Fiji: Global Village Journal

Fiji - Global Village Journal from Mike Hammerquist, Habitat EKC Construction Site Supervisor and Global Village volunteer

September 1, 2012

Fiji is beautiful and the people are extremely friendly.  We spent several hours walking, seeing the sites. There are churches, a mosque, and a Hindu temple within several miles of the hotel. On our first attempt to find the temple we found a McDonalds, a colony of fruit bats and a road that led off to the wrong part of town. After back tracking to the hotel and eating lunch (Bombay pizza), we tried again and made it further on foot, then got on a bus. We had a local take us under her wing and she led us through the market to the temple (pic).

So far the team seems to be a good fit and we had a good time  being tourists together today and I think we will work well at the site.

September 4, 2012

We are working at Koroipita (Peter's Village) outside Latoka. We arrived late in the afternoon and received a briefing and a tour from Peter himself. His model rents a simple home to slum residents or squatters at $1NZ per day. This includes water, garbage, a nurse station, and schooling for the children (with a preschool and computer lab onsite).

 

We will be building a simple wood frame structure (with lots of strapping) on a concrete foundation, covered by corrugated steel roof and siding. They are designed to withstand the 300kph winds that can come with the typhoon season. They are also required to plant vegetable crops, compost scraps, and maintain erosion control systems. It seems to be a well though out planned community. Peter became involved through the local Rotary Club, but couldn't get big grants to do the work because his Rotary Club was fairly small. He finally brokered a deal where Habitat manages the money from the New Zealand Aid grant and ensures accountability and adherence to the grant requirements and he gets to work within those parameters to complete his plan.

 

Today (Tuesday) was the first working day and it began beautifully, but was rained out a little after 3:30. We started with a bare foundation on 2 homes and framed and sheathed the floors and built 4 walls and nearly finished the first wall we will stand. There are 2 parts to the homes, with a kitchen/ bath/ toilet separated from the living area with a breezeway.

September 7, 2012

We were rained out at 2pm on the second day and it drizzled all morning on the 3rd day, but has cleared up and hot weather from here on out! The mud is what the site supervisor calls the "perfect clay", as it is both sticky  and slick. I frequently ended up wit 3" of mud on the bottom of my boots. Within 12 hours of the rain stopping the ground was solid again and we worked to chip off the dried mud from the day before.

 

Much was accomplished even with the briefing/ site tour the 1st day and 2 rain shortened days. We are building 2 houses intended for older couples without children at home and abandoned mothers only a few children. They are next to each other and we are sharing a generator and chop saw. The build is well organized and the local crew leaders know the buildings, so progress is impressive(pic). We should finish up on Tuesday or Wednesday and move on to punch list tasks on other homes the previous teams couldn't finish.

On Friday at lunch the Kinder Care kids sang us a couple of songs (pic) then the villagers served us lunch.

 

 

 

"Together We Build"  Kicks off  at our Renton site on September 6!

Together We Build (TWB) is an Interfaith Coalition of Christians, Jews, and Muslims seeking to find common ground and learn from one another as they work together to build houses for low-income families in King County. They have held an annual event each year in pursuit of their mission to show the world that together, we can build a stronger community.

This is Thursday through Saturday in the two consecutive weeks surrounding the 11^th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which were the initial motivations behind forming TWB.

Over the last eleven years, TWB has contributed a total of $450, 531 to Habitat for Humanity’s affordable home building program, providing the funding equivalent of four houses!  Their goal this year to bring the total amount contributed to Habitat EKC to $500,000.

Habitat for Humanity of East King County’s Executive Director, Tom Granger is impressed with TWB’s impact on the community.

 “We are honored to be the host site for the TWB community project for the eleventh year.  TWB’s mission aligns with that of Habitat for Humanity, the entire community working together for the common good.   The members of TWB have demonstrated their commitment to interfaith dialogue and the shared joy of building a stronger community together,” said Granger. “Rather than just talking about how we should all get along, they are actually doing it and Habitat is proud to be a part of it. They are a tremendous blessing to Habitat’s mission of serving low-income families.”

This year, the Interfaith Service will be hosted at Newport Presbyterian Church located at 4010 120th Avenue Southeast in Bellevue on Saturday, September 8, 2012. The service will take place from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

An all-day Youth Program will also take place on Saturday, September 8 at Habitat’s La Fortuna site in Renton. Samar Malik, a member of the Ahmidiyya Muslim Community, will lead the youth in a special project that does not involve power tools or ladders.

To learn more about Together We Build, visit www.togetherwebuild.org. To see a list of the faith communities that are participating this year, visit www.togetherwebuild.org/congregations.

Why We Build: Homeowner Story

Mandy at our 2011 Growing with Habitat Breakfast

Habitat International recently featured Mandy McCulley, our Former AmeriCorps Vista Sustainability Coordinator, on their "Why We Build" series.

Mandy's interest in atchitecture was sparked when she was a little girl, watching her mom work with Habitat to build their new home in Iowa. Mandy worked hard to reach her goal to become an architect and  eventually graduated from college with  a degree in Architecture. She decided to give back to others and help pay it forward by serving  Habitat for Humanity of East King County as our AmeriCorps/VISTA Sustainable Building Coordinator. 

Mandy is now working at Mulvanney Architects and has recently purchased a home with her husband, Joe. We are so proud of you, Mandy, for all of your accomplishments.

Click here to read Mandy's full story, "Aspiring architect finds inspiration in her childhood home."



Why We Build Series

Merger Update: Kirk Utzinger Named CEO of New Habitat for Humanity King County Affiliate

For Immediate Release

Media Inquiries: Roger van Oosten

206-459-0954

August 31, 2012

            Kirk Utzinger Named CEO of New Habitat for Humanity King

County Affiliate

Will Oversee All Habitat for Humanity Operations in King County

SEATTLE – The boards of directors of Habitat for Humanity of Seattle/South King County and East King County announced today that Kirk Utzinger, former executive director of the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, PA, has been unanimously selected to become chief executive officer when the two affiliates finalize their merger.

In June 2012, the Habitat for Humanity affiliates of Seattle/South King County and East King County agreed to move forward with a merger plan to create a single affiliate serving all of King County. The merger will be finalized within the next 90 days. 

“I am honored to become the CEO of the new Habitat for Humanity affiliate serving all of King County,” said Utzinger. “King County is the 14^th most populous county in the nation, with a great diversity of businesses, geography and people. As the county continues to grow, the need for affordable housing and workforce housing for low-income families is critical to maintain a healthy, successful lifestyle for all the county’s citizens. I believe a single King County affiliate will be the leader in providing affordable housing and safe, sustainable neighborhoods throughout the county. I can’t wait to get started.”

Utzinger will begin his new position on September 17, 2012. Immediately, he will be overseeing existing Habitat for Humanity programs, including planning new projects. He also will be working with staff, volunteers, donors, government agencies, and leading non-profits in the housing sector to further develop more effective ways to increase affordable housing opportunities throughout King County.

“With more than two decades of philanthropic executive experience leading both national and regional organizations, Kirk is the right person to be CEO of, what will be, one of the largest Habitat affiliates in the country,” said Frank Perry, chairman of the board’s search committee. “This is an exciting time for Habitat’s critical operations in King County and the boards look forward to working with Kirk.”

Most recently, Utzinger served as executive director of the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Prior to that, he served in executive positions with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Arizona; Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona; The Christmas House, an inner city applied music program for at-risk children; and The Mesa Symphony Orchestra.

Utzinger also has diverse for-profit management experience, having worked with The Pillsbury Company and Merrill Lynch. He holds an M. S. degree in Public Programs – Non-profit Management, a Graduate Certificate of Non-profit Leadership and Management from Arizona State University, and undergraduate degrees in Music - Violin Performance from Arizona State University and Recreation Administration from Montana State University. Utzinger, and his wife Kellie have two sons, Kole, 13 and Karson, 11.

Habitat for Humanity of Seattle was founded in 1986 and merged with the South King County affiliate in 2003. The East King County affiliate was founded in 1988.

 

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Homeowner Update: Providing Stability for her Children



Terra with her daughter and son.

Terra deserves and appreciates the stability her family has since becoming a Habitat homeowner. She’s understands the burden caused by financial struggles and constant moving. She’s felt the toll it takes on a family.

As a teenager, Terra and her siblings packed up what they could fit into duffle bags and moved from Oklahoma to Seattle in hopes their single mother would be able to find better work options.  While completing high school, Terra worked full-time and took care of her younger sisters to make ends meet for her family.

“The experience drained us physically and emotionally. These were dark times for me, and I yearned for the comfort of stability as a child,” said Terra.

Terra was married by the age of 20, and had two children. After 6 years, her marriage ended and Terra found herself facing the dilemma of how to provide for her children as a single mom. She did not want her children to face the same chaotic childhood she grew up in.

“I live and breathe on my children’s happiness and everything I do is with an eye for their long-term stability and success,” said Terra.

Terra was introduced to Habitat for Humanity of East King County by her children’s daycare providers who were Habitat Homeowners.  At this time, Terra was spending over 35 percent of her income on rent for a 700-square-foot house that was poorly cared for. The lack of maintenance on the home forced Terra to cook for her family on a portable camping stove. Despite poor conditions at home, Terra thrived at work and was able to earn promotions. One promotion and raise put her income $75 over the state poverty line, which caused the family to lose their state provided medical insurance, WIC funding, and other benefits that helped her make ends meet.

Thankfully it wasn’t too long before Terra found out her family was selected to become Habitat Homeowners and a bright future lay ahead. Since moving into their new home, Terra works for the same company, but has moved through multiple promotions from customer service to Logistics Manager. Her children have also seen successes. They love school and have made many new friends in their neighborhood. They are both advanced readers and enjoy video game programming.

 “The stability of our lives has allowed us to grow into a community that we love and have become part of with our neighbors, many of the homeowners in our community have school age children, and we look out for each other in many ways,” said Terra. “I have never lived in a place that fostered the types of relationships that build trust and reliability within a small group of diverse people like the community at Patterson Park.”

Terra and her children in their Habitat for Humanity home.

The family enjoys having friends over for dinner, baking together, and trips to the park. Terra’s daughter loves to sew and make arts and crafts, and her son is a music student at the Rock n’ More School of Rock.

“Working with Habitat for Humanity has transformed my life and restored my faith in people, in the world, and in the future,” said Terra.

Habitat Affiliates Plan Merger to Serve All of King County

FROM: Sandra Lynch Holmes                                   Mary Martin

Habitat for Humanity Seattle/South King County      Habitat for Humanity East King County

206-292-5240                                                              425-869-6007

slynchholmes@seattle-habitat.org                              mary@habitatekc.org

Two Habitat for Humanity affiliates plan merger to serve all of King County

April 25, 2012- The boards of directors of Habitat for Humanity of Seattle/South King County and Habitat for Humanity of East King County have committed to move forward to combine the affiliates to serve all of King County.

The boards voted separately after receiving a report from a task force that explored the advantages and challenges of combining operations. If the process proceeds as expected, a formal merger agreement would result in about 90 days. In the meantime, each affiliate will continue its normal operations.

"This is a significant step. The boards concluded that by merging the affiliates Habitat could be more effective in providing affordable homeownership to more families in King County," said Marty Kooistra, chief executive officer of the Seattle/South King County affiliate.

A merged affiliate would continue to offer homeownership possibilities to families living on 25 to 60 percent of the median income for King County. Those families must agree to partner with Habitat, invest sweat equity in their own and other Habitat homes and be able to make payments on a no-interest, 30-year mortgage.

As recently as 2009, one-fourth of King County’s work force could not afford to live in the county, and roughly half of all renters could not afford the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment. More than 50,000 very low-income households paid more than 30 percent of their monthly income for housing.

 "Housing affordability remains a big issue in King County," said Tom Granger, executive director of the East King County affiliate. "The economies and combined resources of a merger will allow us to do more, and we will have a stronger voice advocating for affordable housing."

The affiliates expect the merger to have a positive impact on their current mission or their strategic partners, though some changes are likely before a merger is formalized.

Habitat for Humanity of Seattle was founded in 1986 and merged with the South King County affiliate in 2003. The East King County affiliate was founded in 1988.

 

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For more information, contact Kooistra at 206-292-5240 or mkooistra@seattlehabitat.org, or Granger at 425-869-6007 or tom@habitatekc.org.

Construction Update: La Fortuna, Renton - August

August 4, 2012

LF5-
 
3 units are ready to spray the trim paint next week and caulking and spackling continue in the other 3 units. 5 units have the kitchen counter tops built and ready for laminate, which is ready to be picked up. Bathroom counter tops have been started using the donated pre- formed tops from the store. Door knobs arrived and will be installed after paint.
 
Plumbing trim is ready to pick up next week. Fire sprinkler trim is started and the water supply is hooked to the meter. Phone and cable is trenched and ready for conduit. We have started digging for individual water meter hookups and will check into getting the meters set. We will pick up the side sewer permits next week and then schedule the sewer connections.
 
LF7-
 
We have pre- rocked the fire room for the fire sprinkler contractor. They have started laying out and drilling and even ran some pipe. They expect to be done next week, but they had old plans and will need to submit a change to the fire department before they can have an inspection. We also connected the water supply to the meter.
 
Al nears completion with the plumbing in the last unit. Grant has said he will help Al out to finish up when he comes out next week to fix the leak in "b". We should be ready for inspection next week.
 
HVAC is scheduled to start next Tuesday. They should be about 3 days per unit and finish up this month.
 
All 4 garage doors have been wrapped and flashed. They now need firring out and pre- rack before the garage doors are installed.
 
Wetlands/ site work-
 
We watered, mowed, and weeded in the wetlands this week. We also eradicated some noxious weeds from the other parts of the site.

Work next week will include; interior trim painting, interior paint prep, utility trenching and hookup, house wrap, deck trim and posts, exterior paint, and wetlands work.

 

August 18, 2012

LF5-

All six sewers were connected and back filled. Water meters are scheduled to be installed this week and will be connected the day after. Steve did a little final grading on the north end of the building and will be back after the water meters are connected to finish up the grading in front.

5 of 6 units are finished painting inside.

Kitchen coutertops are done in 2 units and ready for plumbing trim this week.

LF7-

Scaffolding is going up in the front. Housewrap in finished except for the front. Windows are installed in "a" and the entry ways. All exterior doors are installed.

HVAC is done in 2 units and started in the 3rd.

Wetlands/ site work-We finished pulling up the tansy ragwort and attacked the blackberry vines. Dave Sanford brought in a mower and mowed about 1/2 of the site.

Work next week will include; housewrap, window prep, window installation, plumbing trim, siding prep, exterior painting, and water meter connections.

August 25, 2012

Progress is where we need to be for the work planned for TWB and we are ready for electricians in the Thrivent house. The hired ex- Americorps are making a difference and will allow me to enjoy my GV trip with confidence that the site will progress well.

LF5-

Plumbing trim is progressing in 2 units, 95% in #4 and 75% in #3. We will call in Grant to trim out the other units when we have finished the counter tops. All six water meters are installed and connected, inspection will be on Tuesday and Steve will come back on Wednesday to grade for driveways and sidewalks.

Interior trim is painted and final touch ups started. Doors have been re- hung in 5 units and 95% of the door knobs have been installed. Closet shelving is finished in 5 units.

We are still working on batts for the porch ceilings, 75% completed.

 

LF7-

Housewrap is 100% and only 4 windows are left to install. The slider doors are waiting for the deck membrane, which will be delivered on Tuesday.

Siding and trim will be delivered Tuesday and the paint is already on hand. Pre- painting will begin next week and continue through TWB.

Fire sprinklers are 95% and HVAC is complete in 4 units and 80% in "e".

Wetlands/ sitework-

Emailing Planning Department to find out what we need to finish before we can get Certificate of Occupancy in the first building in the development.

Work next week will include; windows, exterior trim, pre- painting siding, interior touch up paint, deck membrane, counter tops, plumbing trim, grading, and closet shelving.