Kristen Riley had tears of joy in her eyes when she was told on Sunday that she would be the newest partner family of Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County. Kristen and her three children, Joelie, 8, Zia, 7, and Kale 4, had just attended church service at Rock Creek Church and were eating lunch when they were approached by the group.

“Kristen had the greatest need and a strong financial situation,” Lisa Rivers, a member of the Habitat Board, said.

Riley applied for a Habitat project in September and was chosen by the Family Selection and Support Committee out of eight applicants. Riley and her children have lived in Ottawa for the past six months. Moving from El Dorado, Riley and three children moved in with a friend and currently all share a room.

Riley is employed with New Century Air Service in Garner as an office manager. She previously hadn’t considered home ownership due to financial burdens but the Habitat for Humanity agreement has made that possible. Riley reports that her children are excited to pick the color of their room and that their family dog, which had been living with an aunt since the move, will be reunited with the family.

Next volunteers will begin refurbishing a home at 613 N. Hickory St and as a part of the agreement; Riley will put in 200 hours of “sweat equity”, where she, too, will work on the house. New flooring, landscaping, deck work and adding an additional room to the basement, are all listed among the remodeling “to-do” list.

Amy McFadden, present of the Habitat board, said she was excited about this partnership and, “She just felt like the right person for this house.”

Habitat will be hosting their first official workday of 2012 on January 28 to begin the remodeling process. If you are interested in volunteering or providing lunch for volunteers, please e-mail us at hfhofc@sbcglobal.net or call us at 785-242-2600.

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Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County has been in operation since 1993 and has been responsible for building and rehabilitating over twenty homes in the Ottawa area. Habitat homes are not free. Recipients repay a zero-interest loan for the cost of living in the home. Partner families are also required to contribute to Habitat through “sweat-equity”. To learn more about Habitat of Franklin County, please visit habitatfranklincounty.org.

Ottawa, Kan.— Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County learned last week that it has been awarded a $5,000 grant by the Bank of the West- Ottawa branch. Habitat for Humanity was awarded this grant for its commitment to providing decent and affordable housing in Franklin County. Earlier this fall, Habitat learned that, pending a successful campaign, it would be the recipient of $8,000 in funding from United Way.

Habitat plans to use the grant money in its newest initiative called “A Brush with Kindness” (ABWK). ABWK serves low- and fixed-income homeowners who struggle to maintain the exterior of their homes. ABWK provides assistance with repairs to porches, decks, guttering, and sidewalks, as well as painting, caulking, and landscaping needed to correct water runoff issues that when left unaddressed cause structural damage.

Habitat’s first recipient of ABWK is Delorah Barber. Barber is proud to own her own modular home, but it is plagued with multiple structural issues making it difficult and sometimes dangerous to live there. Volunteers will partner with Barber on Saturday, November 12, to replace the dilapidated front porch and back steps which have caused her injuries as she attempted to enter or exit her home.

 
“Being selected for Habitat’s A Brush with Kindness program is like having my own Extreme Makeover,” stated Barber.

Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, and has been serving the people of Franklin County since 1993. Volunteers provide most of the labor, and individual and corporate donors provide money and materials to build and renovate homes. ABWK recipients, as with all families with whom Habitat partners, will repay a zero-interest loan that covers the cost of the materials needed to make the repairs. Partner families also invest in the Habitat mission by contributing their own “sweat equity” hours toward Habitat projects, either on their own homes, on the homes of others, or through various Habitat activities.

“We are extremely grateful to Bank of the West and to United Way for helping us establish our new A Brush with Kindness project through this funding. These monies will allow us to develop a deep inventory of tools and supplies that will allow us to send out teams of volunteers to complete ABWK projects all over the county. The need is so great. We anticipate being able to serve many more families through ABWK than we have heretofore been able to serve by building new homes. We are thrilled that our first-ever ABWK project is currently underway. We thank Bank of the West and United Way for recognizing Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County as an organization worthy funding,” says Carine Ullom, chair of the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County.

Habitat for Humanity invites the community to assist with A Brush with Kindness at its November 12 workday. The group plans to get started Saturday morning at 9 A.M. and will provide lunch for those who RSVP by calling 785-242-2600. If you’re interested in becoming involved with Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County or learning more about their efforts, contact them at 785-242-2600.

Paint cans used to collect money from the children at Sacred Heart Catholic School on Friday as part of their Service Wear fundraiser Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County was selected to receive their tithe. The children signed the extension ladder they bought with the money collected.  Carine Ullom, President of Habitat, visited with the children about Habitat and a program called A Brush With Kindness, at their opening assembly that day and to accept the ladder on behalf of Habitat.

Habitat for Humanity will mark a major milestone Oct. 3 when it dedicates its 500,000th house in Maai Mahiu, Kenya, and begins construction on its 500,001st house in Paterson, N.J. Volunteers and homeowners from Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County will join in celebrating the milestones as part of events being held worldwide to mark World Habitat Day.

HfH of Franklin County is among the more than 2,300 Habitat affiliates worldwide that have made this milestone possible, having built and fixed up over 20 houses since its founding in 1993.

The milestone houses represent the steady increase in Habitat for Humanity’s scale and scope to help more families in need of decent, affordable housing. In 2005, Habitat celebrated its 200,000th house. Six years later, Habitat for Humanity has more than doubled that number through new, rehabilitated, repaired and improved homes.

“It is a testament to the power of what God can do when people come together to build homes, communities and hope,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “I am so grateful to all of the volunteers, donors and advocates who share our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.”

In Kenya, Habitat for Humanity will complete the 500,000th house on Oct. 3 in partnership with families who were displaced after post-election violence erupted in the country in late 2007.  That same day, volunteers will raise the walls on Habitat’s 500,001st house in Paterson, N.J. The house will be built in one of the inner-city neighborhoods where Paterson Habitat for Humanity has been continuously building since 1984.

Habitat for Humanity is a worldwide organization that operates in nearly 80 countries, including all 50 states in the United States, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Thanks to Habitat for Humanity’s help, a family somewhere in the world improves its housing situation every 7 minutes of every hour of every day of the year. In 2010, Habitat for Humanity served a record 74,960 families in need.

You can now check out the Summer 2011 edition of “Habitat Happenings” here!

Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County is now accepting applications from potential partner families to work with us to rehabilitate a three bedroom, one bath Habitat home on the north side of Ottawa.   Habitat homes are not free. Families who partner with Habitat receive an interest-free loan for the cost of the home and must pay a $500 down payment, paid in installments, and must contribute 200-300 hours of “sweat equity” by working on their own home or on other Habitat projects.  After the family moves into their new home, they make monthly payments on their mortgage, which are usually in the $400-$450 range.  Eligible applicants must demonstrate a stable income, an acceptable credit history, and minimal debt.

Applications are available by calling 785-242-2600 or on-line at http://habitatfranklincounty.org under the “Become a Homeowner” tab.  The deadline to apply is September 30, 2011. Applications must be mailed to: Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County, PO Box 291, Ottawa, KS. 66067.

Habitat homes are for families who need a better place to live and are willing to take on the responsibilities of home ownership, who can show ability and willingness to pay a monthly mortgage that is of an amount similar to or less than their current rent, and who show a “willingness” to partner by providing their application materials on time and fully completed by the deadline, and by engaging fully in the process of earning their sweat equity hours.

More information is available by calling 785-242-2600, or on our website at: http://habitatfranklincounty.org, or on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/HabitatFranklinCo.

Interested applicants should read this letter and fill out the application form below.

Application form (pdf): Family Selection Application

Learn more about becoming a homeowner with Habitat here.

Habitat has partnered with the Lutheran Youth Service Weekend to work at a Habitat home that is being rehabilitated.  We are in need of the following items for Saturday, August, 13th from 8:00 a.m. to noon: power washer, shop vac (with filter), and snacks for 25 people.  If you can help provide any of these items, please email us at hfhofc@sbcglobal.net with your phone number and the best time to call and we’ll get back to you ASAP with further details.  The ideal scenario would be that you’d be able to deliver and pick up these items on the day of the event.

Thanks in advance!

It’s all the buzz around town! Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is building in Franklin County this week. Hundreds of volunteers have stepped up to the plate to help build, provide lunch, donate materials and to show moral support. If you have been one of those volunteers that has enjoyed your experience with EMHE, you may consider helping with Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County in the future!

Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization. Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with people in need to build and renovate decent, affordable housing. The houses then are sold to those in need at no profit and with no interest charged.

Volunteers provide most of the labor, and individual and corporate donors provide money and materials to build Habitat houses. Partner families themselves invest hundreds of hours of labor – “sweat equity” – into building their homes and the homes of others. Their mortgage payments go into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more houses.

Volunteers are needed for a variety of things- everything from helping with a local golf fundraiser, to painting, to providing lunch. We would be more than happy to speak with you (or your organization) about your interests to find the best volunteer opportunity for you. We may not be on television, but HfH has been improving homes and families in Franklin County for nearly 20 years! If you are interested in volunteering with Habitat, shoot us an e-mail at hfhofc@sbcglobal.net or find us on Facebook! Just think of the impact we could make if Habitat had the volunteers EMHE has this week!

Below you will find a map of homes built or revitalized by HfH of Franklin County in Ottawa, KS.