America's Charities | Coalition of the American charitable organizations that provides workplace charitable giving campaigns.

Featured Charity: Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia

Submitted by sford@charities.org on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 6:35pm

What's with the Monopoly board? Habitat is about more than just walls and a roof. This Monopoly board represents a fun way that you and your friends or family can provide stability, security and hope to families in the community.

What does your organization do?
Where is your organization located?
How has your organization responded to the economic crisis & how can I help?
How can my company help?
More Habitat programs and services.
Is there a time during the year when you need help most?

What kind of impact will my donation have?
What do you wish more people knew about your organization?
What makes your organization successful and what advice do you have for others?
Upcoming Monopoly Tournament.

What does your organization do?

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia is a housing ministry seeking to draw together the time, talent, and resources of our community to build decent, affordable housing for all people in need. Habitat’s unique approach to low-cost homeownership relies on owner sweat equity, donor generosity, volunteer labor, and an interest-free mortgage.

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia works to build, educate, advocate and fundraise within the Northern Virginia community and beyond in order to eliminate substandard housing and help make affordable housing and homeownership a reality for families in need.

Where is your organization located?

Habitat for Humanity operates through community-based offices called affiliates, which perform in partnership with Habitat for Humanity International. There are more than 1,500 affiliates in the United States and 550 international affiliates laboring in over 3,000 communities around the world. Each affiliate is locally owned and independently run (like a franchise) and is in charge of all the nuts and bolts of Habitat home construction and fundraising in its target area.

Habitat for Humanity International: Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit housing ministry founded on ecumenical Christian principles by Millard Fuller in 1976. Since then, Habitat for Humanity International has built over 500,000 homes around the globe, working alongside communities to provide over 2 million people worldwide with safe, affordable, decent shelter.
Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia: Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia is the local affiliate that coordinates all the work that goes into building and revitalizing homes in our service area, which includes Arlington and Fairfax counties, Falls Church, Alexandria, and the city of Fairfax.

All the fundraising, build site selection, home construction, mortgage servicing, and partner family selection and support in Northern Virginia is done locally by Habitat Northern Virginia. Since our founding in 1990, we have built homes for more than 300 people, including 180 children! Our unique approach to home building in the Washington, DC metro region includes participating in the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (a project funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development), providing exterior repairs to low-income homeowners through our A Brush with Kindness program, and building multi-family housing.

How has your organization responded to the economic crisis and how can I help?

Building homes for deserving families in our neighborhoods requires the investment and collaboration of a myriad of community members. With the current economic crisis more families are reaching out asking us to lend a hand. In order to fulfill these needs we have reached out to more volunteers and donors asking them to do even more to help in this economic time.

Habitat families: invest their sweat equity into their own homes and those of their neighbors.
Habitat volunteers: show up on build days to put up walls, paint, do landscaping, and build relationships with one another.
House Sponsors: typically faith groups, businesses, or other philanthropic groups – commit to funding various aspects of the construction of a home. Sponsorship levels range from $5,000 (front door, mailboxes, lobby balcony, and landscaping) to $150,000 (the cost to build a complete Habitat home).
Stores/Retailers: donate or discount building materials such as drywall, flooring, paint, and lumber.
Corporate sponsors and individual donors: recognize the importance of building up our local community and donate generously to fund our building projects and administrative expenses.

How can my company help?

There are a number of ways in which companies can choose to support Habitat Northern Virginia:

Schedule a team-build: by sponsoring one of our construction projects
Host a fundraiser: within their office through a ‘Friday Jeans Day’ or auction or raffle
Guest Speaking: Invite a Habitat staff member to speak at a staff meeting
Volunteer at ReStore: Organize a team to volunteer at one of our ReStores
Plan a Happy Hour: or a similar event and donate a percent of proceeds to Habitat Northern Virginia
Clinics/Training Events: Participate in a Women Build Clinic / training or event
Provide lunch: for volunteers during one of our build days

More Habitat Northern Virginia Programs:

Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP): Our affiliate is also participating in the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), purchasing foreclosed properties through funding from the state, and rehabbing them to convert them into Habitat homes.
ReStores: Those who volunteer and donate to our two area ReStores in Alexandria and Chantilly are also a vital piece of the puzzle, since revenue from the ReStores help Habitat Northern Virginia keep our doors open and our lights on.
A Brush with Kindness (ABWK): In addition to providing safe, decent and affordable housing, Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia offers A Brush with Kindness, a program dedicated to preserving the vibrant character of neighborhoods in Northern Virginia by assisting families in need with exterior home repairs. Homeowners impacted by age, health concerns or family circumstances often struggle to maintain the exterior of their homes or find their homes require modifications in order to accommodate a family member with limited mobility. Services through ABWK are provided to homeowners who cannot afford the repairs or cannot perform them without assistance. As with all of Habitat for Humanity’s programs, able-bodied homeowners are encouraged to work alongside the volunteers in a cooperative effort.

A Brush with Kindness is part of Habitat’s broader holistic community development with the goal of revitalizing neighborhoods, strengthening connections within the community through community volunteer days, awareness building and helping to preserve affordable housing.

How can I help with A Brush with Kindness?

Help Us Spread the Word

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia is accepting applications for A Brush with Kindness. If your organization or faith community serves a community, or has members or neighbors that would benefit from A Brush with Kindness, we would appreciate hearing from you.

How Do I Apply?

To apply, download the application here and send it to:

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia

A Brush With Kindness

4451 First Place South

Arlington, VA 22204

For more information, contact Romana Sanchez at rsanchez@habitatnova.org or by phone at (703) 521-9890 ext 112.

Can I Be a Sponsor?

The answer to this question is always, “Yes!” Habitat Northern Virginia is seeking sponsorships for ABWK projects. The cost of each renovation ranges from $2,500 to $10,000. Companies, faith groups, community organizations, and individuals can elect to sponsor a home in full or partner with others to share the sponsorship. Sponsors will be entitled to volunteer opportunities and will receive recognition and visibility benefits. For more information, contact Director of Development Meredith Magwire at mmagwire@habitatnova.org or (703) 521-9890 ext. 103.

Is there a time during the year when you need help most?

When Habitat Northern Virginia kicks off a new construction project, we launch a major fundraising campaign. New projects usually take up to a year to plan and another 12 months to complete construction. Our affiliate is currently in the process of identifying land or existing properties for our next new construction opportunity. In the meantime, we are in need of homeowners who seek exterior repairs for our ‘A Brush with Kindness’ program. We are also seeking corporate, faith and community partners to support these projects financially, and through volunteer support.

What kind of impact will my donation have?

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia raises all of the money necessary to construct affordable housing and maintain our not-for-profit operation. We partner with volunteers and homeowners to keep construction costs low, but land, rehab projects, and building materials are expensive. Our work of building decent, affordable homes depends greatly on generous contributions from individuals, corporations and local businesses, faith-based organizations, and youth groups. Donations made to Habitat Northern Virginia stay in our footprint (Arlington & Fairfax Counties, Alexandria, Falls Church) to provide affordable housing for Northern Virginia families and offer repairs and renovations that will help Northern Virginia homeowners stay in their home.

Habitat homes are so much more than just walls and a roof – this is what they really represent:

They represent hope to hard-working, local families in need. They represent stability, security, and peace of mind. But did you know that homeownership doesn’t just affect parents?

It greatly affects their children and the community in general in real, tangible ways proven statistically in many national studies.

The children of homeowners improve and thrive in school and are more successful later in life.
Homeownership acts as a powerful economic stimulus, benefiting the individual homeowner and the national economy.
Homeownership benefits neighborhoods, providing economic and social capital. Homeowners are more likely to participate in local organizations, and homeownership in distressed communities raises neighborhood property values by a significant amount.
Homeowners state that they are more satisfied with their living situation than renters.

What do you wish more people knew about your organization?

Homeownership Benefits Children:

Children of homeowners (vs. families who rent), score better on academic achievement tests. (Haurin, Parcel, 2000).
Children of homeowners have a 25% higher high school graduation rate. (Homeownership Alliance of Nonprofit down payment Providers).
Children of homeowners are 116% more likely to graduate from college. (Homeownership Alliance of Nonprofit Down Payment Providers).
Children of homeowners have a 13-23% higher quality of home environment (Haurin, Parcel, Haurin 2000).
Children of homeowners are 50% more likely to have jobs, and less likely to rely on welfare. (Harkens and Newman 2003).

What makes your organization successful and what advice do you have for others?

Habitat for Humanity has a proven history that our model works - Secure land (properties), donated materials, and use volunteers to build our homes. Provide a no-interest mortgage, require a small down payment, and partner with future homeowners to fulfill sweat equity. By providing the opportunity for homeownership, we are providing proven stability for the entire family. By providing exterior repairs and upgrades, we are providing the opportunity for low-income homeowners to stay in their homes.

Upcoming Monopoly Tournament:

Saturday, February 25^th (9am – 2pm):

Ron & Susan Associates to Host 5th Annual Monopoly® Game Tournament. Proceeds to Benefit Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia.

Lorton, VA – Realtors® Ron Kowalski and Susan Borrelli with Re/Max Gateway will host the 5th annual Monopoly Game Tournament on Saturday, February 25th from 9:00am-2:00pm. This year’s event will be held at an exciting new location - the Workhouse Arts Center on Rt. 123 in Lorton, VA. All proceeds from the tournament will benefit Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia, whose goal is to provide simple, decent and affordable housing for those in need.

Fun Event. Big Impact - How it works & how you can participate:

Ron & Susan hope to top last year’s total of $5,000 through the sponsorship of this half-day long competition. The tournament includes two 75-minute rounds preliminary rounds on the Monopoly game that each participant is required to play, as well as a final round where the top six competitors will play for the top prize of $500!
“Anyone wishing to test their real estate trading skills against other top players while helping out a very worthy cause should register”, said Tournament Sponsor, Susan Borrelli. “The cost for a seat is only $25 which includes a light breakfast and lunch, compliments of Glory Days Grill. If last year was any indication, a good time will be had by all who attend - especially at this exciting new location, The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton.”
The Monopoly Game tournament is one of many local tournaments held nationwide to assist organizations such as Habitat for Humanity in raising funds for their causes.
Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia has built 78 homes in Northern Virginia. More than 180 children reside in these safe, decent, affordable homes. Habitat’s unique approach to low-cost homeownership relies on owner sweat equity, donor generosity, volunteer labor, and an interest-free mortgage.
The Workhouse Arts Center, a program of the Lorton Arts Foundation, provides essential visual and performing arts studio and exhibition space as well as engaging arts education programs for people of all ages and artistic abilities. Set on 55 acres of land in the historic D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory, the Workhouse provides a home for more than 100 of the regions finest professional and emerging artists as well as cooperative studios, performance and theatre venues, dedicated gallery space, and event facilities. The staff will provide tours of their outstanding facilities to all participants at the event.
The Monopoly game, the world’s most popular board game, is licensed in more than 80 countries and printed in more than 26 languages. Since it first went on the market in 1935, over 200 million Monopoly games have been sold worldwide and is now played by an estimated 250 million people.