The Vincit Group is a combination of nine companies that provide solutions and services in safety sanitation, water and energy management.

Board Member Thomas Clark presents Amy Kerin the key to her new Habitat Home as Guinness (Center) looks on. A few moments later Guinness was present his own key - to a high-tech pet door that will allow him to enter and access the home, while blocking other animals!

Friends and family of Amy Kerin gathered to celebrate the completion of her new fully handicapped accessible Habitat for Humanity home this past Saturday thanks to the support of community volunteers, the City of Chattanooga’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the Coming Back Home partnership between the Tennessee Housing Development Agency and Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee.

Even if she can get into an apartment or home, she can’t be independent because of the height of counter tops, cabinets and the stove, and she also has to have assistance to shower.  “The only way to be independent is to have a house built to be functional for you,” says Amy.  “But on a limited income that is not going to happen.”    “I had always known about Habitat, but one morning I woke up and said ‘I’m calling Habitat to see about getting a house, ’” she said.   Amy completed the application process and was accepted into the program.

Construction on the home began in mid-June, and the home is now complete -a dedication ceremony was held Saturday December 3.

Amy’s home contains a variety of modifications to make it work for her, including a front loading washer and dryer, lowered cabinets, roll-in shower, 0 grade entrance and deck, lowered light switches and a high tech pet door for Guinness,

“We are grateful to the City of Chattanooga, to Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee and to the Tennessee Housing Development Agency for their financial support of this effort,” says Pete Palmer, Habitat’s Executive Director.  “Many people like Amy struggle with not just affordable housing, but with housing that is adapted to allow them to live full and independent lives.  This home is a great example of the difference that can be made when our community, volunteers, and state and federal resources come together.”

Amy Kerin's home is accessible for her and her service dog Guinness, and will allow her to live independantly.

Amy’s home is one of 45 being built across the state through the Coming Back Homeinitiative.  Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee, an organization supporting the 51 Habitat affiliates serving 63 counties in our state, received a $1 million grant from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency’s (THDA) Housing Trust Fund toward the construction of 45 Habitat for Humanity homes across the state.  An estimated 165 children and adults will live in affordable, new and quality built homes they own while making monthly home loan payments to Habitat that are used to build even more homes.  The home is also one of seven being constructed in Chattanooga by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area in partnership with the City of Chattanooga, Department of Neighborhood Services and Community Development’s Neighborhood Stabilization Project under Mayor Ron Littlefield.

Additional donations of materials or services were generously provided by  Bowman Construction Company, Custom Closets, Dow Chemical, Noland Company, Rev. Lou and Dr. Mark Parsons,  Quickdrain USA, Rock Point Community Church,  Square D, UBS Financial Services,  James Stacey/ Home Journey Consulting, Valspar Paint, Whirlpool, and Yale Locks.

Click the image to enlarge!

Do you make a wickedly delicious chili? If so, bring your game to the World Heavyweight Chili Championship presented by DeMoss Capital during MainX24 on Dec. 3rd.  MainX24 is a FREE 24-hour festival celebrating Chattanooga’s Main Street and the surrounding Southside.  To find out more, click http://mainx24.com/

On Saturday December 3rd during MainX24, chili teams will unload cars full of pots and secret ingredients to take part in the 3rd Annual World Heavy Weight Chili Championship presented by DeMoss Capital!

Along with teams battling for the championship, local bands will top off the day playing on the Loading Dock of Rock including The Jackies, Dark Horse Ten, Glowing Bordis and Strung Like a Horse!

Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about the kiddies – there will be a Lego building competition for them as well! Additionally, Grant Interiors will be hosting “Home Sweets Home” bake sale during the event.

To Volunteer for the Event, Click Here

Click Here for Complete Chili Team Guidelines

To Register Your Team Now or To Buy Tickets, Click Here!

Thank you to our sponsors: DeMoss Capital, OCI, Brown Dog Construction, Brewer Media, Grant Interiors, Terminal Brewhouse, Big River Brewery, ‘Noog and Coca-Cola!

COSTUMES REQUIRED:
Get in by wearing an old recycled halloween costume (no new costumes allowed). Wear the creepiest costume and win a $40 gift card to The Terminal Brewhouse, new Goodhew socks and a Goody Bag from Habitat for Humanity.

DONATIONS:
And while you lurk about, guzzle a free glass of ghoul or Dead Guy Ale and catch a glimpse of the 1978 thriller, Halloween. Just remember to bring donations for The ReStore. A minimum $1 donation gets you an additional drink while serving a great cause.

GREEN DRINKS, DON’T DRIVE:
Ride your bike, walk, take the bus, or carpool (3 or more) to Green Drinks. Sign in at the door to specify your means of transportation and enter to win a cool prize.

When: Wednesday, October 26, 6-8pm

Where: Habitat ReStore, 1201 E Main,  Chattanooga, TN

For more info, click www.greendrinkschattanooga.com

Design Workshop Series

Habitat’s ReStore has put together a panel of experts to answer your questions and give you new design ideas for your home.  Join us at the ReStore, 1201 E Main Street in Chattanooga, October 29th at 1pm, and get some ideas a tips from four local experts:

• Winn Pratt: Pratt Home Living, President
• Stuart Bickley: Rain Dance Property Solutions, Owner
• Becky Worley: Classic Cabinetry, Owner
• Amy Winchester: American Society of Interior Designers Chattanooga, Past President

For more information, call 423-634-1004

Brighter Times Ahead

Photo by Ezra Millstein

Eight-year-old Omar Vasquez studies for school inside his family’s makeshift home in San Martin Jilotepeque, Guatemala. Omar’s textbook and face are illuminated by sunshine penetrating through cracks in the wooden shelter. For 25 years, Omar’s grandparents — Maria Teresa Ramirez and Miguel Angel Juares, pictured in the background — had lived in the same house. As their family grew to include children such as Omar’s father, Edwin Yoani Vazquez, space grew tighter.

To ease the suffocating conditions, Maria and Miguel recently moved into this improvised structure with Omar, Edwin and two other grandchildren. Thankfully, their time here is temporary. Soon, Omar will have more space — and light — to study in a new, block home the family is building with Habitat Guatemala. “Omar always arrives back at the house after school and immediately asks about the volunteers,” says his grandmother, Maria Teresa. “The volunteers all work so hard, also chatting and playing with the children. We are very happy we have the opportunity to know them and to work together to build the house.”

Read more from Habitat World Magazine

And Habitat International

On Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 2:00pm, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga will dedicate its 232nd house!  The Morgans will move in to their new home at 2912 Curtis Street with style.

The ceremony will be as follows:

• Welcome & Acknowledgements
• Scripture & Prayer
• Introduction of Homeowner
• Homeowner Remarks
• Litany of Dedication
• Presentations
• Closing Prayer
• Home Tour & Refreshments

We gratefully acknowledge the support of our community volunteer partners who have been critical to the success of this project.

Thanks to the following for your continued support of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area and Partner Families:

• Chattanooga Housing Authority
• DOW Chemicals
• The Embroiders’ Guild of America, Chattanooga Chapter
• Church Koinonia Federal Credit Union
• Ronald L. Patton Appraisals
• Square D
• State Farm Insurance Hamilton County Agents
• St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church
• Valspar Paint
• Whirpool Corporation
• Yale Locks

Sponsored by: The City of Chattanooga Department of Neighborhood Services & Community Development Neighborhood Stabilization Program

We hope to see you there!

Posted on September 23rd, 2011

A group of undergraduate and graduate students put their skills to good use this past summer while volunteering for Habitat for Humanity for Greater of Chattanooga. The students assisted in building several homes as part of Service Learning Lab course in the University’s construction management program.

“Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity helps them to learn how to build a home by applying what they’ve learned in the program.  They also receive short training sessions on site about safety and usage of power tools. This is a great learning experience for our students as they serve our community,” Dr. Nesli Alp, Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs and Research in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, said.

Heather Adcox, graduate student in the Construction Management program, worked on four housing projects this summer. She built a staircase, back deck, house framing, and installed vinyl siding.

“This experience confirmed for me the disconnect between design and construction. I have drawn plenty of stairs, but had never built a set before.  There is nothing like swinging a hammer and actually, physically building a stair to understand what all goes into the construction process,” she said.

“The physical act of doing helps me to understand the industry better. As an architect, seeing and doing helps inform my design decisions. As a construction manager, even, you are rarely out actually participating in the labor.  It’s so easy to forget the physical and mental demand that exists on a job site,” Adcox continued.

In addition to learning practical job skills, Adcox also enjoyed helping others.

“As architects and contractors, the class allows us to use our hands, knowledge, and skill to make a difference in someone’s life. It allows citizens who get caught in their daily lives and the doldrums of their jobs to step out and give back in a meaningful way. I think this has been a great class and I am delighted to have been a part of it. I will definitely continue volunteering for Habitat for Humanity,” she said.

Scott Haulsee, an Engineering Management graduate student, echoed Adcox’s sentiments about the importance of gaining real world experience.

“It is a great experience to be able to step outside the classroom.  In my career so far, I have applied much of what I learned in school, however, in life there is usually not one correct answer to a problem. Despite all the drawings and plans for a house you will find that walls are never square, boards are not straight and you will often have to cut to fit rather than rely on what dimension a drawing indicates,” Haulsee said.

“Particularly for those in the undergraduate program with limited work and life experience, this course will be very beneficial for helping them understand some of these real-world situations,” he continued.

Here’s a link to UTC’s website with the article and more pictures:

http://blog.utc.edu/news/2011/09/students-assist-in-building-houses-for-habitat-for-humanity/

This build is not only special as a milestone for the church but will also be built in memory of Ross Russell by his family, friends and members of Rivermont.  Ross was a native of Nemaha, Nebraska.  After serving his country as a Naval Aviator in World War II, he went on to earn a PhD in Chemical engineering from Iowa State University.  He later joined DuPont, which brought him to Chattanooga, where he retired in 1982.  Ross spent much of his life serving others, through civic involvement and his church.  Ross was a long time supporter of Habitat for Humanity. He worked with several mission teams on construction projects in Haiti and Mexico and was a regular volunteer with the local Habitat chapter up into his 80′s.

Rivermont’s 15^th home is being built for Tiffany Kyle and her son Daniel.  Tiffany learned the value of hard work at a young age.  Her early childhood was transient—when she was in the 8^th grade she moved in with her grandmother and began working.  After high school, Tiffany enrolled in Chattanooga State where she is working towards a nursing degree.  She currently works as a Psyc Tech at Moccasin Bend Hospital.  Before becoming a partner with Habitat, Tiffany lived in subsidized housing at the Villages in Alton Park.  The Villages provided helpful information that for Tiffany, who was hoping to buy her own house.  She discovered a program with the Bethlehem Center and Church Koinonia Credit Union that helps area residents save towards their first home by matching deposits to a special account.  After completing the program, Tiffany heard read about a Habitat partner family with circumstances so similar to hers that she decided to apply for a Habitat home.

“Becoming a homeowner will be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life, and an important investment in my son’s future,” Tiffany says. “I am so excited about working with Habitat to reach this goal. My partnership with Habitat has inspired me to set new goals and recognize that nothing is beyond reach when you have confidence.”

Rivermont Presbyterian Church and Ross Russell’s family and friends have helped Tiffany’s dream become a reality.

Here’s the letter, followed by a link to the petition.  It’s super easy–just read it, click the link, enter your info, and click “sign.”  I know you can do it!

Recognizing that 1.6 billion people live in inadequate shelter around the world and that by 2030 an estimated 3 billion people will live in slum communities;

Expressing concern that here in the United States about 95 million or one-third of the nation face housing problems such as overcrowding, poor quality shelter, and homelessness;

Realizing that more than 18% of Hamilton County, Tennessee residents live below the national poverty level and cannot afford safe, decent housing;

Acknowledging that disasters in urban settings are a danger around the world and demand forward thinking and creative policy responses from local and national governments;

I, the undersigned, as a concerned constituent, urge you to address the world’s housing crisis in your community by taking concrete action to create a world in which everyone enjoys the stability, the security, and the dignity of a decent, affordable home.

In preparation for World Habitat Week (October 3-8, 2011) Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga will send each petition to Governor Bill Haslam to encourage him to take a stand against substandard housing in Tennessee and across America.

Our goal is to reach 500 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:

https://www.change.org/petitions/habitat-for-humanity-for-greater-chattanooga-take-action-to-eradicate-substandard-housing

Thanks for making a difference!!