Spring Newsletter | May 2023

WELCOMELETTER

CARLYCOLGAN-CHEIFEXECUTIVEOFFICER

Dearfriends,

Ifyouareanythinglikeme,you'reanxiouslyawaitingsunnydaysandlessrain.Thefirstthingonmy warm-weatherto-dolistwillbespringcleaning,organizing,anddecluttering.Joinmeindonating yourgentlyusedfurnitureandhomeimprovementitemstoourHabitatStoresinOlympiaandYelm.

Shoppingatourstoresisalwaysaworthwhiletripwithseveralbenefits:

Affordableprices:Wesellnewandgentlyusedhomeimprovementitems,furniture,appliances, andbuildingmaterialsatafractionofthecostofretailprices.ByshoppingattheHabitatStores, youcansavemoneyonhomeimprovementprojects.

Eco-friendly:Bypurchasingusedorsurplusbuildingmaterials,youarekeepingthoseitemsout oflandfills,whichisbetterfortheenvironment.You'realsohelpingtoconservenaturalresources byreusingitemsthatarestillingoodcondition.

Supportsagoodcause:Theproceedsfromsalesgotowardsbuildingaffordablehousingfor familiesinneed.ByshoppingattheHabitatStores,youaresupportingourmissiontoprovide safe,decent,andaffordablehousing.

Uniquefinds:OurStoresoftenhaveawidevarietyofitemsinstock,includinguniquevintageor antiquepieces.ByshoppingatHabitat,youmaybeabletofindsomethingone-of-a-kindthat youwouldn'tbeabletofindatatraditionalretailstore.

Sowhileyouarespringcleaning,makesuretothinkofus;wecanevenschedulefreepickups forlargeritems!

Withgratitude, Carly

TÂLÍČNGROUND BREAKINGCEREMONY

ThegroundbreakingceremonyforTâlíčn,anewHabitatforHumanitydevelopmentinTumwateris anexcitingandimportantmilestoneinourmissiontoprovidesafeandaffordablehousingfor familiesinneed.Thisceremonymarksthebeginningofanewchapterandservesasasymbolof hopeandopportunityforthefamilieswhowillsooncallthisplacehome.

Wewanttothankeveryonewhocameouttosupportournewdevelopmentattheground breakingceremony.Yourpresenceandenthusiasmmeansomuchtousandtothefamilieswe serve.Yoursupportiscriticaltothesuccessofourmission,andwearegratefulforeachandevery oneofyou.

Welookforwardtothenextphaseofthisprojectandtoworkingalongsideourcommunitypartners tomakethisvisionareality.Together,wecanbuildabrighterfutureforallfamiliesinneedofsafe anddecenthousing.Thankyouagainforyoursupportandforsharinginthisspecialmomentwith

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Heat Pump Campaign -

Homeowner Application

ProgramRequirements

Homemustbelocatedwithinthe OlympiaCitylimits

Youmustbethehomeownerandthis mustbeyourprimaryplaceof residence.

Interestedpartiesmustbeconsidered alow-andmoderate-income householdasdefinedbyHUD.

Therewillbeanin-homeinspection completedaspartoftheapplication process.

Applicationswillnotbeapproved withoutappropriatefinancialforms included.

Homeownermustattend1educational workshop(maximum1hour).

Contact: repairs@spshabitat.org or call: (360)763-5691x130

CRITICAL HOME REPAIR SPOTLIGHT: MS. MATTOCKS

MS. MATTOCKS, LACEY WA

South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity’s Critical Home Repair program helps seniors age in place

Critical Home Repair, a program that works directly with homeowners who need assistance with critical repairs to address health and safety issues. The Critical Home Repair program is an important part of the community, providing a vital service to elderly homeowners and bringing people together to make a positive impact on the lives of their neighbors. It is a reminder of the importance of community and the power of volunteers.

Nearly 70 percent of the homeowners served through this program are seniors, a population that is especially vulnerable during this time of year. Research shows that seniors who age in place, or reside in their own homes later in life, are able to maintain a sense of independence, a higher quality of life, and better health conditions

Lacey-area-resident Linda Mattocks purchased her home in Lacey nearly 27 years ago with her husband who had a thriving tile business in the community. When her husband passed away over 10 years ago, Linda began doing construction herself off and on… After Linda retired at age 64, she experienced a series of serious health issues, leaving her unable to walk and wheelchair bound.

Critical Home Repair spotlight: Ms Mattocks CRITICAL HOME REPAIR SPOTLIGHT: MS. MATTOCKS

Ms. Mattocks says “I am a person that believes in silent prayer every day, and the holy spirit told me to call Habitat for Humanity.” Ms. Mattocks has a caregiver, and together they called South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity and got the appointment started!

Ms. Mattocks says working with our Critical Home Repair team was “Great. I was feeling really hopeless” She says with tears of gratefulness “I lost faith. And when the Habitat team did this for me, it restored my faith in humanity.”

South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity brought in a team to make the necessary repairs We fixed and replaced the damaged sheet rock throughout her downstairs room, removed the popcorn ceiling and wallpaper, re-textured the ceiling and walls, and replaced the flooring. The room houses exercise machines that Ms. Mattocks is not able to use at this time with her health condition. But the damage in the room impacted her life and “broke her heart”.

Ms Mattocks was overjoyed with the updates to her favorite room She is now able to access this room with her wheelchair and watch her neighborhood. She likes to sit and look out the big window and “dream about the good ole’ days”. When we asked Ms. Mattocks, what does home mean to you? She said “EVERYTHING”. She moved around a lot when she was younger, and when her and her late husband bought this home, she said “this is my last home, and it has been”.

The program not only improves the living condition of the elderly but also helps them to maintain their independence and stay in their homes. It also brings the community together by providing volunteers an opportunity to serve and make a positive impact on the lives of their elderly neighbors. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Learn more about our Critical Home Repair program here: https://www.spshabitat.org/what-we-do/critical-home-repair/

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: VALERIE DEMATTEI-SELBY

Volunteers are the lifeblood of SPS Habitat for Humanity, and their contributions have made a significant impact on the organization's mission in our community From building homes to serving on committees and organizing fundraising events, volunteers play a critical role in ensuring that we can continue to provide safe, affordable housing to those in need

Overall, volunteers are an essential part of our success They bring their time, energy, and skills to the organization. Their impact is felt not only in the homes they help to build but also in the sense of community and empowerment they create for Habitat homeowners and volunteers alike.

MEET VALERIE! WE ASKED VALERIE A FEW QUESTIONS AND HERE IS WHAT SHE SHARED WITH US

1

What inspired you to volunteer with South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity, and how did you become involved with our organization?

I first volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in San Francisco, CA as a way to fulfill my volunteer hours to be eligible to take my architectural licensing exams. I helped with public park clean-ups, critical home repairs, and even painted some playhouses for children. This was over 10 years ago and I still think very highly of the organization. After having my daughter, I did not feel ready to go back to work (I was working for a General Contractor at the time), so I’ve been a “stay-at-home-mom” for about 2 years now My family moved to Olympia last summer and we’ve since put my daughter in daycare so I could start to have a bit of free time While I still do not feel ready to go back to work, I feel very privileged and fortunate to be in my current position. I feel strongly that privilege should be acknowledged and those with privilege should give what they can to others. My husband and I donate money to different organizations regularly, but I wanted to give something potentially even more valuable: my time and knowledge I started looking into ways that I may help some of the local unhoused population I decided to reach out to Habitat for Humanity South Puget Sound to see if my experience could be beneficial in some way Turns out, there were plenty of things I could help with!

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: VALERIE DEMATTEI-SELBY

2. What have you learned from your experience volunteering with South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity, and how has it impacted your personal and professional growth?

I’ve enjoyed learning more about the ins and outs of the different programs HFHSPS offers I admire the hard work of all the employees I’ve never “worked” for a non-profit organization before, so that has been very interesting to learn about Selfishly, I’ve enjoyed learning about new project management software and I’ve been able to keep exercising my design and construction brain muscles while I’m on my long break from work. Additionally, if and when I do return to work, I imagine this period of volunteering for HFHSPS will look good on my resume. Lastly, I’ve met some really wonderful people and I may even go as far as to say I’ve made some new friends!

3 Can you tell us about a specific project or build you participated in with South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity, and what your role was in that project?

All of my volunteering has been behind the scenes, helping with making existing programs more efficient. I started working on the Critical Home Repair program first. I am utilizing an internetbased software that aids in online application forms, data collection, and workflow efficiencies. It will also aid in automated reporting for the different grants that help fund HFHSPS’s programs. I am constantly learning about new ways we can make the administrative work more stream-lined and accurate. I have since worked on the Heat Pump Campaign and I’ve also just started working with the Housing Program While I haven’t worked on any one specific project, the work that I’m doing will allow HFHSPS to help even more people in a more efficient manner moving forward

4 What advice would you give to someone who is interested in getting involved with our organization?

I think that if anyone has any time to spare (even if you don’t have a ton of free-time, as I didn’t when I initially volunteered in San Francisco), Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful organization that is doing good for so many people. The more people that volunteer, even if only for a few hours here or there, the more good HFH can do for the entire community Even a small amount of time can have a huge impact Don’t we all have a bit of responsibility to give back to our community in any way we can?

HTTPS://WWW.SPSHABITAT.ORG/GET-INVOLVED/VOLUNTEER/

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