By Cindy Pearce, Home for the Hunts
The project team working to bring the international affordable housing facilitators Habitat for Humanity to Revelstoke have made amazing progress towards reaching their fund raising goal – and they invite the community to help them on the final push to get over the top.
“It’s incredible. In just five months almost $150,000 has been committed to the project in funds, donated materials, trades and through about 40 volunteers,” said Cindy Pearce, the project lead. “Our goal is to raise $200,000 for the project so we’re close now. If any individual, corporation or organization was ever thinking of making a gift to this community initiative, now is the time.”
Habitat for Humanity Kelowna have agreed to partner with the Revelstoke Community Housing Society in a pilot project to bring its program to Revelstoke. Affordable housing is a major concern in Revelstoke and Habitat for Humanity is one way citizens can work together to make a difference.
The Kelowna affiliate of Habitat for Humanity will help with a renovation of Pauline and Simon Hunt’s home to create an accessible, supportive space for their family, which includes two young daughters, as they all learn to live with Pauline’s diagnosis of ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease. Lou Gehrig’s disease is a debilitating illness that eventually requires wheelchair accessibility and costly patient care in the later stages. Patients with ALS become progressively paralyzed due to degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord.
The Home for the Hunts project is a ‘special build’, with the Hunts putting in sweat equity by volunteering on the project and repaying a portion of the costs through an affordable, no-interest loan. These payments will go into a revolving fund, which will be used to build more homes for more families in need in Revelstoke. The team hopes to have enough resources committed by May 15 so they can move through the approval process with Habitat for Humanity Kelowna and the building can start in early July.
A team of co-workers and friends have come together to make this happen for the family and the community. The housing society has agreed to sponsor this pilot to showcase Habitat’s programs to the community and measure the interest in and fit of these programs in Revelstoke. For example, through Habitat for Humanity’s ReNewIt program other homes could be renovated to make them safe, accessible and energy efficient, through interest-free loans to people who qualify.
Revelstoke citizens can get involved in a variety of ways to give this family a hand up – not a hand out as is Habitat for Humanity’s motto – and create the community legacy by bringing Habitat for Humanity to Revelstoke for the long-term:
Visit Home Hardware’s Project Gift Registry and select something specific to purchase for the project.
Make a financial donation, either to the Home for the Hunts community fund at the Revelstoke Credit Union - OR - if you would like an income tax deductible receipt, mail a donation to Habitat For Humanity Kelowna, 1793 Ross Road, West Kelowna, BC V1Z 3E7 (be sure to note Home for the Hunts on your cheque) or contributing online at www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=18591.
Donate your Coopers points – and Coopers will match your contributions dollar for dollar.
Volunteer during construction this summer - fill in the volunteer form at www.homeforthehunts.com
If you’d like to get involved in other ways, contact Cindy Pearce at cindypearce@telus.net or 250-837-3966.