Source: Heartland Habitat for Humanit
The first Thanksgiving held in America back in 1621 was held on wooden picnic tables and in a show of support and thanks, The Park Catalog has donated 400 wooden planks to the Heartland Habitat for Humanity in Kansas City, KS.
If you are not familiar with the charity, Habitat for Humanity is an amazing organization. It was created in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller and its purpose is to eliminate substandard housing, homelessness and basically provide places for people to live.
As we gather around the dinner table this Thursday, many of us may take for granted that roof over our heads. But an adequate home is something a large part of the world's population does not get to enjoy. There are an estimated 2 billion people who live in slum housing and more than 100 million are homeless. That's Habitat for Humanity's mission, to create "a world where everyone has a decent place to live."
Habitat largely depends on donated materials, such as our wooden picnic table planks, to build their homes. They also believe in the idea of "rechanneling and reusing" materials rather than sending them to landfills. What they don't use for construction, they sell in their "ReStore" - a retail outlet that sells new, used and surplus materials for 20% to 80% less than retail. Heartland Habitat says this keeps 2,000 tons of materials from going to landfills and instead is recirculated in the community for a great cause.
The other major factor in accomplishing their housing mission is the army of volunteer workers that support Habitat for Humanity worldwide. These people gather and pitch in however they can. Their efforts have certainly been successful. Since the organization started, 800,000 houses have been built or repaired around the world and provide needed shelter to more than 4 million people. That's certainly an incredible accomplishment.
In Kansas, Heartland Habitat for Humanity has built nearly 300 homes in Wyandotte, Leavenworth and Johnson counties in Kansas and Clay and Platte counties in Missouri.
There is an application process to get one of these homes. A selection committee reviews the applicant's needs, their willingness to participate in the Habitat program and their ability to repay a no-interest loan.
Planks for wood picnic table
The homes are not donated outright. They are sold to qualifying partner families with zero percent interest loans. Those mortgage payments are recycled back into the program.
Homeowners are also required to put in 350 hours of sweat equity in the construction of the homes and to complete homeowner education classes. This creates tremendous buy-in and a true sense of pride for a family who occupies one of these homes.
The Habitat for Humanity model is resonating with communities around the world. There are more than 2,100 active chapters in 100 counties including all 50 states in the US. The headquarters is in Americus, GA which provides support to all the Habitat affiliates worldwide.
The Park Catalog is proud to help this group out.
Tom Lally, president and CEO of Heartland Habitat for Humanity said, "We sincerely appreciate your partnership. I speak not just for myself but for the staff of Heartland Habitat, the many homeowners and future homeowners because of what folks like you do simply out of the spirit of giving. Thank you again for joining us in giving hope and miracles to families, neighborhoods and the community."
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, keep Habitat for Humanity in mind no matter where you live. If you have some home materials you can donate to them, whether it's new or used, consider doing so. It can be anything home related - wood and lumber, new carpet or carpet remnants, tile or furniture. Call your local ReStore to see what that particular outlet needs.
If you have some time to donate, consider that as well. As we get ready to eat that scrumptious holiday meal, we're grateful for our homes. And we're grateful there are people out there who donate their time and sweat to groups such as Habitat for Humanity, working hard to provide shelter for people who just need a boost get into a home of their own. Studies show home ownership creates better communities and that grass-roots effort makes for a better country.
To visit the Habitat for Humanity website to find a local chapter, click www.habitat.org.