Somewhere about this time of year, we reach our limit of slush and snow, and begin to dream of warmer climes. If you are looking for meaningful experiences and challenges along with your dose of sunshine, Habitat for Humanity has a number of options for you. Volunteer vacations, along with eco-tourism and cultural tourism, are the new wave of holidays.

Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program offers a wide variety of destinations for short-term trips where you will join with local and international volunteers to help build a house. Learn how houses are constructed in another country and see the enormous difference a Habitat home can make. Get to know another culture in a meaningful way. Global Village trips vary in length from 9 to 40 days. Itineraries are balanced with plenty of work, rest and free time. Most teams spend a few days—depending on the length of the trip—touring local historic sites or attractions or participating in outdoor recreational activities. Participants are responsible for all trip costs, and are encouraged to engage in fundraising activities to support the trip. Participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or chaperone. Groups or families are welcome to sign up together for a trip in one of the 100 countries worldwide in which Habitat for Humanity works. For more information or to sign up for a HFH Global Village trip, please click here for more informaton.

	A group of Care-A-Vanners pose for a group shot in front of a Habitat house. Photo-Chuck Flanagan, HFHI.

Habitat for Humanity Care-a-Vanners travel in their own recreation vehicles to work alongside Habitat for Humanity affiliates across Canada and the United States . The HFHI/RV coordinator arranges RV Care-A-Vanner trips and programs throughout the year, working with Habitat affiliates across the U.S. and Canada . A caravan usually lasts two weeks and includes eight to 10 RV units. For more information on the car-avan schedule or to register for a Caravan Build, contact http://www.habitat.org/gv/rv.html or call (229) 924-6935, ext. 2446.

Early stages of Habitat house consturction, with volunteer help from Habitat for Humanity Care-A-Vanners. Photo-Stephanie Bernhagen, HFHI.

Various programs will be employed including Habitat’s Save and Build program where up to 12 families save together to build one Habitat house at a time until all the families have homes. Another initiative is the development of Building and Training Centres using the model of the existing centre in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. Batticaloa’s centre was developed five years ago as a means of keeping building costs low and providing income for Habitat homeowners. Post-tsunami, this centre is operating three shifts each day to provide 3,600 concrete blocks every 24 hours for the rebuilding process.

Landscaping materials for Habitat homes. Photo-Kim MacDonald, HFHI.

It’s never too early to think about summer – and the Habitat for Humanity building season. Curious about what Habitat for Humanity is doing in your neighbourhood? Click here to see our frequently-updated listing of Habitat for Humanity projects at affiliates across Canada . To contact the local affiliates for more information or to get involved, click here.

There is no possible way we can say thank you publicly to all of our donors and sponsors. You know who you are, so please, take one minute off today and think about the joy you are bring to families in Canada and around the world.

We will, from time to time, list a few donors that may interest everyone.

Fruits and Passion / Hurteau & Associes S.E.N.G., Quebec : the Fruits & Passion franchisees across Canada held a Christmas special item sale, with proceeds to Habitat for Humanity Canada. They, and their retail customers, raised a wonderful $45,000 in just six weeks. $20,000 is designated for the Habitat for Humanity Canada Tsunami Response Fund, while the balance will be used for HFH Canada national and local projects.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School Students, Dairyland Fluid Division Ltd., Port Perry High School Students, Topline Printing , and many, many others for their donations to the Tsunami Response Fund.

The UPS Foundation , $72,500, to be used for the recruitment, training and retention of volunteers in our 65 affiliates across Canada, in recognition of the 30,000 volunteers and the only 100 staff in the whole country, who have made HFH Canada so successful.

A ship that was swept ashore by the tsunami that ravaged over 12 countries. Nam Kem, Thailand. Photo-Kim MacDonald, HFHI.

Two months after the tsunami that rocked the south-east Pacific, killing upwards of 160,000 people and leaving more than 5,000,000 people displaced and homeless, Habitat for Humanity’s disaster relief continues. Working in conjunction with its international parent organization, Habitat for Humanity Canada continues its appeal to raise funds to help the rebuilding process in six of the affected nations.

Habitat for Humanity’s current relief efforts focus on transitional and permanent housing for more than 25,000 families in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand (at a cost of $25 million US) so that families can move out of overcrowded, disease- and crime-ridden camps. In the longer term, HFH plans to help tens of thousands of families to move to transitional and permanent housing. Long-term plans will be developed in conjunction with HFH affiliates in each country, based on ongoing needs and existing partnerships. Habitat for Humanity Building and Training Centres, which provide technical expertise, showing how to make and use affordable building materials, will be a key component of the rebuilding process.

A future Habitat for Humanity homeowner works on home. Galle, Sri Lanka. Photo-Kim MacDonald, HFHI.

Reconstruction is already underway in Sri Lanka where 20 per cent of Habitat homes were destroyed. Seventy-five houses are being rebuilt in Batticaloa and 50 houses in Galle . Building supplies are in demand, with affiliates in non-affected areas and other agencies providing materials until a Building and Training Centre can be established.

Four Building and Training Centres are scheduled to open in Sumatra , Indonesia in the next month. Light-gauge steel houses are being built so that they can be moved to permanent locations and supplemented with local wood walls.

In India , repair work is underway on more than 500 houses, with new construction set to begin in six villages as early as April. Six Building and Training Centres are scheduled to assist in this process.

In Thailand , Habitat for Humanity is working with a consortium of international agencies and Thai churches to rebuild more than 1000 houses; within six months, they expect to have a capacity of repairing fifty houses each month.

“The tsunami is no longer front-page news in Canada ,” said David Hughes, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada. “We cannot forget that the rebuilding process will be massive and long term, and that our brothers and sisters in these countries will need our continuing assistance.”

Many Canadians have asked HFHC how they can be of assistance and have offered many forms of support ranging from financial assistance to volunteering to work in the region. Habitat for Humanity Canada has been advised that the best support that can be provided for the next few months is in the form of financial contributions . A $100-300 donation will repair a damaged Habitat home; $2000 will provide all the supplies to build a new house. To date, more than $50,000 has been pledged and/or received by Habitat for Humanity Canada’s Asia Tsunami Fund. Leadership in donations has been taken by individuals and organizations including Lafarge, Swiss Re, OPS, CIMBL, Royal LePage and Honeywell Canada .

Volunteers are required in the affected countries. At present, Global Village teams are at work in unaffected areas in the devastated countries. There will be a need for longer-term volunteers with specific building skills. Individuals, community organizations and corporations wishing to volunteer may contact Terry Petkau, VP Building & Housing Programs about their interest, availability, and the relevant skills and experience at tpetkau@habitat.ca or at (800) 667-5137, ext. 238.

To contribute, please visit our "To Donate" web page, or call 1-800-667-5137. Donations by cheque, made payable to HFH Canada Tsunami Fund, should be mailed to:

Habitat for Humanity Canada
40 Albert Street
Waterloo , Ontario ,
Canada
N2L 3S2

Donors responding to their employer’s tsunami appeal should identify the name of their employer when making the donation.

Organizations and corporations wishing to financially support HFHC’s fundraising efforts are urged to contact David Butler, Acting VP Marketing and Development, at dbutler@habitat.ca or 800-667-5137, ext. 251.

At times like this, Habitat for Humanity's worldwide network demonstrates its commitment to ensuring that everyone has a safe and decent place to live. Whether it is in support of our partner families in Canada or those affected by the events around the world, your energy, commitment and compassion for our mission is greatly appreciated.