Listen to Mrs. Barber’s story at

http://brevardhabitat.com/families/stories/

In preparation for the upcoming 24th Annual Strawberry Festival, Habitat for Humanity of Brevard County, Inc. asked art students throughout Brevard County for their most creative designs for our annual t-shirt competition. Habitat would like to thank the following schools for their participation:

Gemini Elementary, Jupiter Elementary, Surfside Elementary,Southwest Middle School, West Shore, Melbourne High, Palm Bay High, Rockledge High, Titusville High & West Shore

A big thank you goes to the three independent judges who spent hours looking through the hundreds of wonderful designs presented by the students. The winners by age group are:

Elementary: 1st place: Taylor Conway

Middle: 1st place: Scarlette Pizarro

High School: 1st place: Melissa Chambers

The overall winner of the t-shirt design will be announced at the award ceremony. The award ceremony will take place Saturday, March 17 at 9:00 a.m. on the Main Pavilion Stage.

The 24th Annual Strawberry Festival is open Saturday and Sunday, March 17 & 18, 2012, at the Wickham Park Main Pavilion (next to BCC) on Wickham Road in Melbourne.

Thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors that made it possible for us to dedicate two houses for two families in Palm Bay.  Peggy Brooks accepted the keys to her new house at 2225 Monroe St. and Jennifer George accepted the keys to her new house at 2239 Washington St.   It was a wonderful day for all!!!!

Thank you to the Brevard County Community

Habitat for Humanity of Brevard County, Inc. 

Please let them know Habitat is your favorite non-profit is when enrolling!!!

is the Habitat for Humanity of Brevard County, Inc. (Habitat) Women Build motto. On Saturday, January 7th, 2012 @ 10:00 a.m., over 600 Women Build participants will partner with the Johnson Family to build a new house, constructed completely by women, at 824 Barbara Jenkins Street, in Cocoa, FL. With the New Year comes a new beginning for Ms. Johnson and her two (2) children. The family will be presented a hammer, symbolic of the community’s willingness to work side-by-side with her to ensure she has a simple, decent and affordable place to call home.

Please join us to raise the walls, celebrate and bless the Johnson Family, the Women Build volunteers, and community leaders who made this event possible.

For additional information, please call (321) 728-4009.

About the Habitat for Humanity Women Build program:

A group of women in Charlotte, North Carolina planted the first seeds for a Women Build and completed the first women-built Habitat for Humanity house in 1991. Since this event’s success, each year tens of thousands of women participate in builds, training, fund-raising and advocacy groups throughout the U.S. building over 1,500 houses in partnership with low-income families in need. Women Build project brings together women from all walks of life to address the housing crisis facing millions of women and children across the globe. Across all 50 states, more than 7,000 women volunteers are raising funds needed to build affordable homes at more than 200 Habitat for Humanity construction sites. More than 12 million children—one in six—live in poverty housing in the United States alone. To date, Women Build crews have built more than 1,400 Habitat homes nationwide.

Momentum gained following the 2010 Women Build continues to make a strong impact in building our community. This build’s volunteer base has doubled; 5 of 7 sponsors continue their support; and strategic plans for simultaneous builds in 2013 and beyond are in process. The Women Build program is here to stay and growing stronger every build.

Please join the Reddick family on Saturday, December 17, 2011 @ 10:00 a.m., to dedicate the greatest Christmas gift Peeka could give her family, a new home located at 435 Satsuma Street, in Cocoa, Florida.

The Reddick’s adventure started when ground was broken on July 30, 2011. Less than five months later, with DRS RSTA’s generous financial support and 69 volunteers serving almost 1,305 hours, the house building journey is over and a new life begins.

The public is invited to attend and join the celebration.

House Production Goal: 21 families served. We came close! 18 families were served by the affiliate through the traditional Habitat program, affordable rental units, Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) affordable rentals, and recycled Habitat houses.

Fiscal Responsibility: While operational funding has fallen short this year, we were able to aid cash flow through increased revenue from the ReStore, outsourcing some services, and new fundraisers and grants.

Hired six new employees: Lisa Barr was hired this year as the VP of Development. This was a new position added to the staff to help focus on cultivating the necessary funding for the growing scope of the Habitat mission. Our construction team increased to include Gene Post as a part time construction site supervisor. Staffing of our ReStore was expanded to include two part time associates, Tyler Marbry (Space Coast Youthbuild graduate) and Mike Thurn (Habitat homeowner), along with a change of manager by hiring Diane Koenig. Anne Dirr joined the Habitat team as Administrative Assistant.

Vision for the Future: We updated our vision, mission & core value statements to more clearly communicate our affiliate’s ever changing line of services and the core values we embrace in achieving our mission and ministry.

Continue Policy Manual Updates: A complete audit of our policies and procedures is being conducted. Over the last year we have completed updates to the Employee Employment and Financial Procedures manuals.

Community Partnerships: We have achieved tremendous success in developing collaborative partnerships to respond to the affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization needs of our community. Several of the affiliate’s projects were accomplished in partnership with other affordable housing organizations (Community Housing Initiate, Inc.; Community of Hope; Macedonia Baptist Church), Brevard County Housing and Human Services, and local municipalities.

Reviewing the State of the Affiliate, an analysis of the last five years and setting our sights on the coming year, we ask the same questions. What will our goals be and will we make a difference? At Habitat we have learned to dream BIG! As our new hopes and dreams develop we recognize how blessed we are to have the community support behind us. While our goals may seem high, they are achievable:

House Production Goal: 25 families served

Fundraising Goals: $3,000,000

Purchase and move into a New Campus

Add a Critical Home Repair Program to the service

Reinstitute a volunteer driven Family Mentorship Program

Continue Policy Manual Updates with a focus on the Family Services Manual

Upgrade and integrate our data management systems

We want to thank all of our House & Event Sponsors, donors and volunteers who are the heart of the Habitat ministry. It is through their generosity and passion for reaching out to families in our community who need a simple, decent, affordable home, which is truly making a difference one house, one family at a time.

We thank you for all the things you do.

Large and small they all have meaning to the families you help and us.

Join us for:

Volunteer Appreciation

December 9, 2011

10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

7815 Ellis Road

West Melbourne

321-728-4009 x 106

Please call for more information

Refreshments and snacks served

We are currently seeking future homeowners for all areas of Brevard County.

• Do you have a need for decent housing at an affordable price? 

• Are you currently living in an overcrowded situation or does your apartment have major problems your landlord won’t fix?

• Can you afford to pay $350 a month for housing? Are you willing to work to build your own home and the homes of others?

If you answered “yes” to these questions,

you could be one phone call away from realizing your dream of homeownership.

 Call Community Housing Initiative (CHI) at 321-253-0053 to prequalify.

When eagles come to mind, people commonly imagine some enormous hunter soaring above wide-open spaces on outsized wings. For centuries, these seemingly larger-than-life birds have fascinated and inspired us. Their fierce portraits stare out from cave paintings crafted by long-forgotten Stone Age masters. Their hooked beaks and deadly claws have adorned flags that led armies from Rome to Germany into battle. We venerate them as living symbols of power, freedom, and transcendence. In some religions, high-soaring eagles are believed to touch the face of God. Behind this extraordinary reverence; however, is the even more remarkable story of how eagles live their high-flying lives. Overall, scientists recognize four groups of eagles, each suited to their environment: some are built to hunt in the tight confines of a forest, while others are designed to soar high above open plains and water with nary a wing flap. According to traditional American Indian beliefs, the Creator made all the birds of the sky when the World was new. Of all the birds, the Creator chose the Eagle to be the leader… the Master of the Sky. The Eagle is considered to be a messenger to God. It was given the honor of carrying the prayers of man between the World of Earth and the World of Spirit. The wings of an Eagle represent the balance needed between male and female, each one dependent upon the strengths and abilities of the other. Bald Eagles are monogamous and mate for life. A Bald Eagle will only select another mate if its faithful companion should die. The Eagle flies higher and sees better than any other bird. The eagles’ vision is among the sharpest of any animal. Studies suggest that some eagles can spot an animal the size of a rabbit up to two miles away. Therefore, its perspective is different from other creatures that are held close to the Earth, and it is closer to the Creator. The Creator also has a different perspective of what occurs below in this world of physical things in which humankind resides. In Christian tradition the Apostle John is often depicted with an eagle sitting next to him, because John flew so high above the rest, the master theologian, often called John the Theologian or John the Philosopher. It is believed that John had spiritual eye sight, like an eagle, he flew so high between heaven and earth he was able to see things and give them to us in his writings.  

JOHN LUHN’S HABITAT LEGACY

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” –

W.T. Purkiser

In many ways, John’s legacy can be compared to the eagle; strong, powerful, rooted in family, patriotic, and did he soar! John was born on August 19, 1949 and grew up in a rural suburb of St. Louis, MO. His childhood home was always open to anyone needing a place to live, some stayed only a night or two, others stayed for years. His parents instilled the value of hard work and endurance into John, lessons he carried with him throughout his life. John earned his degree from NE Missouri State in Journalism, married and moved to Lakeland, FL where he taught high school English. John worked on refurbishing an old house in Lakeland when he and his wife were expecting their first son. This experience made him realize the importance of having a home where his family had a stable and safe foundation to grow. After the birth of his second son and his wife’s untimely death he gave up his teaching position. He and his partner, Larry Hufford, co-founder of LifeStyle Homes, had the vision of providing affordable homes to hard-working people. So John, his new wife and their three young sons, ages 8 & 4 and 6-months, moved to Melbourne. To invest their life savings to build a model home in Palm Bay. John brought this wisdom and passion for knowing the importance that a stable home is to a family, to Habitat for Humanity. First as a donor and jobsite volunteer, to eventually serving 6 years on the Board of Directors with one year as the Board Chairman. While John realized the importance of attaining this basic need for housing, he encountered many local families who financially disadvantaged and unable to achieve their dream. Like the eagles were who once listed as an endangered species for the loss of suitable habitat, local families were on the brink of losing their ability to afford a simple, decent, affordable human habitat. What is John’s legacy? It is his physical strength, used to build homes, his convincing passion and dedication to Habitat’s mission and the ministry he used to recruit volunteers. Coupled with his passion for teaching, he got the Boy Scouts involved as well as many other organizations as he educated them on the importance of the Habitat mission. His vision and power to reach new heights in home production and fundraising goals played an integral role in Habitat’s growth and maturity. Like an eagle, John soared above the rest! The legacy continues . . . his vision has been passed on. John would love to see how strong Habitat has become; how many families they serve, the diversity of programs to serve those most in need and the collaborative relationships they maintain in this county and the world. Extreme Home Makeover personifies all he stood for: volunteering, community, and teamwork for the greater good. A home provided for a deserving family. He would have enjoyed seeing his son, Jake, picking up his torch and beginning to soar, as a board member. The Luhn family is honored to have this award named for John. The eagle embodies so much of what he accomplished in his life through volunteering. Last, but not least, his “wingspan” was wide enough to give hugs to everyone he met, helped, and loved.

NOMINEE CRITERIA

The John Luhn Legacy Award will be presented to a qualified nominee every five (5) years at the Habitat Hard Hats & High Heels Gala. Nominees for the Award must have made significant and enduring contributions to the Habitat mission and ministry within the following general criteria:

 Passion – Nominees must understand what Habitat for Humanity stands for (its core values) and why Habitat exists (its mission/core purpose).

 Vision – Like the eagle, a nominee’s vision of and for Habitat must be in proportion to the heavenly heights they fly, a vision that includes future opportunities to building capacity, stewardship, and new product/service opportunities.

  Disciplined Leadership – Nominees must be ambitious first and foremost for the cause, the organization, the work of Habitat—not themselves—and have a fierce resolve to do whatever it takes to make good on that ambition, by displaying a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will.

 Long-term Relationship – Nominees must have made enduring contributions to Habitat which is characterized by a fundamental duality; they adhere to the timeless core values and purpose of the organization and have a relentless drive for change and progress—a creative compulsion that often manifests in BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals).

 Local & Global Prospective – Habitat is a global ministry, therefore the nominee must have a history of participation in the local and global efforts of the ministry (time, talent & treasure). 

The nomination forms was reviewed by a committee comprised of members of the Luhn family, the Habitat Board chairperson with other appointed Board members and the Habitat President with other appointed staff members.