Dec. 19, 2024                                              

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Home for the Holidays concluded on Friday with two heartwarming home dedication ceremonies—one in Kissimmee and another in Orange County! This milestone marked the fifth and sixth Habitat homes built by our dedicated partner, Williams Company, and their first time taking on the incredible challenge of constructing two homes simultaneously.

Special thank you to Williams Company and President and Habitat Board member Chris Rollins, as well as their subcontractors, vendors and partners who donated all the materials and labor to build both homes in a matter of weeks!

Also, a big thank you to the City of Kissimmee, Toho Water, Osceola County Government, Orange County Government, Whirlpool, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, Rampart and Mid Florida Materials, as well as Habitat’s Board, staff, volunteers and, you, our supporters!

Congratulations to Gloria and Francisco, and Stephanie, for their hard work and dedication! They improved their credit, paid down debt to qualify for a stable mortgage, and attended nearly a dozen classes to prepare for homeownership success. We are thrilled to welcome them to our growing community of Habitat homeowners!

The holidays came early for the children of some of our Habitat homeowners! We want to say thank you Bear-y much to Wolters Kluwer for generously donating more than 100 Build-A-Bear Workshop stuffy friends for us to share with our homeowner families. We sincerely appreciate your support and the smiles your gift brought to so many faces this holiday season!

Today we want to spotlight two of our newest Habitat homeowners: Chris-Ann and Marcia! Both women closed on their new, affordable Habitat homes in recent weeks.

Chris-Ann said owning her own home means she'll have her American dream.

"It means so much to me since I came to the U.S. as a kid and have been working to build a life for myself and I feel ecstatic that I’ve now accomplished a big part of that dream," Chris-Ann said.

Marcia applied for Habitat homeownership to find a sense of peace and comfort. After finding out about Habitat Orlando & Osceola through Facebook, she applied and laid the foundation for her family's future.

“Owning my own home will help my family drastically both financially and other wise,” she said.

Let’s be honest—when was the last time you gave your sink’s garbage disposal a thorough cleaning? While this appliance works hard every day, it often gets overlooked in terms of maintenance. If you're noticing unpleasant odors or buildup, your disposal might be to blame. Here’s how to give it the fresh start it deserves: 

Clean the Rubber Flaps: Use a scrub brush or old toothbrush with warm water and dish soap to clean under the rubber flaps. Many disposals have flaps that pop out for easy cleaning. If there’s stubborn gunk, let them soak in vinegar for a deeper clean. 

This month, we’re proud to shine the spotlight on Liberty Investment Properties, a valued partner helping us build homes, communities, and hope!

Here’s what Liberty had to say about their journey with Habitat Orlando & Osceola:

🔹 Why get involved?
“We’re passionate about making a local impact. Habitat Orlando & Osceola is a proven leader in creating lasting change, making them a natural partner for us.”

🔹 Mission-driven partnership
“At Liberty, yield and impact drive everything we do. Our mission includes fostering growth and empowerment for our team. By giving back and encouraging philanthropy close to our hearts, we align with this mission.”

🔹 Volunteer experience
“Our time on-site was hard work, but incredibly rewarding! Collaborating with like-minded groups to support our community made the experience even more meaningful.”

To Liberty Investment Properties: Thank you for leading with purpose and showing us all what it means to be a true community champion! Your commitment inspires us every day. 🙌

Thinking about getting your organization involved? Liberty says it best: “The chance to make a meaningful impact is invaluable. Give it a try!”

We need our community to come together and face the housing challenges that increasingly affect more people. This past year, we built and repaired homes, provided education and housing counseling, and researched solutions to the broader housing crisis.

Together, we are working to unlock the full potential of our community. I hope you will help us make an even bigger impact in 2025 by making a year-end gift today!

Donating your old vehicle is an easy way to start the year off right! Your vehicle donation helps fund affordable housing programs in your community, offering hope and stability to local families.

Turn your resolution into action and make a difference today. Free towing, a potential tax deduction, and the power to create positive change—it's a win-win!

Taller virtual para compradores de vivienda por primera vez (8 horas)
En persona
Únase a Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando y el condado de Osceola en nuestro taller para compradores de vivienda por primera vez.

Financial Literacy: Budgeting
In person
Completing this class means learning healthy spending habits, learning how to organize & monitor your finances and so much more.

Financial Literacy: Savings
In person
In this class you will learn how to save for the future and the importance of an emergency fund.

Virtual Orange County Certified First-time Homebuyer Workshop (8-Hours)
Virtual
Ready to take the step into Homeownership? Join Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County for our First Time Homebuyer Workshop.

🛠️ Roof Replacement offers free replacements of roofs for qualified Orange County homeowners. We expect the new round to open soon. Learn more >

💲 Orange County’s Financial Empowerment Center provided exclusively through Habitat Orlando & Osceola is offering free one-on-one financial counseling appointments. Learn more > 

🤝 Housing Counseling offers free 1:1 sessions with housing counselors and First-time Homebuyer Workshops to those looking to buy or preserve a home. Learn more >

🌀 Habitat Inspects Program offers free wind mitigation and 4-point inspection vouchers that could help reduce home insurance costs, and uncover home maintenance issues. Homeowners saw a $900 average annual savings through our program over the last year! Learn more >

📙 Habitat U offers free classes on financial literacy, disaster preparedness, home maintenance, estate planning, and more. Learn more >