Good Fun for a Good Cause at Upcoming Habitat for Humanity Golf Tournament

Habitat for Humanity of East King County is seeking participants for a golf tournament fundraiser on Monday, July, 30, 2012 at The Plateau Club in Sammamish, WA.

The best ball tournament will have a shotgun start at 11 a.m. and will include lunch, drinks, contests, prizes, cocktail hour, and a light dinner afterwards.

Habitat supporters Donovan Douvia and Jim Na are co-chairing the tournament for their second year.

“We felt we could plan a fun, impactful event that could make a difference in families’ lives,” Said Douvia. “One of the best things about Habitat is being able to see the significance of fundraising efforts and how much they can impact a family.”

The Plateau Club is a beautiful, private Oki Golf Course that stretches to nearly 7,200 yards through secluded forests.

Tickets for the tournament are $150 per person and $600 per group of four. Proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity of East King County’s mission to provide affordable housing to hard working, low-income families in our community.

To register for the tournament please visit habitatekc.org/golf. For more information about the event, contact Gena Guillen at gena@habitatekc.org or call 425.869.6007.

June Volunteer of the Month

Meet Tom Dodt

Tom Dodt has been an asset to Habitat for Humanity of East King County for many years. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors and as chair of the Growing with Habitat Breakfast planning committee. We choose Tom as our volunteer of the month of June because of the huge commitment he has shown to our affiliate. Thank you Tom for your positive energy and dedication to Habitat. The work you contribute helps us to serve more hardworking low income families in our community.

An interview with Tom Dodt:

How did you initially get involved with Habitat for Humanity? How many years?

My involvement with  HfHEKC started with the  “Blitz Build” in 2001 (20 houses in 12 days as I recall – Crazy!).  I got connected with HfH through my church, St Joe’s in Issaquah.   The first work site task I had was to climb into the crawl space and staple up insulation sheets between floor joists – dirty, dark and itchy.  Why did that seem like fun and warrant coming back?  Not  sure, but  it was.  This was followed by coordinating  St Joe’s volunteerism with the Together We Build coalition which was an awesome experience.  And then I became a HfHEKC board member and breakfast chair for the “Growing with Habitat” breakfast. 

Tom Dodt with his wife Vicki at the Growing with Habitat Breakfast

What aspects of volunteering with Habitat have you enjoyed the most? 

Working with something that changes people’s lives!  Fruit of HfH’s labors has a significant ripple effect in our society and it’s a pleasure to be a part of it.

What keeps you coming back? 

The families’ smiles.  The sense of making a tangible difference in our society. 

What about Habitat’s mission is attractive to you? 

It’s a hand up not a hand out.  It’s teaching people to fish not giving them a fish.  It’s a family’s quality of life, safety and security.  It’s working with a dedicated, professional team.  It’s working with amazing volunteers.  It’s working with an institution that is internationally recognized for accomplishment.  It’s an organization’s willingness to re-invent  itself.  It’s a lot of things!

What other interests/hobbies etc. do you have? 

Hiking, biking, kayaking, racquet sports and etymology.

Other Comments:  I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to have my kids involved with Habitat.  It was great to have them involved in various activities to help hone their values.

House of the Immediate Future

The 1962 World’s Fair opened at Seattle Center with a modular home, designated the American Home of the Immediate Future.  This home could be customized and would arrive on your lot mostly pre-constructed; with just a few responsibilities left to the new home owners (bolting the modules together, siding and roofing).  These model homes were just what the Baby Boomer generation needed: quick, expandable, affordable housing.  

To celebrate and commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Century 21 Seattle World Fair, Habitat for Humanity Seattle/South King County has been invited by the Seattle Center Foundation to build a House of the Immediate Future and a World House on the grounds of the Seattle Center as part of The Next 50 celebration from April 22 to October 21, 2012.

The House of the Immediate Future will be a two story, 1,400 square foot sustainable home.  Designed by, The Miller Hull Partnership, it is intended to adapt as families grow or life circumstances change.  The house can accommodate a large family.  Some of the interesting features of the house include: some movable walls to reconfigure the large spaces in the house, a galley kitchen, a nook for a home office, and great storage possibilities.  (Photo credit: DeAnn Rossetti, MercerIslandPatch)

Not unlike some of the benefits found in the American Home of the Immediate Future, the House of the Immediate Future will have a two-story prefabricated, stacked wet core which houses the kitchen, bathrooms, mechanical room, and wiring and plumbing.  By assembling the wet core in a factory off-site, caste and construction time are reduced because the plumbing and electrical components are housed in a central location.

The World House will demonstrate the type of construction that Habitat for Humanity uses today in developing countries.  The houses are modest and cost approximately $4,000 to $5,000 to build.  Variations of the World House are built around the world using local materials. Designs vary to reflect local environments, climate, and culture.

Mercer Island Patch composed a wonderful article about the original American Home of the Immediate Future and can be read here: http://patch.com/A-mZkg

For more information about the Habitat for Humanity Seattle/South King County Next 50 projects click here.