Blog
City of Safety Harbor officials pitch in and volunteer at Habitat Pinellas build site.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
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See more pics in our Picasa album!
Mayor Joe Ayoub, Vice Mayor Cliff Merz, City Manager Matt Spoor, Fire Chief Joe Accetta, Commissioners Nina Bandoni and Richard Blake, and five other city staff members came out to lend a hand on the construction of the Loving family home in Safety Harbor on Saturday.
The team of city officials, which included several firefighters, spent the day painting, caulking, hanging doors, installing cabinetry and attaching moulding and trim. The team worked alongside the homeowner candidate, Kitina Loving, and her son, Terrance. Habitat Pinellas site supervisors John Cissell, Jack Sutfin and Wayne Wilford were on hand to guide the group in each of their tasks.
 In an interview with the Safety Harbor Patch online news site, Commissioner Bandoni spoke of the value of a Habitat build in the Safety Harbor community, saying it provides her city colleagues with "a great opportunity to work together as a team."
The Loving family home is sponsored by Lokey Automotive Group, whose employees have also been very active on the site. The home is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.
Many thanks to our wonderful friends from the City of Safety Harbor for this very special work day and their enthusiastic support of Habitat for Humanity!
PHOTOS: Top, Mayor Ayoub paints a bedroom wall. Below, kneeling from left: Safety Harbor city manager Matt Spoor, Mayor Joe Ayoub, fireman Chris Palmieri and Vice Mayor Cliff Merz. Standing from left: Terrance Jackson and his mother, Habitat homeowner candidate Kitina Loving, fireman Richard Justus, Commissioner Richard Blake, fireman Josh Pennino, Fire Chief Joe Accetta, Commissioner Nina Bandoni, Ana Mena and Phil Vozza. Inset, Commissioner Nina Bandoni.
Habitat Pinellas welcomes the Sanchez-Miranda family to their new home!
Monday, May 20, 2013
  Picasa photo album link!
Quite a crowd gathered on the corner of 8th Avenue in Largo to help celebrate the dedication of the Sanchez-Miranda home -- our 272nd in Pinellas County!
Sponsored by the Chapman Family Foundation, the home is a dream come true for the family of six -- soon to be seven!
Several City of Largo officials participated in the dedication, including Mayor Pat Gerard who assisted Shirley Miaoulis, of U.S. Congressman CW Young's Office, in the presentation of a flag. City Manager Matt Anderson, and Commissioners Jamie Robinson and Michael Smith were also in attendance. 
On behalf of the Chapman Family Foundation, the McAlister family presented the key to the home. When the big moment arrived, it was the littlest member of the Sanchez-Miranda family who opened the door to a dream that had finally come true!
Special thanks to the home sponsor, Chapman Family Foundation, the City of Largo and all the volunteers who helped build this home. And many thanks to Nilda Almodovar of Valpak, Gary Cook of Duke Energy, Pastor Elvin Torres of Rios De Agua Viva Pentecostal Church, and volunteer Joseph Flannery of the Tampa Bay Area Inns of Court for their participation in the ceremony.
Welcome home to the Sanchez-Miranda family!
PHOTOS: Top, the Sanchez-Miranda family with the McAlister family. Below, City of Largo Mayor Pat Gerard. Inset, opening the door for the first time!
58 Habitat homes damaged or destroyed by F-4 tornado in North Texas last Wednesday
Monday, May 20, 2013
 Former Habitat Pinellas board member Norm Bungard reflects on the disaster that severely damaged or demolished nearly 120 homes in Granbury, Texas, how Habitat International responds, and how Habitat Pinellas builds to help prevent such devastation. Our prayers are with all the families who have been impacted by this tragedy.
Habitat for Humanity in Texas was in the path of a tornado with winds up to 200 mph and several houses were destroyed. It brought this to mind:
1. Not just Habitat houses, but others were destroyed as well. Sadly, there were six deaths. but I did not see that any Habitaters were injured (not on Reuters). Winds were up to 200 mph. The Habitat spokesperson said that owners and prospective homeowners have a dream delayed but they will be back! That's Habitat.
2. Locally, Habitat Pinellas builds and rehabs houses to prevent destruction from hurricane force winds, but I do not recall the level (four or five?). They are very, very well built to prevent such devastation. Still, nature's force is to be respected.
3. Reading of the Texas destruction reminded me of Habitat's earlier years and Hurricane Andrew, which wreaked such havoc in south Florida from Homestead and north, and points west as well. A sad way for Habitat to get good coverage as I can still see Tom Brokaw's live interview with a Habitat homeowner who thanked God she lived in a Habitat house. A few shingles were blown away and that was all. Several local volunteers went down and helped build additional Habitat houses. I did not build, but I did take a van load of donations and never forgot witnessing the destruction and capturing some photo.
And in the last decade, Katrina's destruction meant that Pinellas Habitat built a "house in a box" and sent it to Pascagoula, Mississippi. I visited and attended the dedication ceremony. I still have the Christmas card with the photo I took of the family joy at Christmas that year. Habitat has built and repaired and rehabbed houses damaged or destroyed from nature's force throughout the US and the world. That's Habitat!
A red letter day for Habitat Pinellas as Keller Williams spends its “Red Day” building on our sites!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
 Last Wednesday, we were fortunate to have more than 50 staff members from Keller Williams Realty of St. Petersburg out working on five of our build sites! The volunteers were serving in conjunction with Keller Williams Realty's national Red Day. Some of the staff who couldn't make it out made donations in support of our mission. A great big thank you to all the Keller Williams staff for their tremendous help, generosity and amazing attitudes!
WHAT IS RED DAY?
RED Day (Renew, Energize and Donate) is an initiative dedicated to celebrating Keller Williams Realty’s year-round commitment to improving our local communities. Each year, on the second Thursday in May, tens of thousands of associates from across the United States and Canada participate in a wide range of projects, devoting our time to renewing and energizing aspects of the neighborhoods in which we serve.
Recognizing her leadership in guiding the culture of our company, RED Day is held in honor of Mo Anderson, vice chairman of the board, Keller Williams Realty.
 Our vision for this day is that all Keller Williams associates will actively engage in a coordinated effort to improve their local community. Activities run the gamut, including rehabbing a house, cleaning up a local trail, providing food for the homeless or any service related activity needed in your community.
In order for this day to be a huge success, we need your energy and your commitment. Each market center will be asked to identify and coordinate an activity which will have a visible impact on their local community and surroundings. We are confident that each market center will embrace this opportunity for positive change while demonstrating KW culture and spirit to its community.
This event is an entrenched part of Keller Williams Realty’s culture and displays the extraordinary effect a company can have when individuals come together to work as a team for the greater good of everyone. As Mark Ozman, associate with the Indianapolis/Carmel market center, wrote:
"RED Day isn’t about cleaning up a park. It is a one-day expression of what happens 24/7 in the Keller Williams culture. It is seeing a need, discovering who can meet that need and then getting it done."
-- Red Day information provided by Keller Williams Realty
Habitat Pinellas named a finalist for TBBJ’s “2013 Nonprofit of the Year”
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
 The Tampa Bay Business Journal announced its list of finalists for this year's "Nonprofit of the Year Awards" and we are honored to be included among the 30 finalists named by an independent panel of judges!
This is the fourth consecutive year that we have been named a finalist. This year, we are one of three finalists in the Public and Societal Benefit category, which includes The Junior League of Tampa, Inc. and the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg. Congratulations to our fellow finalists -- we join the Tampa Bay Business Journal in "giving a hand to those who have offered a hand!"
Check out the TBBJ article and entire list of finalists!
The awards luncheon will be held June 6th at A La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
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