Habitat for Humanity
What is Habitat for Humanity International?
Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. HFHI seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need.
Habitat has built more than 100,000 houses around the world, providing more than 500,000 people in more than 2,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter. HFHI was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller along with his wife Linda.
How does it work?
Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit, financed with affordable, no-interest loans. The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.
Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor -- sweat equity -- into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.
What's happening in the Zelienople area?
Habitat for Humanity of Butler County, Southwest Chapter, as the name implies, serves the Boroughs and Townships in southwest Butler County. We have completed five houses since 1991 and started the sixth house in Zelienople on July 27, 2002, completed December 2005. Habitat for Humanity will be beginning two new projects in April of 2009 in Connoquenessing and in Cranberry Twp.
Our chapter meets the first Tuesday of every month at Calvin Presbyterian Church in Zelienople at 7:30 PM. We are in need of volunteers to help with the different committees and work groups to work Saturdays on site. If interested join us on Tuesday or contact Judy Kercovich at (724) 452-7560 ext 126 or (724) 774-5746.