Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County in partnership with “kids crooked house” had a very successful raffle at this year’s Visalia Home Expo. We raised more than $3,000 from the sale of raffle tickets and made the drawing on Sunday, September 20th. Congratulations to Mandy Thomas for winning the first crooked playhouse.   

The money raised will benefit HfHTC’s  home repair program ”A Brush With Kindness”.  This program has given Habitat the opportunity to serve more people by repairing existing housing stock with homeowners that can not afford or physically manage repairs on their homes. To date we have worked with 40 households.

“We believe that everyone deserves a happy, healthy, safe, and quality home in which to live and grow – especially kids”, says Amanda Pike, Chief Design Consultant for “kids crooked house”, “so to that end we are happy to support the mission and fundraising efforts of HfH of Tulare County.”

The company has received national attention from TLC’s program “Jon & Kate plus 8″ where the kids received 4 custom designed “crooked” playhouses on their show.

We hope to continue the partnership with “kids crooked house” by holding another raffle in 2010. Thank you to the Marriott Hotel for hosting the playhouse for 10 days before the Home Expo.

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with the tickets and joined us at the Expo event. For more about “kids crooked house” check out their website at www.kidscrookedhouse.com.

Thank you to our sponsors: ServiceMaster by Benevento, RES COM Pest Control, State Farm Agencies, and Showcase Events.

Your registration is complete! We look forward to seeing you there!

Your transaction has been cancelled. If you are experiencing difficulty completing your transaction, please contact us directly and we can complete the sign-up process for you. We can be reached by phone at (559) 734-4040, or by e-mail at deannas@hfhtc.org

Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County is now purchasing foreclosed homes, remodeling them, and keeping them affordable to very, low-income households.  The “Rescued Homes” program utilizes volunteers to do most of the remodeling on the housem, however the new homeowner families must do sweat equity hours on their house and/or other Habitat projects.  The City of Visalia is partnering with Habitat to help identify and then purchase these homes through the City’s “Redevelopment Loan Fund”.  Acquiring and remodeling these homes will not only give Habitat the opportunity to serve more families, it will also revitalize our community. Our first “Rescued Homes” are in the finishing stages. The new homeowners will purchase the home using a no-interest, no-profit mortgage from Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County.

This program offers an opportunity for local businesses, congregations, service groups, and corporations to “Adopt-a-House”. Here are the options for Adoption:

• Financial Sponsorship of a “Rescued Home” – $15,000.00
• Hands-on Sponsorship of a “Rescued Home”:
  • Carpet and floor-covering removal
  • Yard and garden clean-up
  • Cabinet removal and installation, when needed
  • Interior and exterior painting
  • Bathroom remodel, when needed
  • Window and door replacement, when needed

Businesses can choose financial and/or hands-on adoption, the choice is theirs.  Professional trades people will be brought in to do work that is outside our volunteer guidelines.  All “Adopt-a-House” groups are encouraged to send volunteer crews to help on the jobsite as often as possible.  Work days will be customized for each sponsor.

Contact Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County at 734-4040 or email us at deannas@hfhtc.org for more information.

Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County has been working with hard working, very low-income families for 15 years. In any given year we have been able to build 3-5 brand new homes with Habitat homeowners. In 2008 the chance to purchase a foreclosed home presented a new, unexpected opportunity. To date we have purchased 5 foreclosed homes through our “Rescued Homes” program which could double or triple the numbers of families we can serve in a year and help neighbourhoods by refurbishing homes that have been vacant for some time.

The new program works the same way as our “New Homes” program and the homeowner must work 500 hours of sweat equity on their home and other Habitat projects, until their hours are finished. When the home is complete they purchase the home from Habitat with a no-profit, no-interest loan. All our homeowners are matched to homes that fit their needs and chosen based on availablily and need. A good partnership between Habitat and the new homeowner is key to the programs success.

The City of Visalia is partnering with Habitat to help identify and then purchase these homes through the City’s “Redevelopment Loan Fund”. Acquiring and remodeling these homes will not only give Habitat the opportunity to serve more families, it will also revitalize our community.

Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County will hold a Golf Tournament and FUN-DRAISER on Friday, October 2, 2009 . For eight years Habitat  hosted a Women’s Golf Tournament and after many requests to have men participate the committee decided to open the event to teams for Women, Men and Mixed. There will be prizes for the best of each category and many exciting tournament games for golfers of all skill levels. The theme is ‘Fun-draiser” and Habitat wants this to be taken very seriously—just kidding! Join us in October and come swing, drive and slice for Habitat!

Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County

Golf Tournament & Fun-draiser

Date: Friday October 2, 2009

Loction: Valley Oaks Golf Course

Time: 11am registration – 12pm shotgun start

Cost: $100 per person includes food, cart and green fees

Open to Men’s, Women’s & Mixed teams.

Prizes for tournament games!

Sponsorships available!

Click here to register your team!!

Contact the Habitat office at 734-4040 or email – deannas@hfhtc.org

“A Brush With Kindness” is a program about repairing houses, one at a time, through simple acts of kindness.  Volunteers from service groups, businesses, congregations, and community agencies help with repair work for low-income homeowners who are challenged by age, disability, or circumstance.

“A Brush With Kindness” brings resources, volunteers, and homeowners together to repair roofs, paint, landscape, replace damaged windows and doors, repair plumbing and electrical problems, install wheelchair ramps, replace stoves and refrigerators, install weather-stripping and low-flow shower heads, repair or replace floors, and provide general clean up. Homeowners, if able, repay the costs of materials; or cost is deferred and paid at the refinance or sale of home.  Homeowners and family members work side by side with volunteers to complete the restoration of their home if they are able.  Our program helps individuals live in a safe, decent home and helps restore hope and dignity to their lives.

We work closely with neighborhood organizations and congregations.  They know their neighbors and their needs and most of the referrals come through them.  They will also help gather neighborhood volunteers to work.

Homeowners are eligible to participate in the program based on the condition of the home, income of the homeowners, and a demonstration of challenging circumstances such as disability, illness, or age that prevent them from doing the work themselves. Homeowners go through an application process to meet eligibility requirements.  Each applicant’s home will be assessed for need and scope of work by Habitat for Humanity staff.  All able-bodied homeowners are required to work alongside volunteers.

Volunteers will perform 85% of all the work. Volunteers are recruited through businesses, congregations, and community groups. Team leaders are trained to organize, recruit, and prepare their teams for the task of working on a home. Volunteer teams of 5 – 20 individuals will be matched with homeowners based on several factors including size of project and experience and size of volunteer team. Projects usually take 2-4 days to complete.

Women Build for Habitat!!

Women have been joining Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County on our jobsites for three years now. On Wednesday, May 6, volunteers from Lowe’s stores in Tulare County and other women volunteers from the community will be swinging hammers again on our “Celebration House” at 1629 N Summers Street. After serving hard working, very low-income families in Tulare County for 15 years, Habitat for Humanity is Celebrating the construction of our 34^th house.

On January 4, 2009, Habitat and the 32nd homeowner family celebrated the dedication of the 2008 Women Build House.

Thank you to all the volunteers that joined Habitat and Lowe’s staff at the Demaree Lowe’s store to start the 2008 Women Build Project for Habitat. The walls and doors that were framed at Lowe’s on May 7, 2008, and delivered to the Women Build Site at 1627 N Summers Street for the wall raising on May 24^th, 2008.

Express your appreciation for someone special.
~ Mother, Wife, Friend, Teacher, or other special someone ~

Make a donation that will help a hardworking, low-income family move from substandard housing to a decent, affordable home. Your contribution will help fund Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County’s continuing efforts to eliminate poverty housing in Tulare County.

Contact the Habitat Office at 734-4040 or donate on line!! It just takes one to make a big difference.

The United Faith Build

On Saturday, September 6, 2008 between 7:30 and 8:00 am, volunteers raised the first walls on the United Faith Build in Visalia at 1636 N Summers Street.  A Group from Lemoore Naval Base joined the homeowner family, and many other volunteers, to raise the walls on the third house to go in on Summers Street.  This house was a combined effort of donations and volunteers from several churches in Tulare County as well as help from our local community. The house was dedicated on April 25, 2009. Thank you to all the donors and volunteers who helped build this house.

A group from Lemoore, working on the United Faith House, took a short break from volunteering to talk to a Cub Scouts Group from Tulare. They talked about getting involved in their community and giving back. Maybe we can recruit some more volunteers——after they turn 16 or course.