Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity will build three affordably priced houses on the Burns property in Charlotte next year and has scheduled a meeting for those interested in learning more about the plans and perhaps applying to become homeowners. The meeting will be Wednesday, October 21 from 7-9 p.m. in the Charlotte Senior Center at 212 Ferry Road. That’s just east of the Brick Store.

All interested parties are invited – those who want to learn more about Habitat, those who think they may want to apply for a house, and those who know they will apply. In fact, applicants are required to attend.

The houses will occupy a section of land on Greenbush Road just south of Charlotte’s west village, not a difficult walk to the village center. A task force of local residents is currently discussing building design and the layout of houses on the property with Habitat representatives They hope to complete their discussion soon so that construction may begin next spring.

This will be Green Mountain Habitat’s first venture into Charlotte, and it invites those who may want to know more about the organization to visit its website: vermonthabitat.org or to call its office: (802) 872-8726.

As 2009 draws to a close, five new homes stand tall on Trayah Drive in Milton, Vermont.  The largest neighborhood built by Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity (GMHfH) to date brightens the area with its quaint front porches and tidy gabled roofs.  The dream of homeownership has now become a reality for five deserving families.

After years of planning, permitting, paying and praying, we finally began the project in June of 2008 the same day our permit was approved!  Eager to get started, we had our excavation equipment and building materials already ready to go that morning.  The faith and enthusiasm of our construction leaders, volunteers and families carried us through the next six months until our first family moved in right before Thanksgiving of 2008.

Penny and Willy LeBeau have big plans for their family's future. They hope to build a garage, plant some shrubs and flowers and finish off their basement so their children have a place to play all year long. What makes them different from any other family? Nothing really except they now have a chance to make these dreams a reality with the help of Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity. The Lebeau’s are our newest Habitat Partner Family. They have just been selected as the soon to be owners of our latest build project in Burlington. We hope to begin construction on their Elmwood Avenue home in the late fall of this year.

Our newsletter now contains a new section to help you around your house.  We will have articles featuring home maintenance and improvement tips from our volunteer construction crew members, building & trades vendors and staff. 

As the chill of the fall air is upon us there are several things you should do now before the really cold air of winter sets in.
1.)  Disconnect all hoses from outdoor spigots. Drain hoses thoroughly and store in a dry place.
2.)  If you have combination storm windows, raise the screen and lower the storm window. Better now than discovering in mid February the source where all the cold air is coming from.

There's still time to help us with a catchy name for our Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity eNewsletter and win a Vermont Teddy Bear. We prefer a catch name that links to Vermont or Green Mountains. Submit your suggested name to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and we will award the best with a cuddly animal to keep you warm this winter!

Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity held a fun and enjoyable picnic event on July 12th at Shelburne Farms on the shore of Lake Champlain.  Approximately 300 people of all ages attended.  Our largest attendance to date!  Mother Nature helped the cause by providing a rain-free day.  Picnic blankets, lawn chairs, croquet and badminton were all great ways to enjoy the beautiful setting throughout the event.  For those looking for more, Canoe Imports provided canoes to those folks interested in checking out the beauty of Shelburne Farms from Lake Champlain.