Habitat For Humanity
January 5, 2010 by admin
Filed under Featured Causes
Featured Cause: Habitat For Humanity
Web Site: habitat.org
Web Site: habitat.org
What is Habitat for Humanity?
Habitat for Humanity International is nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need. Founded in 1976, Habitat has built more than 250,000 houses around the world, providing shelter for more than a million people.
Habitat for Humanity International is nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need. Founded in 1976, Habitat has built more than 250,000 houses around the world, providing shelter for more than a million people.
How does it work?
Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses that are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans. Homeowners make monthly mortgage payments that are deposited in a locally-administered Fund for Humanity with proceeds going toward the construction of future Habitat houses.
Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses that are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans. Homeowners make monthly mortgage payments that are deposited in a locally-administered Fund for Humanity with proceeds going toward the construction of future Habitat houses.
Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor — “sweat equity” — into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.
Families in need of decent shelter apply to local Habitat groups. The family selection committee of each local organization chooses homeowners based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the no-profit loan. Every Habitat group follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing the families who receive Habitat houses.How is the work of Habitat for Humanity a reflection of the Christian faith?
Habitat’s ministry is based on the conviction that to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ we must reflect Christ’s love in our own lives by loving and caring for one another. Habitat provides an opportunity for people to put their faith and love into action, bringing diverse groups of people together to make affordable housing and better communities a reality for everyone.
Habitat’s ministry is based on the conviction that to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ we must reflect Christ’s love in our own lives by loving and caring for one another. Habitat provides an opportunity for people to put their faith and love into action, bringing diverse groups of people together to make affordable housing and better communities a reality for everyone.
All Habitat groups are asked to “tithe” — to give 10 percent of their contributions to fund house-building work in other locations around the world. Tithing provides funds for international building, and it also affords Habitat groups the chance to demonstrate the spirit of Christian partnership.
Each year on the third Sunday in September, Habitat for Humanity observes the International Day of Prayer and Action for Human Habitat. Supporters around the world are asked to pray for those in need of shelter and to pray that God will touch the hearts of individuals to take up the cause of affordable housing.During the week before the Day of Prayer each year, Habitat for Humanity celebrates Building on Faith week to highlight its partnerships with churches and other faith groups around the world. During this week, Habitat for Humanity invites faith partners to pray for those in need of housing, to be advocates for affordable housing and to make a commitment to dedicate resources and volunteers to provide housing solutions as a sermon of God’s love.