"How can we build like this on a regular basis?"
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- In response to this frequent
question, Habitat for Humanity and the Mutual Self Help housing
project are welcoming volunteers daily after school at a home
one block from Butte High. From there, youth volunteers will
be assigned to short-term projects throughout the High Schools
area. The volunteer action hours will be 3:00 to 6 p.m. daily.
Even an hour's time can really help a project.
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- Volunteers will read a safety
orientation and be assigned to a skill and age-appropriate, ongoing
project near Butte High and Butte Central High with adult orientation
and supervision by Habitat board members, staff and partner family
members. In addition, church youth groups will be holding special
work sessions by prior arrangement at several of the sites.
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- Weekend hours are set for 10-4p.m.
on Saturdays (earlier by prior arrangement) and 1 to 5 p.m. on
Sundays.
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- YOUTH POWER is a new Habitat
club that welcomes high school students who want to make a difference
in the neighborhoods around Butte High and Butte Central High
Schools. YOUTH POWER always meets and gets assignments from DAVE's
house at 638 S. WYOMING, when the volunteer banners or signs
are visible. (Dave Merritt is an owner-builder whose story is
being featured by national self-help organizations because he
is bringing a new independence to disabled owner-builders and
showing leadership by investing near the high schools area. Dave
is part of a wave of owner-builders who are making a difference
in Butte and Southwest Montana towns, including new programs
in Dillon and next year, Deer Lodge.)
YOUTH POWER will work with local youth groups to plan trips within
the Habitat youth challenge program and other Montana opportunities
for service. For more information, call 782-8579.
What's Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana?
 Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit,
nondenominational Christian housing organization. Since 1976,
Habitat has built more than 100,000 houses in more than 80 countries,
including some 30,000 houses across the United States. Habitat
houses are purchased by the homeowner families.
Three factors make Habitat houses affordable to low-income people
worldwide:
Houses are sold at no profit, with no interest charged on the
mortgage. Homeowners and volunteers
build the houses under trained supervision. Individuals, corporations,
faith groups and others provide financial support.
Habitat for Humanity's work is organized at the local level by
more than 1,900 affiliates worldwide. Affiliates coordinate house
building and select partner families. Homeowner families are
chosen according to their need; their ability to repay the no-profit,
no-interest mortgage; and their willingness to work in partnership
with Habitat. Habitat for Humanity
does not discriminate according to race, religion or ethnic group.
To learn more, visit their main web site at www.habitat.org.
 Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana is an
affiliate of the larger international organization. Our local
affiliate is set up to work in seven counties in Southwest Montana.
Right now we are actively building and raising funds to help
build homes in Butte and Dillon, Montana. We have succeeded in
partnering with families in Butte and Dillon so far. A group
that organized to build Habitat homes in Anaconda has established
a separate affiliate there and completed their first home in
1997. To find out the latest details about the projects of our
affiliate, please visit the What's New? section of this site.
We have worked hard since 1994 to gather the resources and the
local talent to bring decent affordable housing to those willing
to work hard and invest of themselves to break the cycle of need
that traps too many Americans in sub-standard housing.
We are well established
with 12 houses completed, and another, a Women Building a Legacy
project, under construction, but we have much more to do to ensure
that everyone who wants to become a Habitat partner and is qualified
for a Habitat home can participate in the program.
We have a long
way to go that will require many new hands and hearts. Luckily,
our communities are blessed with an abundance of strong hands
and big hearts. We hope that we can count yours among them. |
