The voices of Habitat by habitatlacrosse

Growing our impact, growing our community

A note from Executive Director Kahya

Fox

As I reflect on the past year, I am filled with pride in the progress we've made at Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region Our journey has been marked by significant milestones, made possible by the support of our community Through all of our programs, we bring people together to provide and preserve affordable housing opportunities and create a community where all feel they belong

I encourage you to page through this report and share in our joy of all that we did this past year

Read the reflections from Team Habitat: our staff, homeowners, volunteers, and partners The quotes and stories on the following pages represent just a fraction of the people and partners responsible for one of our most successful years yet

As we celebrate these moments, we keep in mind the ongoing challenges in our community The demand for affordable housing never stops This is where you come in We invite you to join us in our mission to bring people together to create communities where all feel they belong Whether it's through volunteering, making a financial contribution, or spreading the word, every action makes a difference

Thank you for being part of our work With your help, we will continue to build a better future for all

-Kahya

Kahya’s

top five moments of the year

Launching our one-of-a-kind

ReNew the Block program

See page 10

Constructing our first two modular houses for La Crosse families

In support of affordable, inclusive housing for all

In April, Habitat for Humanity and community partners hosted an interactive educational program called Then + Now: Housing Access, Insecurity, and Discrimination in La Crosse Our goals were to connect our local history to current housing issues, and to inspire people to take action in support of affordable housing.

We explored: The state of housing today La Crosse's Sundown Town history Racially restrictive covenants: tools used to prevent non-white people from owning property And more!

Too many families face unnecessary barriers to housing. At Habitat, we advocate for policies that break down these barriers. We find innovative solutions to continue building homes. We work toward a better future for all.

Modular: a new model for affordable housing

Housing costs are skyrocketing, and it hasn’t been easy for developers of small, single-family homes like Habitat to keep up. With lower costs, innovative designs, and energy efficient construction methods, modular housing is a solution to this pressing issue

Habitat La Crosse has become a Manufactured and Modular Dealer in the State of Wisconsin, allowing us to provide a direct-to-homeowner product that lowers costs for all.

And don’t worry - there is still plenty of work for volunteers on modular homes! We are proud to add this approach to our toolbox, placing more families in homes throughout our service region

Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region

Meet Stephanie

Stephanie began her homeownership journey in 2020. With a degree from Western Technical College and a position at the State of Wisconsin, she was able to build savings and feel financially secure. Homeownership was “the last missing and hardest puzzle piece to achieve.” Because of her financial readiness and her unsuitable living situations, Habitat selected her family for a future home. In late summer 2023, Stephanie and her sons moved into a beautifully rehabbed home on the Southside of La Crosse The family put hundreds of sweat equity hours into the house, eventually making it their own Below, Stephanie shares her answer to the question we pose to all partner families: “Why do you want to be a Habitat Homeowner?”

When you struggle half of your life just trying to keep a roof over your head, and life tends to get the better of you for majority of your growing childhood and adulthood, you almost attain the mentality of, “I’ll never be good enough ” As I got older, I finally broke free and started the fight towards this dream Because it’s not just about my future, it’s about my two boys.

I have moved more times than a person can keep count of. And it takes a toll on a person and their mental not knowing what is next. Or will there be an available space for us that is affordable

I took a chance to try and change my boy’s life They deserve to have a place to call their own, that will remain theirs And most importantly a chance at feeling what it is like to just have a home. Something we all never thought we would experience.”

Safe, stable, and affordable

Together with our community, Habitat for Humanity builds, rehabs, and repairs the places we call home. Our portfolio has grown and evolved over the years, changing to meet the needs of our community. This year, our work included rehab properties, stick built homes, modular homes, and our first solar-powered home. Our experienced staff work with volunteers and partner families to build safe, stable, and affordable homes for our neighbors.

did you know?

Ten years ago, we had two houses under construction. This year, we had nine.

Built by community

Habitat is powered by volunteers. Community members build and rehab our homes, hard-working volunteers keep the ReStore running, and committed advocates make up our board and committees.

More than 1000 volunteers

gave time and talent to our efforts this year. They swung hammers and sorted ReStore donations, raised walls and raked leaves. One volunteer with Habitat’s ReClaim program summed up her experience in this sweet way:

Volunteering with ReClaim is like getting two scoops of ice cream with hot fudge on top. One scoop is saving treasures from the landfill, and the other scoop is providing homes for families. The hot fudge topping is getting to play with awesome power tools and learn how to take things apart and put them together again.

-ReClaim volunteer

A green approach to building rehab

Typical demolition and renovation projects send tons of valuable building material straight to the landfill. Instead of going the usual route, Wieser Brothers General Contractor teamed up with Habitat to reduce waste and reuse materials from two Holmen schools

Before Wieser started renovations at Holmen Middle and Viking Elementary Schools, our ReClaim team salvaged materials and brought them to the ReStore to be sold to our community We recaptured furniture, trim, cabinets, and more!

“One of the great joys in partnering with Habitat is that our missions align—caring for our environment and communities”

-Andy Towner, Wieser Brothers COO

ReClaim is a chance for businesses, homeowners, and contractors to choose reuse rather than landfilling. It’s what we call a win-win-win.

This approach defies the status quo, keeping usable materials out of the waste stream and reducing demand for new products Best of all, all sales of ReClaim products support Habitat’s mission

Teaming up with Habitat

Get out of the office and onto the build site: Schedule a Team Build! Many businesses like GoMacro, pictured left, pair their volunteer commitment with a generous donation to have an even bigger impact. 38 teams supported Habitat on our build sites this year.

Will you join us? Secure your 2025 Team Build now! Email volunteer@habitatlacrosse.org

Having the chance to meet the person we were helping build the home for was impactful. And, I learned how to hang sheetrock from the garage ceiling!!! HOW COOL?!

-Women Build volunteer

Women Build

More than 100 women celebrated International Women’s Month the Habitat way: with three days of construction and community building Volunteers created teams, bringing together friends, family, and coworkers to build homes.

In La Crosse, volunteers installed sheetrock. In Tomah, future homeowner Natasha joined volunteers to build out the interior walls of her home. Natasha’s mom and lifelong friends have supported her throughout her homeownership journey, so of course they showed up during Women Build

Longtime Neighbors Day recipient Kate, left, loves having local volunteers help spruce up her yard every spring This year, with more requests for help than ever before, hundreds of folks signed up to volunteer for Neighbors Day

“Neighbors Day helps me continue to stay in my home and maintain my property I look forward to it every year.”

-KateWisland

ReNew the Block launches on La Crosse’s Northside

On a drizzly Saturday morning in June, neighbors, students, partners, and Habitat friends gathered in front of a bright, freshly painted mural at Logan Middle School in La Crosse Together, we celebrated the official launch of ReNew the Block - Habitat’s innovative neighborhood revitalization program After years of planning, brainstorming, and building relationships, the transformation of this two-block stretch of Avon Street finally began.

We have to step outside the four walls of a home and start looking at the yard, the neighborhood and the community in which people live.”

-Kahya Fox, Executive Director

Transformative projects, led by students and neighbors

ReNew the Block combines exterior home repairs, stormwater mitigation, an edible schoolyard, a community orchard, and long-term educational initiatives…all in one block.

This past year, our staff and ReNew the Block partners have participated in community meetings, neighborhood info sessions, and class visits to shape ReNew the Block

Logan students helped design the outdoor classroom and walking trails, and art teachers led brainstorming sessions with a local artist to design the mural. Local arborists have planted fruit trees in front of homes.

“ReNew the Block really is a conglomeration of everything good you can do in a community, placed into a block.”

-Judson

Steinbeck, Coulee Region Ecoscapes

The project is well underway, with even more to come We invite you to drive down Avon Street to explore the transforming landscape

Donate. Shop. Volunteer.

The Habitat ReStore runs on the generosity of our donors, the support of our shoppers, and the time and talent of our volunteers.

Volunteers processed 6,091 donations last year and rang up 155,627 items so that the ReStore could keep generating critical funding for Habitat homes

The ReStore is more than a funding source for Habitat homes. The ReStore plays a big role in our community. We offer low-cost goods to shoppers and divert over 1 million pounds of material from the landfill every year.

The power of a ReStore donation

Say you donate a lamp to the ReStore.

Every donation has a purpose. If your lamp is in good condition, our volunteers price it and put it up for sale. If your lamp is broken or unlikely to sell, we send it to RJ and Ron, the dynamic duo of salvage and recycling. Together, they turn trash into treasure in the ReStore’s Recycling Room.

The volunteer pair takes apart those items that don’t quite make it to the ReStore’s shelves - broken lamps, defunct appliances We sell the copper, brass, and aluminum from these items to earn additional revenue for Habitat.

Of course, most donated items are resold to our community at the ReStore. Shoppers take advantage of our low prices and variety of products to furnish their homes, tackle home improvement projects, or find a unique treasure

This past year, ReStore purchases and Recycling Room income totaled over $750,000. Those funds translate into lumber, windows, concrete, and siding for our construction projects

Whether your donation ends up on the shelves or in the recycling bins, trust that your contribution plays a part in building more affordable homes for our community.

The Moe

became much more accessible this year,

thanks to the Onalaska American Legion Post 336 and our local Home Depot. Habitat’s talented RePair crew installed a wheelchair ramp for this veteran family with the support of a $3,500 donation from the American Legion and materials from the Home Depot

RePair improves our existing housing stock, focusing on safety, accessibility, and aging-in-place. We provide quality services to ensure our aging homes stay in good shape for current and future generations of homeowners

49 Completed projects this year

At Habitat, we’re committed to supporting the full experience of homeownership, long past movein day We offer repairs, renovations, and accessibility upgrades a for households of any income.

By doing so, we retain a thriving housing market in the La Crosse Region and keep families in safe, affordable, accessible homes.

Not only did the RePair team do an amazing job on our bathroom, they were friendly and easy to work with. Highly recommend!”

Givetime+talents

ShowoffyourhandyskillsonbuildsitesandReClaims,letyourcustomerserviceshineat theReStore,orputyourgreenthumbtoworkonNeighborsDay Therearesomanyways toshareyourtalentsatHabitat. Ready? Email volunteer@habitatlacrosse.org.

Amplifythemission

Speakupandshareourstorieswithinyournetworks.Joinusinadvocatingforsafeand affordablehousing Reachouttoaneighbororgreetastranger Wecanbuildcommunity everyday.

Useourprograms

ShopattheReStoreandhiretheRePairorReClaimteamforajobtohelpcompletethe circleofourmission Notonlywillyougetagreatservice,butthosedollarsgodirectly backintoouraffordablehousingandsustainabilityprograms.

Financialsupport

Givethegiftthatfuelsitall.FindtheareaofHabitatthatmakesyourheartsingand supportitwithafinancialdonation Giveonce,setuprecurringgifts,ortalktoourteam aboutretirementandestateplanning.

toeverydonor,volunteer,partner,andcheerleader.

Wecouldn’tdothisworkwithoutyou.

Joinus!Getnotifiedaboutupcomingprogramsbysigningup forHabitatemails,orvisithabitatlacrosse.org/events.

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