
• of its build. It is by far the largest group the
  affiliate has ever had
• work on a house!
• Volunteer coordination takes strong
  organizational skills
• and good people skills.
• This is a communication team

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Special Events Team

• Any event planned in conjunction with your build
  should be designed either to
• help publicize your event, raise funding or
  entertain/thank your volunteers
• The special events team should work closely with
  the public relations/media team to ensure
  adequate publicity for any event.
• In addition to any fund-raising events this team
  is also responsible for organizing and helping
  with
• Groundbreaking
• Devotions (who will do them)
• Dedication
• The 3rd Annual Carpenters Ball in September

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Construction Team

• Will work with Lowes on How-To-Clinics
• Will be trained to lead others and be crew
  leaders
• Should have some experience
• Plan to be onsite in in the action
• Work with volunteer team

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Amenities Team

• You will, without question, be the most popular
  volunteers on the site! Your meals will not need
  to be complicated. Volunteers are not looking for
  gourmet cooking. They simply need good quality
  foodand plenty of it.
• Work with all the volunteer groups to get
• Snacks
• Lunches
• Water
• First Aid kits

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Youth Involvement Team

• Find ways to involve young women in Women Build
  onsite and off site
• Onsite, over 18 or 16 with a parent
• Find support from local colleges, sororities,
  High Schools, Sports programs, Church programs
• Youth over and under 16 can be involved in
  fundraising, baking, ground breaking, dedication,
  special events, blogging, scrapbooking, video and
  photography

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Lowes of Gastonia and Belmont

• Thank you to Lowes
• Are both partners
• Will offer free HOW TO Clinics
• Will provide volunteers

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The beginning.

• Now is the time..
• Join the steering committee or be on one of the
  committees!