Hello Habitat Volunteers,

Construction season is about to get underway and I wanted to let you know that many volunteer opportunities have been posted to our online calendar! You will notice that several say "reserved" beside them and that is because groups have the opportunity to reserve a date to work together. If the group is unable to fill all the volunteer openings for a day, the remaining slots are opened up for individuals to fill approximately 10 days prior to the work day. Volunteers are able to register for openings until 24 hours before the start time (typically 8:00 a.m.). This allows the house director time to plan according to the number of volunteers registered.

Please check out our online calendar and see if there are openings that fit into your schedule. If you are available to help out, please click the link below (or copy it into your browser) to register.

http://greenmountainhfh.volunteerhub.com/Events/Browse.aspx

If you are not available for any of the open dates, please check back periodically because more volunteer opportunities are being added over the next month.

Thank you for supporting Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity,

Amy Richardson
Volunteer Coordinator
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This month after years of planning, permitting, paying, and praying, we will finally begin our latest homeownership project on Greenbush Road in Charlotte. Please join us for a Groundbreaking Celebration on Friday, June 18th at the Old Lantern in Charlotte from 5pm to 9pm.

A fun filled evening of live jazz inspired music and a not to miss homemade dessert buffet are just some of the activities planned for the evening. Bring your own shovel and join us for the ceremonial groundbreaking at 6:30pm. (Our build site is across the street from the Old Lantern.) $10 /person $25 /family in advance or at the door. This event is being hosted by our faith partners: Charlotte Congregational Church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Jude’s Catholic Churches. All proceeds will benefit Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity. For more information, click view our event poster (PDF 486KB).

(PDF requires Adobe Reader. Click here to get Adobe Reader, if needed.)

On the weekend of May 15th, we held our annual Lowe's Women Build Event at our Burlington Build Site on Elmwood Ave. It was an exciting day with a visit from VT Sec. of State Deb Markowitz, lunch from TX Roadhouse & of course lots of building! WCAX http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12487822 and Fox 44 http://www.fox44now.com/Global/link.asp?L=388500 came out to cover our event! Check out our event pictures on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vthfh/sets/72157624071342290/

Check out some videos about the event.

We've put the items for the Slient Auction items for this Thursday's event Creative Office Pavilion online. Check out http://gmhfh.winwinapps.com. And please join us this week from 4-7pm at 148 College Street Suite 400 for food and fun. Questions? Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (802) 660-7000.

HFHI's Women Build program is here to help create more ways to invite women to address the problem of substandard housing and its effects on the health and well-being of families, particularly children.  We need to raise volunteers and advocates to tackle such a challenge.  You can help by partnering with Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity during the Women Build event and fight poverty housing.

In 2009, more than 25,000 women volunteers built at least 253 Women Build houses nationwide.  Women have helped build more than 52 homes for low income families here in Chittenden County.  Each year the numbers continue to grow, especially through the involvement of local businesses helping us highlight the need for affordable housing in our community.  This year our Elmwood Avenue project in Burlington has been designated as our Women Build house.  The Women Build event will kick off on Saturday, May 8th with and continue during special women focused work days throughout the spring, summer, and fall of 2010.

Mission

The mission of HFHI’s Women Build® program is to enable U.S. and international affiliates to recruit, educate and nurture women to build—and advocate for—simple, decent and affordable houses in their communities.

Partnership

Women Build, underwritten nationally by Lowe’s®, puts the tools into women’s hands to fight poverty housing.  Women make up 50% of Habitat for Humanity’s volunteer force; yet often because of lack of training, they account for less than 15% of workers on the construction site.  The Women Build program was established by Habitat to encourage the involvement of women in the construction of Habitat homes.

Benefits
Not only does a Women Build enable women to discover for themselves that they can build Habitat for Humanity homes, but each Women Build also benefits the community by:

1. Growing community strength through networking.
2. Providing a spotlight on the problem of poverty housing.
3. Increasing volunteer base and new leadership for the community.

Who participates?

Through Women Build events, women from all walks of life are working together to build Habitat for Humanity homes across the United States.  Women Build crews typically build more than 200 Habitat for Humanity homes a year and positively impacting the future by making homeownership a present reality for families.  More than 60% of Habitat for Humanity’s houses are built with women heads of household.  These women are often dependent upon the goodwill of neighbors, friends, and relatives for even minor repairs.  By receiving training as part of the build, they are better equipped to maintain their homes and, conse­quently, are more confident in their ability to cope with day-to-day situations.

Why?

Women Build challenges women to actively address the problem of substandard housing and to be part of the solution.  Women crews have already built more than 1,500 Habitat for Humanity houses within the United States, and in dozens of other countries.  Women Build projects provide an environment in which women can feel comfortable learning skills they might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn.

We’re excited to be partners with you in the effort to involve more women and more members of our community in the construction of Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity houses and in so doing move children and parents out of substandard housing and into homes where they can thrive.

Building homes, changing lives in northwestern Vermont!

Celebrate the strength of women and their impact in all of our lives!

Join us on Saturday, May 15th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will be holding our annual Lowe's Women Build event at our new home site on Elmwood Avenue in Burlington. The latest Habitat house is being built for Penny LeBeau and her family who currently live in Burlington. We are asking women to come out to celebrate the strength of women helping to build brighter futures for local families in need. Click here to learn more about Lowe’s Women Build Event or check out our volunteer opportunities to sign up and join us for this event.

Click here for more information about Women's Build.