An Invitation from Elaine Wilkerson

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A publication of San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity August 2009

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hope you will participate in the fundraising and material and equipment donation efforts needed to make the new Geneva Street Homes development in Glendale a reality. I first got involved with Habitat for Humanity in 2001. When I arrived as Glendale’s Planning Director, I had the pleasure of attending the dedication ceremonies for the second and third Habitat developments in Glendale. Gardena Avenue has three homes and Orange Street has four residences. The joy of the families when they received the keys to their new homes was infectious. The smiling kids were the most moving. They had survived living in crowded apartments, sometimes in unsafe apartments and neighborhoods. They were so excited to be in their own home in Glendale. There was something magical about seeing this time of joy. After I retired as Planning Director in December 2006 I wanted to do as much as I could to assist SGV Habitat for Humanity in providing decent, affordable homes for hard working, low-income families. I worked for quite a while as a volunteer on city planning issues for Habitat. Recently I became Head of the Fundraising Campaign for the Geneva Homes. The new Geneva Street development for five more homes is the seventh one in the partnership between SGV Habitat for Humanity and the City of Glendale since it all began in the mid 1990s. This will be the first “green” build. We face a big challenge. The Glendale Housing Authority approved this development in June. The Authority will provide the land to Habitat - if we

can raise $400,000 within 14 months. That is when the five deserving families will be selected, and we will need many volunteers to help build the homes. We also need to raise another $200,000 to finish the homes. This $600,000 will pay for building materials and other costs. In addition to these funds, we also need ‘in kind’ donations of building materials.

I want to give you an example of what it means to a family to finally get a decent affordable home in a safe neighborhood, hoping this will motivate

you to help us build the five homes on Geneva Street: Recently I visited Bertha Frausto at her family’s Habitat Home on Palmer Avenue in Glendale. She told me how devastated she was when her family’s first application for a Gardena home in Glendale was not successful. But she tried again. Bertha told me that when the Selection Committee arrived at her apartment to tell her that her family had been selected for one of the Palmer Avenue homes, “It was the best day of my life. I thought I had won the lottery and cried tears of joy.” I invite you to be part of the Habitat experience. There are many ways for you to do so—volunteering on the build site; donating funds or building equipment, supplies and services; and asking your friends to do the same! We have a lot to do. Thank you very much for your help.

Geneva Rendering

“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…” So go the lyrics to a great song from “Porgy and Bess”. Staff and volunteers from SGV Habitat for Humanity might reply to that sentiment with another song from the same show—“It Ain’t Necessarily So.” Have you been by the sites where we are building 15 new homes? No easy summertime living there! Four homes on Sherman Avenue in Monrovia and eleven homes on Kenwood in Glendale are close enough to completion to create a great deal of excitement—among the families who will be purchasing the homes, the neighbors who have watched the building progress, the community where fifteen families will soon enjoy their new homes, and the volunteers who cannot wait to see those families receive the keys to their new front doors. The livin’ ain’t easy as sweat pours down the backs and necks of workers; water is consumed by the gallon and homes rise out of once-barren patches of land. Behind the scenes, staff are

Message from the President

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San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity400 South Irwindale, Azusa CA 91702Tel: 626-387-6899 Fax: 626-387-6890www.sgvhabitat.org

Board of DirectorsClaus Agger-Nielsen Jay Harvill Judd Reas

Jan C. Berensten Cynthia Heydt Janelle Williams

Michael T. Davitt Daric Lee Howard Woo

Tom Doud Deborah A. Loveland

Geroge Garfield John Mac Lean

Donald W. Goodman Paul McAnnally-Linz

StaffExecutive Director: Sonja L. Yates

Director of Construction & Procurement: Chris Olson

Accountant: Sayaka Ota

Volunteer Coordinator: Brittany Klaassen

Office Manager: Catalina Velez

Special Projects Coordinator: Linda Hammes Ecumenical Outreach VISTA: Amy Borton

ReStore StaffManager: Bill Anderson

Assistant Manager: Michael Krecker ReStore Associates: Megan Marotta, Micah Hillis

& Ryan Greer

Drivers: Ricky Brownlee & Jose Gonzalez

Sales: Craig Chew & David Hill

Newsletter Editor: Michael Schutz

Reporter: Linda Magarian

Thank you for supporting Ralphs and your organization during the current Community Contribution Cycle. Ralphs donated almost $3 million this past year through our Community Contributions Program.• All members who are currently enrolled in the program will remain active until August 31, 2009. • Participants will be required to re-register for the new term at

shepherding through plans and permits; volunteers and staff are securing gifts in kind to keep building costs down; donors are making monetary gifts; other volunteers are out in various communities telling the story. Now SGV Habitat for Humanity has a new opportunity—to build five new homes on Geneva Street in Glendale. We are so grateful to the cities who partner with us in the development and rehabilitation of neighborhoods. New homes and new families bring more life to our communities. We appreciate the cities who understand that. I invite you to read our cover story about the Geneva build and the launching of a new campaign in support of that effort. Read, too, about Nicolas Alpazar’s college graduation. That story reminds us all of why we support SGV Habitat for Humanity’s mission to build safe, decent, affordable homes for deserving homebuyers. Join us! Make a gift! Volunteer! Please call Brittany Klaassen at 626-387-6899 to learn ways in which you might volunteer. Donate to our two ReStores (Pasadena and Azusa). Income from the stores supports our operations budget and enables us to put more donor dollars into homes. Say goodbye to the “easy livin’” of summer and become a member of the SGV Habitat for Humanity family. You’ll be glad you did.

www.Ralphs.com or register starting September 1, 2009 using the scanbar at the register. • New registrants will not be accepted during the month of August 2009, but are welcome to register starting 9/1. FOOD 4 LESS If you are participating in the Food 4 Less Community Rewards Program, your participation will continue. Please register your card online at Food4Less.com if you have not yet done so.

Ralphs Community Contribution Program

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“Building on Faith” is Habitat for Humanity’s annual celebration of religious partnerships. It takes place during the summer season and culminates on the International Day of Prayer and Action. This year, the International Day of Prayer and Action is September 20, 2009. We ask all houses of worship in the San Gabriel Valley to partner with us by setting this day aside for community prayer. The International Day of Prayer and Action was established to make housing a matter of conscience in the faith community. Our vision is to place on the hearts, minds, and souls of all people the idea that poverty housing is unacceptable ... and, as God’s people, we can do something about it. If you are interested in participating in SGV Habitat’s observance of the International Day of Prayer and Action, please contact our Ecumenical Outreach Coordinator, Amy Borton, at 626-387-6899 x16 or faithrelations@sgvhabitat.org today!

Watch for our new truck wrap which can now be seen on the freeways and byways of the San Gabriel Valley! This design, created by Volunteer Coordinator Brittany Klaassen, highlights our affiliate’s central mission of building homes and building hope while also reminding the public to “Think Green!” By donating to and shopping at our ReStores, local citizens can reduce, reuse and recycle. Five years of ReStore development and experience has demonstrated that good inventory is the key to high volume sales that support our affordable housing mission. Call today to donate your excess or gently used building materials, appliances or unupholstered furniture. Then mark your calendar for at least one late summer trip to our ReStores to see

International Day of Prayer and Action

WellsFargo Team Build

Hooray for Wells Fargo Bank in El Monte! These volunteers have been “regulars” at the Sherman Build, and they sucessfuly applied for a $10,000 grant to pay for building materials. Thank you, Wells Fargo volunteers!

the exciting and ever-changing inventories:

Pasadena RestoRe 770 N. Fair Oaks AvenuePasadena, CA 91103626-792-3838

azusa RestoRe410 S. Irwindale AvenueAzusa, CA 91702626-387-6900

It pays to get to know our ReStore Manager Bill Anderson and Assistant Manager Mike Krecker. They will help you schedule a pick-up for your donations, and they’ll also help you find the right materials for your home

maintenance or home improvement projects. In these challenging economic times, you’ll find bargains galore at our ReStores, and Bill and Mike will also provide helpful tips to make your projects successful.

Debut of Mobile Advertising for SGVH’s ReStores

CONGRATULATIONS, NICOLAS!NONPROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE PAID

PASADENA, CAPERMIT NO. 224

Inside: An Invitation 1

President’s Message 2

Wells Fargo Team Build 3

Debut of Mobile Advertising 3

International Day of Prayer 3

Congratulations, Nicolas 4

Please e-mail us so we can update your e-mail for our mailing list: info@sgvhabitat.org

San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity 400 South Irwindale AvenueAzusa, CA 91702

Nicolas Alpazar is on his way! Nicolas, who lives with his parents in a Habitat home on Palmer Avenue in Glendale, just graduated from the University of Southern California with honors. In a time when most college students require five to six years to complete an undergraduate degree, Nicolas completed his course of studies in four years with a double major in Business Administration and Accounting. His Bachelor of Science degrees are from the Marshall School of Business and the Leventhal School of Accounting. Nicolas graduated cum laude and also was honored with The Order of Troy, which is given to graduating seniors who have demonstrated extraordinary service and commitment to the USC campus community. The honorees represent the best of leadership and have distinguished themselves in a variety

of organizations and activities. They have made positive contributions to the university by volunteering service to their peers and/or their community. They have excelled academically and have made significant contributions to build community and to promote the understanding and acceptance of cultural, ethnic and religious diversity. They have volunteered as tutors and mentors. Nicolas is employed at Ernst & Young and has accepted a position as Auditor. Nicolas’s family purchased their SGV Habitat home in 2005. Gia and Greg, Nicolas’s very proud parents, wrote, “We’re very blessed and thankful knowing that our partnership with SGV Habitat for Humanity made this milestone easier for our family to accomplish.”

Congratulations from the entire SGV Habitat family to Nicolas, Gia and Greg!