Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County

Because of the caring loyal support from this community, I have the distinct privilege of making three very important announcements.

The families who will live in the Via Lucero Habitat Homes have been selected
Site preparation will begin April 25th
We are within $145,000 of our fundraising goal to build the Via Lucero homes

With all the wealth around us, it was shocking to see the living conditions of many families in Southern Santa Barbara County. With that, it is my humble honor to invite you to get to know the hard-working, dedicated families who will build their own homes alongside Habitat volunteers and friends. We are confident that you will share in our joy as, together, we offer a hand up to these deserving families.

The Families

One family currently lives in a run-down garage with no plumbing and therefore, no bathroom or kitchen. Rats, cockroaches and other vermin compete with the mold and mildew. Duct tape has been the main means of sealing shut the one entry door. Because there are no bedrooms, the two small children sleep in the same room as their parents. One day soon, this family will be able to call Via Lucero their home. In addition, they will generously invite their grandmother to live with them; she will provide childcare so that mother and father can focus on the business they have started together and work to get ahead.

Another family has only one parent. She has completed the five-year Transition House program in three years, and completed her BA while going through their program. In addition, she has been raising her daughter and stepdaughter—the half-sister of her own daughter, who otherwise would be put in foster care. More importantly, she would like to have custody of her stepson, currently in a foster home in Los Angeles. She is unable to bring them all together in her current temporary living conditions, a studio apartment at Transition House. Her new Habitat home on Via Lucero will fulfill her dream of keeping the three siblings together and provide a stable family home for them all.

The third family also lives in a garage. They are in a very bad neighborhood, with gang activity at all hours of the day and night. The children are not allowed to play outside for safety reasons and like the first family; these children share a sleeping alcove with their parents. The young father has been working for the same company in Santa Barbara for 8 ½ years, but has been unable to earn enough to move into better housing. Soon he, along with his wife, will be able move their family into a new 3 bedroom Habitat home. For the first time in their young lives, these children will have safe and have decent place to lay their heads.

If you are interested in finding out what you can do to help these families, please contact us.

Site Preparation, April 25, 2005

Our second major announcement concerns the actual construction of the homes. Our building permits are in and the rain has stopped. This means that site preparation can begin. On April 25 earth-moving equipment will begin removing and re-compacting the soil on the Via Lucero property. Subcontractors will then build a retaining wall at the rear perimeter of the lot, and soon we will see slabs poured. We expect that by this summer, we will be into the framing phase of construction. We are eager to invite volunteers on to the site as soon as possible. Please check our website regularly for updates.

Fundraising

The third announcement is that we have reached 84% of our fundraising goal of $794,000 for the Via Lucero project. We have $145,000 left to raise in this amazing project that will build three homes for under $1,000,000. This money will be used to build homes for the families mentioned above. And as you may know, we are proud to say that this is the first (of what we plan to be many) Habitat building projects in Santa Barbara. We have also raised 80% of our current operating budget of $101,000 that keeps our office going. More support is needed if we are to continue building and providing homes for families in need. Learn more.

Now, as we look to complete the fundraising for the Via Lucero project, and plan for next year's budget and the next building project, we turn to the community for their continued support. Please consider providing your financial assistance to this and other Habitat projects. We are grateful to those that have already chosen to join us in this most important, gratifying work of providing decent homes for families in need and welcome newcomers.

I am so very proud that I was able to bring you all this happy news and look forward to seeing you soon on the work site. Thank you again for making a difference in the lives of three Santa Barbara families.

With my warmest regards,

Joyce McCullough
Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity
of Southern Santa Barbara County