It's beginning to look a lot like... Home for the Holidays!We are so excited to share that for the third year in a row, Williams Company is joining us to build a home in just 10 days for a hardworking family during Home for the Holidays 2022. This year, the local construction company, along with their subcontractors and vendors, will donate all the labor and materials to build a home for Ebony and her family in Orlando’s Holden Heights neighborhood. You'll meet Ebony later in this newsletter.
Follow along on our social channels:
Nov. 28: Home for the Holidays opening ceremony kicks off construction at 7 a.m.
Nov. 28-Dec. 9: Walls start to rise and a house takes shape over 10 days.
Dec. 9: We'll host a home dedication ceremony at 3:30 p.m. We'll broadcast this touching ceremony live on our Facebook page!
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| Home for the Holidays is made possible by:
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Meet our Home for the Holidays homeowner: Ebony
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Ebony has lived in the same condominium for the last 10 years. She was used to her rent increasing by $25 or $50 every year. She didn’t bat an eye. But this past year, she got a renewal notice that showed a $400 hike — a 33% increase. That was the moment she decided to get serious about becoming a homeowner.
“I looked into homeownership for the stability because when you’re renting, they can just increase it how they want to, when they want to,” she said.
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A disaster recovery update from Catherine
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Thank you to everyone for your incredible generosity around Hurricane Ian. I am so proud of our team, who connected with more than 400 clients. Depending on their level of need, we have been following up to assist with connections to insurance and FEMA, repairs when possible, and will continue to engage until our homeowners are back on their feet. Our Cleanup Bucket Drive to collect and distribute five-gallon buckets filled with cleaning and safety supplies was very successful. Read more about it below.
Unfortunately, hurricane season isn’t over and Hurricane Nicole struck Central Florida as well. Thankfully, this one was shorter and ultimately less destructive to our community. We will remain alert, in touch, and hopeful for a calm end of the month.
— Catherine Steck McManus, President & CEO
Disaster Recovery Resources: Get tools and information about applying for assistance, filing an insurance claim, avoiding contractor fraud, and more.
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Supporter Spotlight: Bank of America
Bank of America presented us with a $75,000 donation in October 2022. Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Ian, Bank of America nearly doubled its donation of direct funding toward Habitat’s recovery and rebuilding efforts. In addition to the donation, Bank of America team members spent Oct. 6 helping build homes.
“Community partnerships will be critical to a lasting and permanent recovery,” said Jodie Hardman, market executive, Bank of America Central Florida. “We hope other local businesses will join us in support of the work Habitat is doing to provide disaster relief and recovery in the communities we live and serve.”
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#FillTheBuckets: Community comes together to help neighbors after IanWe assembled and distributed buckets full of cleaning and safety supplies to 45 homeowners and roof repair clients who were affected by Hurricane Ian. It really was a community effort!
Here are two thank you notes we received:
“Very grateful to receive the Cleanup Bucket Drive. More than cleaning supplies, it is a beautiful and clever gesture of support in a shocking experience, like Hurricane Ian was.”
“Thank you so much for the cleanup bucket! I am tearing up! It was so unexpected and thoughtful! ... It is oftentimes the little things that make the largest impact.”
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Thank you to Lowe's of West Orlando and Walmart for donating supplies. Thanks to &Barr, Central Florida Chapter Associated Builders and Contractors, Crosby Wellness Center, and Near North Title Group for hosting collection boxes. Thanks for future Habitat homeowners for assembling the buckets and to Habitat staff for delivering them. And to the community for all of their donations. If you'd like to support our ongoing recovery efforts, make a donation here.
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From the build site: Honoring veteransDue to Hurricane Nicole, we were unable to hold our Stars & Stripes: Veterans Day Build event last week to honor our community's veterans, but we still wanted to recognize our partners Liberty Mutual Insurance, Enterprise Holdings, Hilton Grand Vacations, V 3 Capital Group, V 3 Commercial and Strive Senior Living -- We're so grateful for your support of our mission and those who have served our country
In America, there are nearly 4 million veterans who spend at least 30% of their income on their rent or mortgage, and 1.5 million who spend at least 50%. We believe that everyone should have a safe place to call home without spending over half of their income each month.
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Closing Corner
Congratulations to our newest homeowners William and Ana, Felisha, and Tanisha, who all closed on their safe, affordable, and energy-efficient homes in Silver Pines Pointe last month. "This home will be an asset for me and my family and future family," said Felisha, mother of an 11-year-old and a 3-year-old. Welcome home!
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Take your impact to the next levelDid you know you can donate stock, and that it can help you save on your finances as you make an impact? It allows you to make a critical difference for those in need of safe and affordable housing and save money at the same time.
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Upcoming build events- Home for the Holidays: Williams Company builds a home for Ebony's family in 2 weeks, Nov. 28-Dec. 9
- Holiday Build: Festive-themed Team Build days, featuring Hilton Grand Vacations, Bank of America & Orange County Government, Dec. 14-16
- Beloved Community Build: Build days honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jan. 19-21
- Builders Blitz 2023: We're building 3 homes in 5 days, Feb. 6-10
- Team Build days: Sponsors join us to build homes, Feb. 23-25
- Women Build 2023: Build days honoring women, March 23-25
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Now accepting cryptocurrency!
We now accept over 100 types of cryptocurrency through The Giving Block to fuel our mission to create more affordable housing in Central Florida. Even better, the tax benefits are unmatched. Donating cryptocurrency is a non-taxable event, meaning you do not owe capital gains tax on the appreciated amount and can deduct it on your taxes. This makes Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency donations one of the most tax-efficient ways to support our cause. Help us celebrate and kick off the giving season by donating crypto today!
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