Spring Construction Underway

New Look, Same Vision

You recognize the Nike swoosh at a glance and can read a Coca Cola label even when the words are written in Swahili. Habitat for Humanity wants to be equally recognizable—so that more people and families can have a safe place to live. Habitat for Humanity has established a new logo and guidelines for all Habitat programs worldwide in an effort to secure and promote a consistent image around the world.

While our look may be changing, our mission is steadfast: to build simple, decent, affordable houses in partnership with families in need.

I Can't Believe It's Mine

By Elba Reyes as told to Linda Barnard
(Originally printed in Homemakers magazine Dec/Jan 2004/5. Reprinted with kind permission of Homemakers magazine and Linda Barnard)

My name is Elba Reyes and there are times when I wonder why God loves me so much.

I am 40 years old and I left my father's home in Guatemala not long after his death 10 years ago. I had separated from my husband so it was just me with my three girls—and I was pregnant with my youngest, Monica, though I didn't know it at the time! I was nervous about coming to Canada, not sure what the future would hold for my family. I was hopeful it would be good, but I never dreamed we would one day be able to own our own home—a house that we helped to build with our hands, along with dozens of volunteers from Habitat for Humanity. . . These people were so willing to help and made the time to make our dreams come true. There are no words to describer how I feel about them. When I try, I get so emotional I can't speak.

I still can't believe the pretty red-brick bungalow with the creamy white siding is mine—my family's. We had been living in an apartment on the east side of Kitchener since we came to Canada in 1995 . . . The neighbourhood was not the best. The police came sometimes and I was afraid to let my girls play and jump and sing inside for fear of disturbing the neighbours. The sounds traveled through the apartment walls so easily.

My brothers, who came to Canada before me, heard about Habitat for Humanity and told me about it. "You should apply,' they said. I didn't want to at first; I didn't believe it. How could it be possible for someone like me to afford a house? But I went to a meeting and it was explained that I could. I needed to be able to pay 20 per cent of my income toward the mortgage, which is interest-free.

I work at the Nestle plant in Guelph, Ontario, which is about a half hour drive from Kitchener. I clean the equipment on the production line and make $34,000 a year, which some people say isn't much to raise four girls on. but I make enough to live with no worries. I didn't have that much as a kid.

The most important part of being a Habitat family, for me, is that we had to promise to give 250 ours of our time in what they call "sweat equity" to help build our home and our neighbours' homes; help out in the office; or do whatever is required of us to help Habitat house more families. All of us worked . . . even little Monica volunteered, serving lunch on the build site. I am so proud of all my girls for how they pitched in. I joke that I am now a bricklayer— we all are. Believe it or not, we actually helped put the bricks on our new house, siding too. We even helped build our neighbour's house. Her name is Helen Oviedo, and lie me, she is a single mother with two children. We've given almost 600 volunteer hours as a family. It's our way of saying, thank you. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Father's Day (and Mother's Day)

We couldn't be up and running in time for Mother's Day (May 13), but it isn't too late to get a shirt or hat for her, too.

New Habitat for Humanity Canada merchandise will be available in summer 2005. Our Canada On-Line Store is off-line until then, but the International store is ready for your order.

You could also consider making a donation in your father's and mother's name to Habitat for Humanity Canada. Check out our web site: www.habitat.ca for details.

Women Build

Women Build. It's a strong, bold statement. And it happens to be true. Women build homes. Women build is the name of one of Habitat for Humanity's programs, in which simple, decent houses are built in a partnership between families in need, generous sponsors and women who build houses.

Photo courtesy of Saskatoon Habitat for Humanity volunteer

While women make up 50 percent of Habitat's potential volunteer force, only 25 percent of the workers on a Habitat for Humanity construction site are female. Construction is still a male-dominated field, and on a work site populated by professional builders and weekend handymen, men tend to take the lead in construction with women often relegated—sometimes due to their own lack of experience—to tasks such as painting, landscaping and cleaning up on the site.

In a Habitat for Humanity Women Build, women take responsibility for the entire building process, from planning and training to fundraising and media communications, to roofing and dry-walling. As in all Habitat programs, volunteers are trained on the different components of the house-building process. On the actual build site, women make up the majority of construction volunteers, while men may participate as instructors or in other support roles.

This summer, two Habitat for Humanity affiliates plan Women build constructions—in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Cobourg, Ontario. For more information or to get involved in a Habitat for Humanity Women Build, contact womenbuild@habitat.ca

An Amazing Gift

In April, Habitat for Humanity Canada received an amazing and uplifting gift, from the students of The Hamptons School, Calgary, Alberta. A totally unexpected thick package arrived—containing over $11,000 in donations for the HFH Canada Tsunami Response Fund, funds raised by the children and their families.

Each child in the grade one class wrote a letter to the volunteers who will be going to the tsunami-affected areas, with a picture of a house. Among the 26 letters:

"Dear Volunteers. My name is Annie, from the Hamptons School from Calgary. I am in grade 1. I am almost 7 years old. Is it hard to build houses? Is it hot in Thailand? Thank you for building all those houses! Love from Annie."

"Dear Volunteers. My name is Connor. Is building houses hard or easy? How do you build houses? Thank you for building. Love from Connor."

"Dear Habitat for Humanity. My name is Jeremy. We hope you build a lot of homes. We hope you have a nis [sic] time. From the Hamptons School."

"Dear Habitat for Humanity. My name is Graham. I hope there are no more tsunamis.
I hope you build good houses. From Graham."

"Dear Habitat for Humanity. We hope you build wonderful houses. It will be hard work, but you can do it! Your friend, Sara."

What a wonderful, inspiring blessing!

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