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Blog
Get Ready to Raise Your Hammer for Habitat Hannah
Monday, August 30, 2010
 Dinner, music, dancing and special $99 room rates at The Don CeSar ... the Hammers & Heartstrings Ball promises to be a night to remember this September 25th. Just like the volunteers out at the worksite raising their tools to build, our Ball guests "raise their hammers" and support our mission by bidding on auction items. Here's a peek at some of the auction items up for bid. As we llike to say, "Get ready to raise your hammer!"
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Habitat Hannah is a newborn Malti-poo puppy. She is a tiny little ball of love with the curly black hair of a poodle and the extra sweet personality of a maltese (That's Hannah in the photo at 8 weeks old). Extremely smart and easy to train, little Habitat Hannah will have a loveable personality. The breed tends to act like clowns, loving attention and people - check out the cute video of her. This little ball of love will be perfectly ready for her new home by the time September rolls around.
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 Enjoy a one-week stay at a Park City condo. Picture yourself enjoying a week in Park City, Colorado. Available between April and November, this might be your perfect summer retreat. Ski season ends in April, but the summer months bring mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding and just a chance to escape our Florida heat. Take a look at the condo.
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"There is no place like together". An ultimate Exclusive Resort Experience. Fancy a getaway on the grounds of some of the worlds finest Five Star Resorts for the exclusive use of your own? As the lucky high bidder, you will choose one of the following gorgeous destinations:Grand Cayman, Los Cabos - Mexico, Real Del Mar - Mexico, Peninsula Papagayo - Costa Rica, Sea Island - GA, Telluride - CO, Snowmass - CO, Deer Valley - UT, Big Island - HI, Maui (Wailea) - HI, Maui (Kapalua Bay) - HI, or Whistler - BC. For pictures and further details on this amazing experience please press here.
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Judith Leiber Ritz Fizz evening bag. This beautiful black-diamond jem retails for $2,700. A welcome addition to any purse collection.
To bid on these and other great auction items, you'll have to join us at the Ball. Make your reservation today.
By: Jamie Cataldo
Meet the Brown Family - HELP THIS FAMILY BUILD!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
 We'd like to introduce: Flora Brown and her son and their cat, Bobby.
Family sponsored by: The Roy and Ana Zellars Foundation In Memory of John B. Zellars
Help them build their home in: St. Petersburg
We are still raising money to fund the building of this home. If this family inspires you: Donate TODAY!
In a sunny St. Petersburg neighborhood, a sad little house sits in a row of well-tended homes. Inside and just through a door covered in football helmet stickers, electric blue carpet looks like it might have been plush before stains and age took their toll. From the outside, pale peach paint peeks through the black mold that masks the front walls. A large oak stands watch, as the abandoned house slowly becomes a neighborhood eyesore.
Flora Brown, however, looks at this house and sees “a palace.” “It sure needs some love,” she says. Flora is about to earn sweat equity working with volunteers to turn the house into a beautiful, happy, Habitat home -- her home.
Flora works two jobs to support her family, to be able to pay utility expenses and buy groceries. She has moved a lot, trying to escape areas where she fears her son Michael, who loves football and airplanes, is being exposed to violence and drug abuse.
“It’s been a roller coaster. The ups and downs,” she says.
For Flora, the Habitat program has been “a gift from above.” She says,“This has been a positive experience with a positive outcome.”
“We are surviving and striving for a better life,” says Flora, “It’s made me a stronger person.”
“My home will be a masterpiece of love and pride.”
“It has been exciting to take part in creating someone else’s blessing.”
“Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to experience home ownership!” -- Flora Brown
By: Jamie Cataldo
WOW! 25 Years ... Happy Birthday to the Habitat Pinellas Family
Friday, August 20, 2010
Birthdays are often a time to reflect on the milestones in our lives. Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County is turning 25 this year! Our celebration will include new milestones to add to future birthdays!
We kicked off the year by blitz-building two homes in January for the Anderson and Barnhart families. It was a great party, with Publix birthday cake every single day! (Check out photos below to see what it looks like to build two homes in one week.)
The biggest bang comes this summer, when we will dedicate our 200th Pinellas County home in the city of Clearwater. It took us 18 years to build our first set of 100 homes; it has only taken us 7 years to build the second set!! In fact, we are one of the largest builders in Pinellas County right now, having built and/or renovated 29 homes in the last 12 months. Our volunteers and construction folks are tired, but totally jazzed about serving the most families in one year EVER.
In looking at our first home’s timeline, the early pioneers and volunteers of Habitat Pinellas had the first groundbreaking ceremony on a property in St. Petersburg on March 29 of 1985. That first home was dedicated on July 29 of 1986. Some of the churches/organizations involved with us 25 years ago are still involved with us today, helping us to make dreams a reality for the 30 families in our pipeline to have their own homes constructed – or rehabbed.
Those organizations are still involved include (please reply to the blog and add to the list!): First Congregational Church of St Petersburg, First Presbyterian Church of St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Seminole, Oakhurst and Anona United Methodist Churches, and countless volunteers who have stayed the course to work with us all these 25 years. The City of St. Petersburg is probably our longest-running partnership, with more than 65 parcels donated to HfHPC – add to their donations properties we have bought or that have been donated by others, and more than 105 of those 200 homes are in St. Pete.
Today, we have 5 homes under construction in St. Petersburg along with single-family homes in Largo and Clearwater. And – ta-da! Another two 25th anniversary milestones: Our first townhome subdivision in Dunedin of 19 homes is under construction, and a 51-home subdivision in Clearwater will be under construction soon.
What are we going to do for our 50th anniversary!!!??? I hope I’m still around – as a volunteer – to see it! I think it will be amazing! What will our house count be? What will the birthday celebration be like? Blitz Build of 20 homes???
Thanks for 25 years of building!
"It took us 18 years to build our first set of 100 homes; it has only taken us 7 years to build the second set!" - Barbara Inman
By: Barbara Inman, President/CEO
My Summer at Habitat
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
 I am a 4th year architectural student at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, and I am an intern with Habitat for Humanity.
Last summer, with internships in architectural firms being scarce, I decided to call Habitat and see if they needed any help in their office. I came in and met with Ron Spoor, who had a lot of projects for me to work on. I have researched grants and green building techniques, been a part of the permitting process, and have even worked out at construction sites where I learned so many things about building science that cannot be learned in a classroom.
While in the office, I work on permitting houses and researching places to build new houses. I also took part in the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification of the Shady Grove Townhomes, because I am minoring in Environmental Science and Policy. Habitat is also working on getting a water conservation certification for Shady Grove, called Florida Water Star Gold, that focuses on water usage inside and outside the home. Low flow faucets, energy star appliances, irrigation, and Florida-friendly landscaping are all a part of Water Star.
Some of my favorite work with Habitat puts my architectural skills to the test. I have designed many houses (my favorite being one of the January Blitz Build houses), and have also learned how to make blueprints for the electrical, air conditioning, foundation, and plumbing plans. I have also created several renderings of houses, including of all the houses in the Stevens Creek community.
Working with Habitat for Humanity has given me so many opportunities and provided endless amounts and types of experiences that have made me a better architect, and I am so grateful for the time I have spent here.
By: Sara Cheikelard
Meet the Turner Family - HELP THEM BUILD!
Monday, July 26, 2010
We'd like to introduce the Turner Family: Arianna Turner and her two children
Help them build their home in: Clearwater
We are still raising money to fund the building of this home. If this family inspires you: Donate TODAY!
HABITAT: How would you describe yourself?
ARIANNA: Woman of God who believes in walking by faith, not sight. I have a very compassionate, bright 8 year old who loves books. And my four year old is outgoing, friendly and loves nature and animals.
HABITAT: Do you remember what you thought when you found out you were accepted into the Habitat program?
ARIANNA: God is Good!!!
HABITAT: Tell us a little about your "sweat equity" experiences.
ARIANNA: It is the best feeling to give of yourself for someone else, for something they are going to enjoy for generations to come. It feels good to say, "If I could do it, you could do it." I have enjoyed connecting with the community and the sharing and caring among the staff and other homeowner candidates.
HABITAT: What have your kids learned during your time in this program?
ARIANNA: It has been hard to say no to them when they want something because I have had to focus on paying of my debt. When this is done, we have some catching up to do. Mostly on seeing movies! LOL!
HABITAT: What are you most looking forward to about your new home?
ARIANNA: Family stability. To have a strong foundation to raise my chidlren and to have a sense of ownership in the community.
HABITAT: Complete this sentence: Habitat for Humanity is ...
ARIANNA: A God send!!
"My house will be filled with the love of Christ." -- Arianna Turner
By: Jamie Cataldo
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