THE HABITAT - Habitat for Humanity Canada
THE HABITAT
2011
SPRING/SUMMER
News and Views for the Friends of Habitat for Humanity Canada
Possibility and
Progress Starts
with Home
Habitat for
Humanity
Abroad
Building Homes
with Hope
contents
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Habitat for Humanity Canada News & Views
Possibility and Progress
Starts With Home
New Habitat Program Targeting the
Key Activities Proven to Build
Sustainable Communities
There’s No Place Like Home
The Impact of a Safe, Secure Place to Live
Transforming Communities
Through Leadership
and Collaboration
National Leadership Council to
be a Voice for Change
Habitat for Humanity Abroad
Government Support Received
for Haiti Projects; Volunteers
Building a Global Village
Building Homes with Hope
Writing Contest Winner to Provide
a Wellington County Family with
the Hand Up of Homeownership
COVER: CHRISTINA RYAN AND HER DAUGHTER,
EMILY, AT THEIR FULLY ACCESSIBLE HABITAT
HOME IN CALGARY, AB (PHOTO BY CHRIS BOLIN)
The Habitat Spirit, a
publication of Habitat
for Humanity Canada,
seeks to promote
communication, discussion
and networking among
Habitat for Humanity
affiliates, volunteers
and supporters.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
SHOULD BE SENT TO:
HABITAT FOR
HUMANITY CANADA
477 Mount Pleasant Rd.,
Suite 105, Toronto, ON
M4S 2L9 1.800.667.5137
Fax: 416.646.0574
habitat@habitat.ca
www.habitat.ca
PHOTO CREDITS:
The photos contained in
this newsletter were
provided courtesy of
Habitat for Humanity
Canada, its affiliates and
HFHI unless attributed
otherwise.
Visit the newly
redesigned
habitat.ca!
Earlier this year, HFHC
launched a redesigned
website, which we hope
will offer our volunteers
and donors more up to
date and dynamic content
that is easier to access
and browse. Check it out
at habitat.ca, and visit
us on facebook to tell
us what you think!
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Christina Ryan
John McMahon
Jean Geary
Soapbox Design
Communications Inc.
RR Donnelley
HFHI
HFHC Resource
Development Team
A Message from our
President & CEO
Building Our Organization’s
Ability to Impact More
Families and Communities
Now into our second quarter-century in Canada,
we are looking to 2011 to be our most successful yet.
A major accomplishment of this year will be the
completion of our 2,000th house, which will be built
over a two-week blitz build in Winnipeg, Manitoba
this July. Interestingly, this home will be built adjacent
to Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg’s 200th house,
and both will be built as part of the third phase of
the Sir Sam Steele housing development — the
greenest affordable housing project in Canada,
which will provide shelter to 32 low-income
families once completed.
With 72 affiliates across Canada, Habitat for
Humanity has the presence needed to serve the majority
of the Canadian population in housing need. So, in
order to increase our organization’s impact, we must
focus on ensuring that our affiliates have the tools
they need to build more homes than ever before.
For us at Habitat for Humanity Canada, this means
constantly innovating our programs and looking for
new ways to serve families and communities.
Habitat for Humanity’s key activities focus on
providing homeownership while reducing
environmental impact; ensuring that our partner
families have the tools they need to succeed
with their new home; engaging our volunteers;
collaborating and partnering with surrounding
communities, and private and public partners;
and, ensuring the safety of our build sites and other
work areas. Ultimately, the ability of our affiliates
to serve more families each year does not come
down to just the wood and nails required to build
the home, but rather to developing their capacity
in each and every one of these key areas. This is
why Habitat for Humanity Canada is launching the
360 Built Smart Partnership, a program that has
identified each of these activities as a pillar, and
will drive support to our affiliates for capacitybuilding
relating to each (read more about the 360
Built Smart Partnership on page 6).
Another way we are looking to extend our
organization’s ability to serve more low-income
families is through ReNew It, a program that
will enable our affiliates to assist families with
owner-occupied properties by working with
volunteers to undertake critical repairs or needed
modifications. Staying consistent with the same
principals we apply to our homeownership program,
ReNew It will require qualified applicants to repay
the cost of materials and contracted services at no
interest and through affordable monthly payments.
These programs will enable us to impact more
families and communities, but as always, this will
only be made possible through the dedication
and passion of our supporters. Whether you have
volunteered with an affiliate, have donated to our
cause or advocated on our behalf, you’ve been a
critical part of our past and the success we were able
to achieve in our first 25 years. As we look to the
future of our organization — focused on building
even more homes for more families — your
continued support and dedication is needed now
more than ever. Be a part of our past and our future;
join us this year in breaking the cycle of poverty
for low-income Canadians.
Sincerely,
Stewart Hardacre
President & CEO
Habitat for Humanity Canada
2 THE HABITAT SPIRIT Spring/Summer 2011 To donate, participate or advocate visit www.habitat.ca 3
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Habitat for Humanity Canada
News & Views
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2011: A Year of Habitat for Humanity Anniversaries
RESTORE 20TH ANNIVERSARY
This year marks several anniversaries of Habitat for Humanity in Canada, including that of ReStores, a concept
first developed by five volunteers in Winnipeg 20 years ago. Quickly proving its worth, the idea caught on and
today there are 65 ReStores selling new and gently used building materials and home décor items in Canada,
with hundreds more spread across the United States.
Equally important to the deals that can be had at ReStores is their environmental and social impact. In 2010,
ReStores diverted over 20,000 lbs of material from landfill and recycled 2.1 million lbs of metal. As well, through
the sale of ReStore items, a lot of which is marked down by up to 75%, ReStores raise substantial funds for
Habitat for Humanity’s homebuilding efforts in Canada.
ReStores rely heavily upon their surrounding communities: on volunteers in their operation and on community
members to donate salable items. Visit habitat.ca to find and support your local ReStore.
PEI
15TH ANNIVERSARY
“As with any teenager celebrating
their 15th birthday, Habitat for
Humanity PEI is going to spend
it with its friends doing what it
loves – building homes for families!...
You’re invited to one of the biggest
parties in PEI this year. Come
help us celebrate!”
– Susan Zambonin, Executive Director,
Habitat for Humanity PEI
For their 15th year, Habitat for Humanity
PEI plans to build five homes, providing
homeownership to 34 PEI residents
currently living in substandard housing.
HAMILTON
20TH ANNIVERSARY
“Habitat for Humanity Hamilton
is looking forward to our next
twenty years with a vision that
will not only provide opportunity
to more families, but will contribute
to the redevelopment of one of
Hamilton’s oldest neighbourhoods.
While our early years were marked
with challenges, we look forward
to having learned from these
and building at a rate that will
place our affiliate as a leader in
providing homeownership to
hardworking families.”
– Bob McConkey, Executive Director,
Habitat for Humanity Hamilton
This year has already seen Habitat
for Humanity Hamilton dedicate
four homes, setting in motion a
transformation that will impact the lives
of four partner families for generations
to come. The homes are part of an
eight-unit townhouse development,
with the remainder of the units to be
completed and dedicated later this
year. With these homes, Habitat for
Humanity Hamilton is working towards
the city’s goal of making Hamilton the
best place to raise a child.
EDMONTON
20TH ANNIVERSARY
“We’re able to celebrate because
of the incredible vision and
determination of those who started
the Habitat program in Edmonton
twenty years ago. These folks set
the foundation for us to be able
to reach our current goal of
serving 100 partner families each
and every year by 2012.”
– Alfred Nikolai, President & CEO,
Habitat for Humanity Edmonton
Habitat for Humanity Edmonton
built approximately one home per
year during its first decade in
Edmonton. In 2011, they plan to serve
over 80 families with the hand up of
homeownership. Habitat for Humanity
Edmonton celebrated its 20th
anniversary with their second annual
Habitat Day in the Capital Region,
a campaign that saw five builders
each donate a home to the affiliate.
Governor General of Canada
Puts Hammer to Nails
On January 14th, His Excellency the
Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor
General of Canada, visited Habitat for Humanity
Toronto’s William’s Way build site to lend a helping
hand and mark his acceptance of vice-regal
patronage of Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC).
His Excellency arrived at the site eager to build,
despite the day’s frigid temperatures. After meeting
several Habitat partner families and volunteers,
His Excellency got to work, cutting floorboards
and nailing and sealing them into place.
Following this, His Excellency, along with
Stewart Hardacre, President and CEO of HFHC,
and Neil Hetherington, CEO of Habitat for
Humanity Toronto, addressed the crowd in
attendance, thanking them for their contributions
in making the William’s Way project possible.
The twenty townhouses that will be built at the
William’s Way site will provide safe, decent and
affordable shelter to 96 women, men and children
currently living in substandard housing in Toronto.
The build is also the site of Habitat for Humanity’s
first solar-panel technology homes in Canada,
which will meet GreenHouse® certified construction
standards and will be 25-30% more energy efficient
than those constructed to standard building code.
His Excellency, Carrying-on a
Tradition of Patronage
By accepting patronage of HFHC, His Excellency
is carrying-on the tradition created by the two
previous Governor Generals of Canada, the Right
Honourable Michaëlle Jean and the Right
Honourable Edward Schreyer. This public expression
of support will continue to bring significant
awareness to the critical issue of affordable housing
in Canada, and will further Habitat for Humanity
Canada’s work in breaking the cycle of poverty for
Canadian families.
“The enthusiasm and support already expressed
for our cause by His Excellency truly has been
remarkable,” said Hardacre. “I want to thank the
Governor General for his endorsement of our work
and encouragement of our efforts, and welcome
him to the Habitat Family.”
2011 Outstanding Contribution Award Recipients
In Honour of All of Our Fantastic Volunteers
As a way to honour all of our terrific volunteers, who every year give their time
and voice to advance our mission and raise awareness of Canada’s affordable housing
crisis, we recognized seven volunteers by posting their inspirational stories on our
website over the 2011 National Volunteer Week. These Outstanding Contribution
Award Recipients were: Joe Dauk, Wayne Helfrich, Martin Blake, Don and
Lynda Sellar, Noelle Nurse, Sarah Saso and Mario Zambonin. Thanks to
everyone who shared their volunteer stories with us – they were truly inspirational.
And thanks again to all of our fantastic volunteers!
Buy a Hammer,
Build Your
Community
Buy a $2 ‘paper
hammer’ from
June 2 to July 3,
2011, at your nearest
The Home Depot
location and support
local charities including
Habitat for Humanity.
The Home Depot
Canada Foundation
will match the amount
raised by the top
performing district.
Visit habitat.ca for
participating stores.
20 11
4 THE HABITAT SPIRIT Spring/Summer 2011 To donate, participate or advocate visit www.habitat.ca 5
Announcing the
New Program to Create Lasting Change for Canadian Communities
Home is a place where big
plans grow. More than a
refuge from the world
outside, a home provides
safety, stability, and self-esteem to the
families that our communities
are built upon.
For those who lack a home – especially
children – the impact can be devastating.
Worldwide, more than 10 million people
die each year from conditions related to
substandard housing, and in Canada,
those who lack affordable housing are:
meningitis, respiratory problems
or asthma;
school; and
unemployed as adults.
Nationwide, one in seven children still
lives in poverty and four million people
live in core housing need. More recently,
the United Nations stated that Canada is
facing a national emergency on poverty,
welfare, homelessness, and housing.
Since 1985, Habitat for Humanity
Canada has worked tirelessly towards
our vision of a world where everyone has
a safe and decent place to live. Our
mission is to build affordable housing
and to promote homeownership as a
means of empowering families to break
the cycle of poverty. Through our work,
we have seen the transformative impact
that housing can have on families and
on the communities in which they live.
You might be surprised to know how
many doors the key to a single home can
open: kids do better in school; parents’
employment prospects improve; and
families report that they are happier and
better equipped to face life’s challenges.
Ultimately, good housing attracts
economic investment and development
in our communities, and contributes to
thriving school systems and community
organizations. Habitat for Humanity’s
model, which focuses on volunteerism
and affordable housing, leads to the
development of stronger, healthier, and
more sustainable communities.
However, today many of our 72
Canadian affiliates struggle to find the
land, products, and financial donations
they need to allow them to continue
their work. They require support in areas
critical to engaging volunteers, building
homes, and training families in how to
succeed with their new asset.
As a result, on May 31st, Habitat for
Humanity Canada will publically launch
a new initiative called the 360 Built
Smart Partnership, designed to drive
support to local affiliates to help them
proactively address the affordable
housing crisis in their communities. The
program takes a 360-degree approach,
funding the key activities that have been
proven to build sustainable communities:
1. Homeownership & Environmental
Impact – Providing access to
homeownership while reducing
environmental impact though our
green builds and ReStores
2. Family Outreach & Financial
Education – Helping affiliates seek out
families in need in their communities
and helping partner families succeed
with homeownership over the long
term though financial literacy and
homeowner training
3. Volunteer Engagement – Rallying
communities and volunteers to
tangibly take part in our work
4. Local Collaboration & Partnership
Engaging both public and private
partners in long-term solutions
5. Safety Commitment – Fostering safety
on our build sites, and in all areas of
our work
Research has shown that investing in
these activities leads to long-term social
paybacks in the areas of improved health,
educational and economic opportunities.
“We’re very excited for the launch
of the 360 Built Smart Partnership,”
said Stewart Hardacre, President and
CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada.
“Conquering Canada’s affordable housing
crisis requires more than funding for
home builds; it requires a conscious and
holistic approach that addresses all aspects
of the need for affordable housing.”
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Since 1996, The Home Depot
Canada and The Home Depot Canada
Foundation have provided tens of
thousands of skilled, volunteer labour
hours and millions of dollars in cash
and in-kind donations to Habitat for
Humanity’s housing projects across the
country. To extend their commitment
to developing safe and healthy housing
solutions for Canadian families in need,
The Home Depot Canada Foundation
recently made a three-year commitment
to support sustainable community
development through the 360 Built Smart
Partnership. They are joined by Holcim
(Canada) Inc., who has also made
significant financial and in-kind
contributions towards the program.
Together, these organizations will
encourage and empower their employees to
take a leadership role in their communities
by volunteering on build sites or on local
boards and committees. As business
leaders, they believe in going beyond the
bottom line to help lead our country
toward a better future.
“Before a family can set their sights on
where they’re going, they must first have
a place to begin. We believe that a home is
a starting point; a safe place where people
and their ideas thrive. The transformation
that we can ignite, whether through a
single home, or through thousands of
homes, truly is profound and enduring,”
Peg Hunter, Vice President, Marketing and
Communications, The Home Depot
Canada and Secretary, The Home Depot
Canada Foundation.
Together, we are calling on Canadians
and Canadian organizations to support the
360 Built Smart Partnership program to
ensure lasting change for families in need.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT STARTS WITH YOU
The 360 Built Smart Partnership will be
a powerful movement to drive change, but
we can’t do it alone. We are now calling
on the support of all Canadians. Donate
to the 360 Built Smart Partnership and
bring about transformation to families and
communities across the country that will
impact generations to come. Donate now
online at habitat.ca, by calling 1-800-667-
5137 ext. 230, or by completing the reply
card included with this newsletter.
Bridging Personal
Volunteerism
and Corporate Social
Responsibility
Jean-Maurice Forget
General Manager, Demix Agrégats (Holcim Canada)
Administrator, Habitat for Humanity Montreal Board of Administrators
HUNG ON THE refrigerator of a nearly-completed Habitat for Humanity
Montreal house was a photo of the family that would soon move in. For me,
just this simple image made everything that I had heard about Habitat for
Humanity seem so much more tangible – the fact that a real family would
experience a real transformation within the walls around me. That they would
become homeowners and create a legacy impacting generations to come.
I passionately believe in the work of Habitat for Humanity Canada, so when
their Montreal affiliate asked for my volunteer support, I agreed whole-heartedly.
I now serve on their board of administrators, working with a dedicated and
skilled group that is focused on building the affiliate’s capacity.
Benefitting from our work are people like Abdellatif Aabid, who moved
his family from Morocco to Montreal eight years ago in hopes of a better life.
An engineer in Morocco, he was able to find work relatively quickly, but was
unable to secure either safe and affordable rental accommodation or financing
to purchase a home. It was then that Abdellatif turned to Habitat for Humanity
Montreal. I later found out that it was a photo of the Aabid family that I had
noticed on the refrigerator of the build site I had visited.
My passion for Habitat for Humanity is one of the reasons I am proud to work
for Holcim Canada, an organization that also supports the cause with great
dedication. Since 2003, Holcim Canada has been a charitable partner of Habitat
for Humanity Canada, committing more recently to becoming a 360 Built Smart
Partnership Title Sponsor. I find it extremely fulfilling to be able to manage this
partnership for Holcim in Quebec, a region of great potential for Habitat’s work
and permanent impact.
Paul Ostrander, CEO of Holcim Canada, said last October, “no longer
does corporate giving involve an arm’s-length financial donation that gets
logged in the books as another transaction and nothing more.” Gone are the
days of hollow corporate social responsibility. Today “partnership” means so
much more, and I can say from experience that we’re all better for it. Our
communities will not improve by themselves and many Canadian families,
despite their best efforts, have not been able to break free of the cycle of
poverty on their own.
Through their homeownership program, Habitat for Humanity provides
families with the tools they need to be confident and proud homeowners who
are able to contribute to and better their communities. This is the same line of
thinking that we apply at Holcim Canada, as we seek to build our employees’
pride and sense of ownership in the company with every opportunity.
For me, it is inspiring to be part of Habitat both personally and professionally.
I know that with the continued combined support of Holcim and its employees,
our impact on communities and what it means to be “socially responsible” will
continue to be undeniable.
6 THE HABITAT SPIRIT Spring/Summer 2011
To donate, to advocate or participate visit www.habitat.ca 7
Please help us
transform the lives
of more families like
the Ryan’s. Please
give to Habitat for
Humanity Canada.
Transforming Communities Through
Leadership and Collaboration
Stewart Hardacre, President & CEO, Habitat for Humanity Canada
There’s No Place
Like Home
The Impact of a Safe, Secure
Place to Live
For a single mother of two working three jobs while putting
herself through school, finding out that the apartment
she rented was being sold was not welcome news. Finding
a place where her daughter, Emily, who suffers from
Down syndrome, could live wasn’t easy.
“There just weren’t a lot of options for a single mom with
two kids, one who is in a wheelchair,” says Christina Ryan.
Financially stressed in one of Canada’s most unaffordable
housing markets, Christina turned to Habitat for Humanity
Calgary. She attended a family information session, applying
for a home with a zero interest mortgage that would be
geared to her income.
Several months later, Christina received the news that
she’d been hoping for — Habitat for Humanity Calgary
had matched her with a home they were planning to build.
“After meeting Christina, we knew that the hand up of
a Habitat home would empower her to do many of the
things that she was not previously able, while substantially
improving the standard of living of her and her daughters,”
said John McMahon, Habitat for Humanity Calgary
Faith Coordinator.
In 2008, Habitat for Humanity Calgary had completed
a fully accessible home for the Ryan family in the community
of Evanston in Northwest Calgary.
Now, Christina no longer has to carry her daughter
and wheelchair up and down stairs as she had to at their
apartment building, a task she says she wouldn’t be able
to do now that Emily is almost 12 years old. And the
affordable mortgage payments allowed Christina to
purchase a vehicle with a wheelchair lift.
“We can now do more things and go more places as
a family,” she says.
Christina has also found professional success, opening
her own photography business and regularly lends her
skills to her local Habitat for Humanity affiliate that made
it all possible.
PHOTO BY CHRIS BOLIN
2010 was a landmark year for
Habitat for Humanity Canada, it marked
25 years of breaking the cycle of poverty
by offering families in need of affordable
housing a dignified and permanent solution.
By the end of the year, an additional 238
families across the country had recieved the
hand up of homeownership — the greatest
number in our 25-year history.
Sadly however, housing insecurity
remains a persistent issue affecting
1.3 million Canadian families.
According to a recent Wellesley
Institute report, the effect of the lack
of affordable housing on Canadians’
health is reducing our nation’s
productivity, limiting our national
competitiveness, and indirectly driving
up the cost of health care and welfare
(“Precarious Housing in Canada,” 2010).
The nationwide affordable housing crisis
is costly to individuals, communities,
the economy, and the government.
Together, we can and must do more.
That’s why Habitat for Humanity Canada
has created a National Leadership Council,
a group of prominent Canadian leaders
who are passionate about creating
solutions to Canada’s housing crisis.
They have pledged to devote their
personal time, expertise and influence
to raise awareness and understanding
of the problem of inadequate housing
and the effectiveness of solutions
centered around homeownership.
We are delighted that Cossette
President and CEO Brett Marchand,
who has led his agency to international
acclaim, has agreed to chair the Council.
To date, invitations to join the Council
have also been accepted by:
CEO, Delta Hotels and Resorts
Holcim (Canada) Inc.
Tachane Foundation
We will also be announcing council
members from The Home Depot Canada,
MCAP, and RBC shortly.
Habitat for Humanity’s work is well
known, but not always fully understood.
Many people are familiar with our builds,
but are unaware that our model empowers
families to own their own home. Partner
families take out affordable, interest-free
mortgages that are paid into a revolving
fund, which is used to help other families
in housing need by financing future
builds. Many people are also often
unaware of the links between housing
insecurity and the determinants of health,
educational outcomes and employment.
Because many of our National
Leadership Council members have been
involved with our cause for a number
of years, witnessing the impact of our
work, they are best-placed to tell our
story and inspire others to get involved
as donors, volunteers and advocates.
They know first-hand that housing is so
much more than four walls and a roof: it
is a point of transformation that opens
the door to education, health, security
and dignity. They have seen families lifted
up as children’s grades improve and
parents are able to start saving for their
futures. They’ve seen families once
dependent on social services become
taxpayers and contributors to the
economic base of the community.
They understand that an investment
in housing isn’t a band-aid solution; it
is a gateway to change, and change
that lasts for generations.
The National Leadership Council
will be a powerful voice for change.
With respected leaders sharing our
message with communities nationwide,
we will inspire more Canadians than
ever before to invest in Habitat for
Humanity: a permanent and perpetual
investment that pays itself back time
and time and time again. Look for
more information on the Council in
the coming months.
“Since becoming involved with Habitat for Humanity Canada, I’ve become more aware of the
struggles that many families face when it comes to housing insecurity. As business leaders,
I believe that we must take a leadership position on the issue and we must do so by investing in
the development of Canadian communities. I am eager to play a meaningful role on Habitat’s
National Leadership Council — driving awareness and support to Habitat’s work across the country.
I’ve seen the transformation that results when a family moves into a home that they own and
it is this transformative impact that gives me hope that our contribution to this issue is truly
making a difference,” Hank Stackhouse, CEO, Delta Hotels and Resorts
8 THE HABITAT SPIRIT Spring/Summer 2011 To donate, to advocate or participate visit www.habitat.ca 9
National Partners
The key to Habitat for Humanity Canada’s success is
the generous contributions we receive from our corporate,
foundation, individual and government partners.
Thank you to all of them.
MULTI-
YEAR
DONORS
A special “Thank You” to our committed multi-year
partners. Your long-term investment helps us plan into
the future and better achieve our mission to build
sustainable communities across the country.
LEGACY PARTNERS
SINGLE
YEAR
DONORS
PLATINUM PARTNERS
PLATINUM PARTNERS
SILVER PARTNERS
GOLD PARTNERS
BRONZE PARTNERS
Tachane Foundation
SILVER PARTNERS
We are fortunate to have many committed partners – not all could be listed here. To view
our complete donor list, please visit habitat.ca. To learn more about partnership opportunities,
contact Matthew Gustafson at (416) 644-0988 ext. 352 or mgustafson@habitat.ca.
10 THE HABITAT SPIRIT Spring/Summer 2011
To donate, participate or advocate visit www.habitat.ca 11
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY ABROAD
HABITAT
FOR
HUMANITY
ABROAD
Significant Funds
Committed by
CIDA to Habitat
for Humanity
Canada’s
Rebuilding
Efforts in Haiti
On March 2nd,
the Government of
Canada announced its
commitment of almost
$1.3 million to support
Habitat for Humanity
Canada’s rebuilding
projects in Simon Pele,
a low-income, high density,
earthquake affected area
of Port-au-Prince.
With this financial support, Habitat
for Humanity Canada (HFHC) plans
to repair 175 homes and install 100
sanitation facilities. This will involve
the training of local residents at a
Habitat Resource Centre in repair and
reconstruction techniques, employing
and empowering Haitians in an area
with high unemployment.
As well, with this funding HFHC plans
to provide primary health care clinics
to the community, educating 10,000
community members on major health
issues, immunizing 100 pregnant women
and 900 children, and providing health
supplies to 3,000 households and two
schools. This component of the relief
effort will be delivered under the
direction of HFHC by Rayjon ShareCare,
a Canadian NGO that has been working
in Haiti for 25 years.
The Government of Canada provides
funding for this initiative through the
Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA).
The State of Haiti,
a Year Later
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck
the Caribbean nation on January 12th,
2010, just 10 miles west of the capital,
Port-au-Prince, damaged nearly 190,000
houses. Just over a year later, one million
survivors are still displaced. Afraid to
return to their homes, they are suffering
severe overcrowding, health and security
risks. Yet the Ministry of Public Works,
Transport and Communications’ initial
Building Habitability Assessments
indicates that nearly 80% of damaged
homes can be safely repaired and/or
retrofitted while being strengthened
in order to be able to withstand
future disasters.
Simon Pele was suggested to HFHC
as a community of focus by Habitat for
Humanity Haiti following a request from
the United Nations Shelter Cluster to
consider developing a neighbourhood
program there, as it was not previously
being served by any other shelter
organization.
Habitat for Humanity
Responds to Devastation
Triggered by Earthquake
in Japan
Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC)
sends its thoughts and prayers to all those
affected by the 8.9 magnitude earthquake
and tsunami that devastated areas of Japan
on March 11th, 2011. In response, HFHC
is currently working with Habitat for
Humanity International, Habitat for
Humanity Japan and other NGO partners
to assess the situation and determine how
and where Habitat for Humanity can be
of most help.
Currently, Habitat for Humanity
International is sending leadership
representatives to Japan to determine
potential operational plans. We expect the
response to include domestic volunteer
engagement with key NGO partners, and
potentially direct activities focused on
home clean-up and repair, although this
latter element will be a function of
resources, capacity, and specific needs
of those affected by this disaster.
Orest Myckan
Building a
Global Village
Some see retirement
as the end of an era,
others see it as just
the beginning.
For Orest Myckan, retirement has given
him the chance to travel the world while
helping those less fortunate. Since retiring
in 1997, he’s participated in 19 Habitat
for Humanity Global Village builds
around the world.
“When retirement came along I said
no more meetings, no more committees,”
remembers Orest, who spent his career
working as a human resources specialist.
He was a long-time volunteer with Habitat
for Humanity in his local community in
Edmonton, but the year he retired, he
joined his first Habitat build abroad –
traveling to Honduras to erect a house
for a family in need.
Orest began leading trips in 2000.
“Once I started, I just couldn’t stop,”
he says, “the experiences were just
so fulfilling.”
Over the course of the last decade,
Orest’s builds have taken him from
Guatemala, the Philippines, Jamaica
and Mexico to Cost Rica, Nicaragua,
El Salvador, the Dominican Republic
and even Iqualuit.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CANADA’S GLOBAL VILLAGE PROGRAM:
Volunteers Building Homes and
Building Hope for Families Abroad
IMAGINE TRAVELING into the interior of the Cambodian
jungle, to the Northern Island of Hawaii, or to the mountainous
region of Uganda to immerse yourself in the local culture,
working to build safe and secure homes side-by-side with local
residents who have welcomed you as their own. You’d be
changing lives, and your own life would likely be changed in
the process too.
Since its beginnings in 2005 when Habitat for Humanity
Canada’s Global Village program sent one trip of 20 volunteers
to Uganda, the program has exploded in popularity, now
having impacted the lives of over 400 partner families and
6,000 Global Village volunteers.
Now 67, Orest plans to continue
doing two international builds a year in
addition to his local volunteer work.
His most recent build took him to Nepal
for the Everest 2010 Build that brought
together teams from all over the world
to launch construction of the second
5,000 Habitat houses in the region.
Orest says the payoff from his
involvement with Habitat for Humanity
has been incredible. “You come together
as a team and form really meaningful
relationships with each other and the
local people – and you see first-hand the
results of your efforts,” he says.
Hammering nails and laying bricks
across the globe has been Orest’s
fountain of youth. “It really keeps me
young,” he says.
A testament of the life-changing
impact that these trips have on their
volunteers, and something that
can explain the rapid growth of the
program in general, is that just about every Global Village
participant becomes a Global Village advocate. The stories
and photos that come back from each and every trip have
inspired countless others to act, which is goodwill that
has led to a greater number of families abroad receiving
the hand up of homeownership every year.
Visit habitat.ca/globalvillage to learn more and to
view upcoming trip schedules.
12 THE HABITAT SPIRIT Spring/Summer 2011 To donate, participate or advocate visit www.habitat.ca 13
1
Building Homes
with Hope
Genworth Financial Canada’s Meaning of Home
Contest Winner to Provide a Wellington County
Family with the Hand Up of Homeownership
ON JANUARY 25TH,
Genworth Financial
Canada (Genworth)
announced that
Grade 6 student
Karson Simpson
from Guelph,
Ontario was chosen as the winner of
this year’s Meaning of Home contest for
her exceptional essay that used poetic
language to compare a homeless teen
with one who has a comfortable home.
Karson’s submission was selected from
a record number of 2,400 entries received
from Grades 4, 5 and 6 students across
Canada, winning her the opportunity to
devote a $60,000 donation from Genworth
to the Canadian Habitat for Humanity
affiliate of her choice. Deciding that she
wanted to help a family from her own
community, Karson chose Habitat for
Humanity Wellington County to receive
the award.
As this year’s winner, Karson also
received a home computer for her own
use as well as a pizza party for her
entire school.
Karson is the 4th winner of the
Genworth Meaning of Home contest,
which was established in 2007 to raise
awareness among students of the
importance of having a home. Since its
inception, $357,000 has been donated
by Genworth to 23 Habitat for Humanity
affiliates in Canada. In addition to the
grand prize $60,000 donation, five
runners-up will get to devote $5,000
donations and 18 semi-finalists will get to
devote $500 donations to the Habitat for
Humanity affiliates of their choice.
“Genworth Financial Canada’s Meaning
of Home contest has once again effectively
engaged youth as advocates in Canada’s
affordable housing crisis,” said Stewart
Hardacre, President and CEO of Habitat
for Humanity Canada. “In addition, the
substantial financial support that has
come to Habitat for Humanity as a result
of the contest has helped provide several
Canadian families with the hand up of
homeownership, something that we
know will have a transformative impact
on these families and their communities
for generations to come.”
All winning essays from this year’s
contest can be viewed at Genworth’s
Meaning of Home website,
meaningofhome.ca.
“The quality of entries we received
again this year demonstrates the high
level of creativity and compassion found
in the younger generation,” said Peter
Vukanovich, Executive Vice President,
Corporate Development. “The Meaning of
Home contest empowers students from
across Canada to use the importance of
their words to give a family a home. We
would like to thank all of the entrants as
well as the many teachers who brought
this project to their classrooms.”
A Longstanding Habitat Partner
The Meaning of Home Contest is part
of a larger national partnership between
Habitat for Humanity Canada and
Genworth, the largest private sector
supplier of mortgage insurance in Canada.
The company has committed to a
three-year project called “The Path to
Home”, which will total more than
$1 million in support for Habitat for
Humanity’s affordable homebuilding
projects nationwide. In addition to
donations, Genworth is contributing
educational materials, volunteer hours
and expertise to local Habitat for
Humanity affiliates in Canada.
About Genworth Financial Canada:
Genworth Financial Canada, a subsidiary
of Genworth MI Canada Inc. (TSX:MIC),
has been the leading Canadian private
residential mortgage insurer since 1995.
Known as “The Homeownership Company”,
it provides default mortgage insurance
to Canadian residential mortgage lenders
that enables low down-payment borrowers
to own a home more affordably and stay
in their homes during difficult financial
times. Genworth Financial Canada
combines technological and service
excellence with risk management expertise
to deliver innovation to the mortgage
marketplace. As of September 30, 2010,
Genworth MI Canada had $5.3 billion in
total assets and $2.6 billion in shareholders’
equity. Based in Oakville, Ontario, the
Company employs approximately 265
people across Canada.
Hope by Karson Simpson
She opens her eyes slowly hoping, yet again, that maybe when they are fully open
she’ll be in a warm house, with a cozy bed and a fridge full of food. Instead she has
only two brick walls covered in graffiti— she knows as art, a ratty old sleeping bag
and a back pack for a pillow. She takes a deep breath and hopes for a good day.
She wants five more minutes but doesn’t have time. Time is all it takes to be alone.
A sliver of light creeps onto the walls of her brightly coloured room, as her
sister slowly opens her door. She rolls over in her warm bed, blankets still
wrapped around her, and opens her eyes. Her sister tells her she can get into the
shower and disappears into the dark hallways of the house. She gets up to the
shower five minutes later. As she steps into the steady stream of warm water,
she loses herself in her thoughts. As she steps out, she clears the mirror and looks
at her reflection — nothing ever changes in her life. She just stands there and
thinks, for a while. She has the time. Time is all she has.
She learns everything she needs to from her sister, at least that’s what her parents
tell her. She hopes more for herself, because she feels like she deserves it. She’s never
asked her parents for more than she already has. She knows her parents do the best
they can for her and her sister, but she can’t help thinking about more.
The wind whips through her hair as she walks to school with a friend. She
slowly takes out her headphones as the song on her iPod finishes its last chord
— All You Need Is Love; is love all you really need?
As her parents argue about what to do next, the rain beats down harder and her
stomach moans loudly; she’s starving. Her parents tell her and her sister to go to the
women’s shelter and the family will meet again tomorrow. Will they really be back?
She slowly walks upstairs leaving the family television alone till tomorrow. She
brushes her teeth then crawls into her bed. She lays there in the peaceful silence,
left alone; she’s swallowed up by the darkness of her non-existent room to venture
into her thoughts. What if I didn’t have my warm bed, my good food? What if I
had to work for everything I have and nothing was a privilege? What if I didn’t
have my carefully planned out routine I follow daily?
As she lies in the bed at the shelter she hears only the consistent breathing of her
sister bedside her and the careful cry of an infant off in the distance. She runs
through the thoughts in her head. What if I had a bed and food of my own? What
if I could go to school and learn? What if I had money to buy what I wanted? What
if I had my days planned? What if I had a warm home of my own? For right now
she can only hope for these things, but with hope the world is yours.
The next morning she wakes up and knows that if she didn’t have her home,
she wouldn’t have much of anything at all. She knows now she needs to love and
cherish what she has because not everyone has what she has — a home.
Read the runner-up winning entries online at meaningofhome.ca
2
3
1. KARSON DEDICATING HER
WINNING CHEQUE TO HABITAT
FOR HUMANITY WELLINGTON
COUNTY, GUELPH, ON
2. MARGARET, VANCOUVER, BC
— RUNNER-UP
3. TYLER, EDMONTON, AB
— RUNNER-UP
4. SAMUEL, LONGUEUIL, QC
— RUNNER-UP
5. THE HABITAT HOME BUILT
WITH LAST YEAR’S MEANING
OF HOME DONATION,
ST. JOHN’S, NL
RUNNERS-UP NOT SHOWN:
LUCY, OAKVILLE, ON
KEVIN, ST. JOHN’S, NL
5
4
14 THE HABITAT SPIRIT Spring/Summer 2011
To donate, participate or advocate visit www.habitat.ca 15
WINNIPEG, MB
THE HABITAT
Habitat for Humanity Canada
upholds the highest standards of
accountability and transparency.
Our reputation is our most important
asset, and maintaining strong and
open relations with our supporters
is a top priority.
For this reason, Habitat for Humanity Canada
is one of Imagine Canada’s Ethical Code
Program participants, meaning that we commit
to the guidelines set in Imagine Canada’s
Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability
Code. For more information, please visit
imaginecanada.ca.
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