October 2005
Habitat HeadlinesA Publication of Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County
In this issue:
- Local response to Katrina – Home in a Box Project Starts October 8th!
- Current Volunteer Opportunities as soon as Sunday, October 9th!
- Via Lucero project update
Habitat for Humanity Joins Allen Associates to Build a Home in a Box for Hurricane Katrina Family
Habitat for Humanity is working together on a very special joint project with Allen Associates to build a home for one of the displaced families in the Hurricane Katrina area. The entire Santa Barbara community is helping to raise the funds needed to purchase the materials to build a "Built to Ship" home. The home will be built in a Creole architectural style respecting the area's tradition and culture. And, it will be a healthy home - made with green building materials and using less water and energy than a typical home. The "Built to Ship" units are perfect for use in the Hurricane Katrina area. Not only do they cost less than a custom built home, but they can be constructed and installed in 60 to 90 days.Over the next three weeks, the team will be putting together the pieces needed to build the home here in Santa Barbara, and then placing all the pieces (including the plumbing fixtures, appliances, and even the nails and toilets) into a cargo container for shipment to the South. Local contractors in the hurricane area will help install the home. Habitat for Humanity is helping find an appropriate family from the list of thousands of families that has been compiled. The City of Santa Barbara's Housing Authority is providing a vacant lot for building space to build the unit.
The project will include many green features, and many local businesses have donated building materials for this project. We are still in the process of finalizing the budget for this project, but the original estimate is that it will cost around $75,000. To date, we have received over $25,000 towards this project from local fundraisers and private donors. "Santa Barbara residents have a generous spirit of giving. It's one of the many things that makes our community so special," says Executive Director Joyce McCullough. "Many fundraisers have already been held throughout the community to raise money and awareness for this monumental effort." For instance, the 4th to 6th grade students at Montessori Center School have raised over $2,800 to contribute to this project.
Ways that people can help:
- Call the Habitat office at 692-2226 if you would like to help construct the house. There are a limited number of volunteer slots that we would like to fill with Habitat volunteers.
- Send a check to help offset the cost to construct the project to Habitat for Humanity. Address: P.O. Box 176, Goleta, CA 93116, Attn: Allen Associates Katrina Home Fund.
- Put together a gift basket of personal items – towels, sheets, toiletries, kitchen items, etc. – that will be placed in the shipping container for the family to enjoy in their new home. Contact Allen Associates at 884-8777 ext. 121 for a list of needed items.
Via Lucero Project Update
The shoring has been installed, and the site has been excavated and prepared. Kenney Construction is currently working on building retaining walls at the back of the property, and will soon begin working on the foundations. We anticipate being ready for volunteers in early December, and hope to begin framing before Christmas. Please join us for a volunteer orientation prior to working on site. Volunteer orientations are held on the first Saturday of each month. Call our Volunteer Coordinator Scott Meyers to reserve your spot, both at Via Lucero and at the orientation, 692-2226.
For more information, call us at 805-692-2226 or visit our website at www.sbhabitat.org