Habitat for Humanity Nationally
Habitat for Humanity (HFH) is a nonprofit organization founded by Millard and Linda Fuller in 1976. Since then, our organization has grown to serve 120 countries and all 50 United States with our 1200+ affiliates. Our Lewis & Clark Affiliate was established in 1990 and has successfully placed over 70 families in our homes far! We service many communities in southern Illinois, including Edwardsville/Glen Carbon, Alton, Collinsville, O’Fallon, and Bond County.
Their mission…
is to provide decent, affordable housing to families in need. Our vision and hope is to eliminate poverty and substandard housing.
how it works…
We seek local families in need, and through an application process held within the community, families are selected by our Volunteer Family Selection Committee. All HFH homeowners participate in the building of their own home.
Once a build is complete, the homeowner makes monthly mortgage payments (0% interest) to LC Habitat. These payments are used in part to build homes for other selected families in the future!
Bond County Chapter
Bond County Habitat For Humanity held a special ceremony July 3rd to officially present a house, at 419 West Washington Avenue in Greenville, to Tiffany Miller and her daughter, Olivia.
Approximately 50 people gathered for the house blessing, led by Eric Watterson, president of the county Habitat For Humanity.
Bond County Habitat for Humanity has built five houses in Greenville, one in Pocahontas, and one in Sorento. He said it’s truly a community effort and many volunteers help make it possible. Some donate materials and some donate labor. Watterson said the group has a great relationship with the City of Greenville, who sold them the current lot for $1. He said once they clean up the current site, and check their finances, they plan to put the notice out that they’ll be building a new home soon.
To read more about the latest house click here for full story.
It takes a lot of fundraising and donations to build each home. One annual fund raiser is the Gospel Concert. This year’s concert was held on April 30th. You can keep up to date with all local fundraisers right here at WGEL.com.
Local businesses donate materials, money or their efforts to help build the homes. Local businesses that helped build the latest home include Buchheit, D&R Foundations, Electric Pros, the city of Greenville, Greenville First Christian Church, Greenville Free Methodist Church, Kingdom Drywall, Affordable Termite and Pest Control, Quad County Concrete, RP Lumber.
Nothing could get built without the volunteers that give of their time and talents. These are only some of those that have helped over the years.
Truly a global effort to provide housing. For every house completed, a local Habitat chapter gives $5,000 to Habitat for Humanity, International. This is enough for them to build a home in a third-world country. Thus, for each Habitat house built in the US, another house is built in another country where a family cannot afford even a meager monthly payment.
Want to help? Swinging a hammer, or making a donation, everything helps and it’s easy to reach Bond County Habitat for Humanity. Consider making the effort today, you will not regret helping.
Eric Watterson, President, Bond County Habitat for Humanity, 618-322–0080
