It’s all too easy to watch or read the news and decide the world is a nasty, unhappy place. But it’s a misleading impression. Good news might not sell as many papers or attract as many eyeballs, but it’s out there.
Habitat for Humanity is one of those good news stories. Since its founding in Georgia in 1976, the non-profit organization has built, rehabilitated, repaired or improved more than 600,000 houses worldwide, providing safe, decent and affordable shelter for more than 3 million people.
Employing the ‘hand-up’ rather than ‘hand-out’ philosophy, Habitat for Humanity selects families in financial need who are prepared to put at least 500 hours of sweat equity into their home, and capable of paying a mortgage geared to family income.
Habitat for Humanity Canada broke ground on its first home in 1985. Now, each year about 63,000 volunteers work with 65 Habitat for Humanity affiliates nationwide, helping to break the cycle of poverty for hundreds of low-income Canadian families. To date, Habitat for Humanity Canada has dedicated over 2,200 homes across the country.
The Habitat for Humanity mission is “to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty.”
Gentek fully supports that mission and HFH’s vision of a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. We have been involved in a number of HFH projects across Canada, and it has been a rewarding privilege.
Most recently, we organized a 50/50 draw at seven Open House locations in Ontario: Scarborough, Weston, Barrie, Kitchener, London, Hamilton and Sudbury. We sold $1,520 in tickets, resulting in a $760 donation to Habitat for Humanity. We also made Paul Boyd of A.W. Boyd Construction Ltd. In Millgrove, Ontario a happy man – he won the other half of the pot.
If you find the work of Habitat for Humanity as inspiring as we do, you can find out more about how you can help here.