Dear Santa, I Want A House With My Own Room For Christmas...

Ho Ho Ho! The Bay Area Habitat for Humanity Santa delivers: three new houses for three amazing families this Christmas!

Last Friday, after months of hard work from thousands of volunteers, and donations from fabulous and caring members of the community, the Ordonez, Viera, and Burns Families each received the keys to their new homes on Florida Street! It certainly was a time to celebrate, and celebrate we did. Volunteers, donors, friends and family were "dancing in the street" (which up until that night had no sign, and now is equipped with a street name and a stop sign!). The Habitat staff spoke words of gratitude and appreciation and shared stories of the time it took to fund and build the three homes, the homeowners received the customary gifts of bread, wine, salt, and a Bible, the homes were blessed, and the families got the gift of a lifetime: their own home. While the families took their first looks inside their houses, the rest of the crowd enjoyed hot chocolate, chili, hot smokies, and homemade tamales, while the choir from Whitcomb Elementary School sung carols. In front of the now 5 homes on the street, which were decorated with Christmas lights and handmade wood cutouts (Thanks to Tommy's girls!), the site turned into a magical Winter Wonderland (minus the snow, of course)! We couldn't have asked for a better night.

It has been an amazing few months, working alongside our newest homeowners and getting to know them and their families. The end result is not just a house constructed with wood and nails. It's a home for someone who has worked so hard to have what they have and who cares so much for their family that they are willing to do what it takes to give them the best future they possibly can. We are so lucky to be able to be a part of helping them do that. And this year, we got to do it 3 more times! I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present than to see these families cry tears of joy as they opened their doors for the first time.

We love you Amber, Salvador, Sarah, Jacob, Pedro, Cassandra, Pedro Jr., Jonathan, Sariah, Jackie, Ta-Shea, and Delvin. Thank you for making this a Christmas we'll never forget.

God Bless.

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at Freebirds = Success!

With so many amazing, hard working and dedicated volunteers supporting our affiliate, we really wanted to do something special to let them know how much we truly appreciate them. One day, as we were brainstorming some ideas on how this could best be done, we got a call from Freebird World Burritos, letting us know they were opening a new restaurant and they wanted to partner with our team to do something nice for us and our supporters. How awesome is that?? A total God send. So, last night, Freebird World Burittos on 646 in League City opened their doors to us and lavished our volunteers with all the free wine, beer and burrito's they could fill their belly's with! The place was donned in true Freebird style with tin foil decorations, awesome painted murals on the walls and the Freebirds "Mystery Van" out in the parking lot. They also had a rockin' band (that might have been a little too spirited for some of our long-time regulars, but still wonderful) setting the mood throughout the night, and Guitar Hero set up on a big screen out front. Speeches were made, and gratitude and appreciation showered over everyone. Overall, it will go down in Habitat history as a great success, as people left fed, full and happy :)

A big thank you to Freebird's owners, managers and staff, for hosting the night, and another big thank you to all of our Volunteers! You are all so amazing, and we couldn't function without you!

You Rock N' Roll, Freebirds!

This past Wednesday, an awesome crew from Freebirds Burritos "rolled" onto the worksite in style, ready to get down and dirty with Habitat. The day was muddy and cold, but there were no complaints, as our trusty volunteers moved heavy building materials, hauled large debris to the dumpster, and helped us get our three houses ready to be moved into next Friday!

For lunch, they brought in the truck, and fed us burgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers, hot off the grill! The store owners stopped by with donuts for dessert and to take a look around, looking seemingly impressed with our operation.

After lunch, everyone spent a few more hours cleaning up and clearing out. We couldn't have asked for a better group of volunteers on a cold, blustery day in Dickinson.

Thanks Freebirds!! You Rock!

P.S. Help support the Habitat/Freebird partnership by eating at the Freebirds Burrito's Grand Opening on 646 (by the Lowes), on Tuesday, December 14th. A portion of the proceeds for the day will be donated to the Bay Area Habitat for Humanity Affiliate. Stop by and get your burrito on!

'Tis The Season To Get Your Gifts Wrapped!

Alright everyone! Our Gift Wrapping Fundraiser has officially begun. We are at a bit of a disadvantage this year, because we are not in the mall...

But we're close!

This holiday season, we accepted the very generous gift of a free store front on the outskirts of the Baybrook Mall parking lot (Thank you Davis Holdings!). Down near the Dillards/Forever 21 end of the mall, you'll find us just a few doors down from Catherine's Plus Size. One of our adorable life-size (if you're less than 4 feet tall) playhouses is sitting out front, donned with Christmas lights, mailboxes and a big banner.

So, if you're at the mall, or happen to drive past with gifts in the car, stop by our store and let us wrap them for you. By making a small donation this year, you will be giving the gift of a new home, a better life, and a brighter future for one family next Christmas.

Our visibility is limited, so please spread the word!

Bay Area Habitat for Humanity

Gift Wrapping Store

Baybrook Mall Strip

7 Days a Week

Sat. & Sun: 12pm-6pm

Mon.-Fri.: 10am-8pm

For inquiry or directions, call 281-337-3590.

A Brush With Kindness = SUCCESS

"A Brush With Kindness helps low-income homeowners who are affected by age, disability or family circumstances and struggle to maintain the exterior of their homes. Through ABWK, they are able to reclaim their homes with pride and dignity. ABWK works as a partner with the Habitat core building program, enabling us to serve more families, increase opportunities for volunteers, and expand our base of sponsors. Most importantly, ABWK is part of Habitat's broader community development strategy called the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative. The NRI is designed to pursue our strategic imperative of helping to transform and strengthen communities so that those who reside in them will be able to live and grow into all that God intends for them." (A Brush with Kindness Program Guide, Habitat for Humanity International)

On Saturday, November 20, Bay Area Habitat for Humantiy held a pilot project for A Brush With Kindness. To say the least, it was a total success!!

We selected Ms. Georgia Williams to be the guinea pig for this new program. She has been a homeowner partner with us since 1996, when her home was bulit. She has been a proud homeowner for almost 15 years, and her home was in need of a little love.

So, after spending two days prepping - replacing rotten trim and siding, cleaning, and caulking - we were ready to paint! Saturday morning, more than 30 volunteers came to lend a helping hand, and we went to work! Everyone worked from 8:00 am until 3:30 pm, making sure the job was done (breaking only for lunch from Chick-fil-A). Here are some progress pictures from throughout the day!

And, after one, hard day of work, Ms. Georgia had brand new curb appeal!!

Thanks again to all of the volunteers who came out on the 20th! This Kick-Off was a total success, and we look forward to doing more A Brush with Kindness projects in 2011!

Working In The Rain

Last Saturday was not the prettiest day in Dickinson. It was rainy, cold and windy. The day was dark and dreary, and the worksite looked like a giant mud pie; one of those days when you want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers up real tight.

When I arrived on the site at 7:30 am, Tom, our Construction Manager, and a few of the "regular crew" were out there, trying to complete any little job they thought they could. Because of the thick mud and the slick roofs, there wasn't much exterior work that could be done, even though all that was planned for that day was putting up siding and nailing down shingles. I asked Tom what the plan was. He replied by admitting it just wasn't a great work day, and that he was telling the volunteers who called for confirmation just to stay where they were. He and the regulars were going to do what little they could, and planned on leaving in a couple of hours. I offered to go get them some fresh kolaches, and when I came back, I was greatly surprised to see the whole street lined with cars and pick-up trucks! Some of the volunteers decided not to call ahead, and showed up to help in any way they could.

Over 20 volunteers from Wyle Labs, Hope Lutheran, Peace Lutheran, and St. John's Lutheran, completely committed to their designated day of service, decided to face the elements and were willing to do whatever was needed. At 12 pm, two hours later than any of us thought we would be out there, two of the homes were completely cleaned and swept, insulation was brought over and installed, windows were hung and decking put up in the rafters. Overall, it was an extremely successful day! Some volunteers headed home early after completing their specific jobs. Others stayed and helped with more cleanup. For those who were still there at 11:30, lunch was provided by three wonderful ladies from St. John's. They brought a huge spread of hot dogs with all the fixin's, chips, cookies and drinks. The ladies asked me to take pictures of them serving the food at the site, to take back and show to the rest of the congregation. They wanted to emphasize the point that there are so many different ways people can volunteer to help Habitat besides picking up a hammer and saw. And that is so true!

A big thank you to all of the volunteers who came out, when they rightly could have justified staying indoors where it was warm and dry. We truly appreciate your commitment and willigness to serve.

For more information on how you can use your talents and abilities to help Habitat (both on and off the worksite), please contact our office: 281-337-3590; developmentteam@bahfh.org.

AmeriCorps Get "Schooled" in Talladega!

This past week, Rhia, Nathan, and I, Bay Area-Houston Habitat for Humanity's 3 resident AmeriCorps members, were shuttled off to the National Service Leadership Conference in Shocco Springs, Alabama. We spent our days discussing, brainstorming and learning; shifting from one classroom to the next to be taught a lesson in what it is to be an effective AmeriCorps member. It was quite the event, with over 600 service members and staff gathered together to share exciting new ventures their affiliates have taken on, or not so exciting struggles they have come up against in the months and weeks they have been in their positions. It was a long week, and we are still trying to digest all of the information (and all of the snacks they fed us! It was a non-stop smorgasbord of free chips and cookies...brainfood, as we liked to call it!) that was given to us by some of the best and brightest Habitat for Humanity International and National Service staff members.

While our days were filled with an overload of information, night was ours for the taking! The conference center accomodated many activities on site, such as indoor movies, outdoor campfires, rock-climbing, and ultimate frisbee, just to name a few. But the real action took place about 1 mile away from the conference center, at the Talladega Bowling Alley! The only happening place in the area open after 9 PM, the bowling alley offered us a haven of rest and relaxation from the day's mentally exhausting class schedule. And after 9 PM, it was a definitely a site to see, as the majority of the Conference attendees gathered to eat, show off their bowling skills (or lack-there-of), and just "hang out".

There is something to be said about a group of similarly minded individuals gathering together, whether it be to learn more about the things they deem important, or just to spend time with one another, talking and enjoying each other's company. All AmeriCorps members share a common goal: to serve. To serve our communities; to serve our nation. No matter what the cause or the reason behind it, we feel compelled to make a difference in our lifetime. It is our privilege and honor to be a part of this program.

Overall, our trip has left us rejuvinated and excited, and ready to put what we've learned into action to help serve the families of the South East Harris and North Galveston Counties to the best of our abilities, to fulfill as many of their needs as we can.

Thank you to Shocco Springs Baptist Convention Center for hosting us and feeding us, to the Habitat for Humanity International and National Service employees who helped make this all happen, to Talladega Bowling Alley for offering us a place to get away from it all, and most importantly, to the amazing members of the Bay Area-Houston Affiliate, including its' staff, volunteers, and partner families, for giving us a chance to make a difference, and for accepting and supporting us as we try to do just that.


Sincerely,

Your Loving and Grateful AmeriCorps
Rhia, Nathan, and Jackie

Bay Area Habitat for Humanity will have our second annual Christmas Gift Wrapping event this December! Last year we had over 300 different volunteers work with us! We hope to have the same response this year. We will not be inside the mall this year. We will be in the outside mall across from Plato's Closet. So, this year, we need volunteers to help us gift wrap, but also to help us advertise! We will need to get word out about our location - as we are not going to be as visible as last year! The calendar is below - to volunteer - contact the Bay Area Habitat for Humanity office.

Test Run: Just got on Ping.fm to link our social media updates. Let's see if it works, folks!

BAHFH's Back Online!!!

Wow! What a crazy couple of weeks! I can't believe everything is finally settling back in.

We moved into our new office last Thursday. All last week was spent packing, unpacking, painting, cleaning, organizing, re-organizing, and hauling heavy pieces of furniture around Dickinson. Thanks to great support from homeowners and some awesome volunteers, it all went smoothly...EXCEPT for the internet transition. Our servers and network connections were down for a whole week! But we're finally back online!!!

So, sorry to our dedicated online followers. We weren't ignoring you; we just had no way to reach you! But never fear! Now that we have everything under control, we will be blogging, facebooking, tweeting, and updating our webiste on a daily basis!

As part of that, if there is anyone out there who has any great, personal Habitat stories that they would like to share with the online world, e-mail us: developmentteam@bahfh.org. We would love to share your stories, comments, praises, concerns, etc..

Thank you again to all of the volunteers, homeowners, and friends who helped with the move! A big thanks to Joe Jones for running all of the wire and making it possible for us to have phones and electricity, and to Bev and Pete Trivanovich, our affiliate manager and her husband (the computer guy!), for staying late and working diligilently so that we could get back online and access all of our important documents! We are unbelievably blessed with the most amazing staff, funders, volunteers, and partner families!

From the bottom of our hearts (and the tips of our fingers)...THANK YOU!

United Health Care Works with Habitat!

A big thank you to the volunteer team who came out last Friday from United Health Care! United Health Care has been a committed partner with Bay Area-Houston Habitat for Humanity for two years now. Working hard at the site, this amazing group of women, led by their fearless boss, Gary, were able to finish a multitude of important jobs. One crew worked up in the heights of the exposed roof of a house, hammering in hurricane clips under the hot sun. Another group worked tirelessly on a different house, painting the siding on the house and shed, and laying grass in the yard. In just a few hours, the property was transformed from basic and raw, to charming and homey!

We had a lot of fun working with this crew, and from the comments we heard, so did they! Many of the women seemed really excited about taking part in our Women Build Project this spring. We hope they do! They have already proved that when a group of women get together, things get done; transformations happen; houses become homes.

Thanks again UHC! We are so happy to have you as part of the BAHFH team!!

Thank You Priscilla Ennis!

Priscilla Ennis has been a long term supporter of Bay Area Habitat for Humanity. Every year she hosts a ladies luncheon at Bay Oaks Country Club and makes a donation to Bay Area Habitat for Humanity! Her support of our organization is a true blessing! Thanks Priscilla! (Pictured - Natalie Ainsworth & Priscilla Ennis)

LaPorte United Methodist Church Serves with Bay Area Habitat for Humanity

Thank you to all the hard working volunteers that came out to help build in LaPorte last Saturday. Members from LaPorte United Methodist Church came out and worked along with students from Deer Park High School and our newest LaPorte Partner Family Member, Regina Riley.

Bay Area Habitat for Humanity - Volunteer Spotlight!

Bay Area Habitat for Humanity would like to honor and thank Kay Davey, volunteer extraordinaire! Kay Davey has been involved with our organization since 2008 and works with the BAHFH's Development Team! Kay is the Chairwomen for the annual Women Build 5K Walk and is the reason our Women Build program is such a huge success! A mother of two daughters and a new grandmother, Kay lives with her husband Chris (who is also a great volunteer) in the Clear Lake area and attends Clear Lake United Methodist Church! If you see Kay in or around the Habitat work site, make sure you tell her what a great job she is doing to serve our families.

World Habitat Day!

Today is World Habitat Day! Click the link above to read our World Habitat Day Article!
To donate to Bay Area Habitat for Humanity - visit our website at http://www.bahfh.org/ and click the donation button in the upper right corner! Thank you for all of your support and time!
Without our volunteers and supporters, we would not be able to continue to serve God's people in need!

$10 Sale Tomorrow!!!

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 2nd, 2010, Bay Area-Houston Habitat for Humanity is having our first ever $10 Sale!! We'll be selling Seasonal Craft Items, Home Decor Items, Antiques, Electronics, Gift Cards to local restaurants, and so much more! Come over to Clear Lake Baptist Church tomorrow from 9am-2pm to take a look around. And while you're there, stop by our Snow Cone station for a cool treat!

BAHFH $10 Sale

October 2nd, 2010

9am-2pm

Clear Lake Baptist Church

15700 Space Center Blvd.

Houston, TX 77062

Many of our items are worth more than $10,
so come out and find yourself a bargain!!

All proceeds benefit Bay Area-Houston Habitat for Humanity.

Thrivent Build Wall Raising 9/18/10

What a great day at the worksite! We had around 50 volunteers working on 3 houses, 2 sheds, and 2 playhouses. Our volunteers worked quickly and with great care. Through their efforts, many projects were completed. The homeowners for all 3 of the houses were present and working hard! One of the greatest accomplishments of the day (and the main reason for this blog post): Thrivent Build Recipient Jackie Burns, and her family, were there to help build, and witness the raising of, all four of their home's exterior walls!! Oh, what a feeling!...A big thank you to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for partnering with Bay Area Habitat for Humanity, and funding Jackie's home! Also, thank you to Hope Lutheran Church, St. Bernadette's Church, and all of the amazing volunteers who came out to work. You all are truly a blessing to one another, to this community, and to Bay Area Habitat for Humanity. Peace, Love and Hope.

To see more pictures from the day, click on the picture above. It will link you to our Picasa photo album. Also, don't forget to check out our Facebook Page: "Bay Area Habitat for Humanity", and our website: www.bahfh.org.

9/11 Service & Remembrance Day!

Thank you to the US Air Force, US Customs & Boarder Patrol, US Coast Guard, US retired Army, Air Force and Marines, United Space Alliance and our "Regulars" for making the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance a huge success! It was an honor to have you guys on our worksite! Also a special thank you to our sponsors of the day:

Hooters NASA for providing and service an awesome lunch and for providing t-shirts for all the volunteers!!

Darte Consulting Group
Charles Schwab - Clear Lake
Harbour Insurance
Gulf Freeway Acura
Captial One - Bay Colony
LaPorte Rotary Club
Digitex - League City
Phi Delta Chi
The Bunko Babes of Clear Lake

Introducing the Groundbreakers Club

Thank you to all our Partner Families, our AmeriCorps Volunteer - Jackie and newest intern - Sarah for helping stuff envelopes for our Groundbreakers club mailing!! Watch out in the mail for your invitation to join Bay Area Habitat's newest club! Members of this club donate $25.00 everytime we break ground on a new Bay Area Habitat home. For more information, call Natalie Ainsworth at the Habitat office # 281 337 3590!

Help Us Raise $10,000 in 5 Hours!!!

Donations Needed for Bay Area for Humanity's $10 Sale - Help Us Raise $10,000 in 5 Hours!!

October 2nd 2010, Habitat for Humanity will be selling 1000 items for $10 each !

How can you help? Come and shop October 2nd from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Also, help us spread the word by sharing this email with your co-workers, friends, neighbors and family!

We also need our faithful volunteers to donate items that we can sell!

We are looking for new or gently used items including:

* Arts/Crafts

* Seasonal Items

* Potted Plants

* Homegoods (vases, artwork etc.)

* Merchandise / Restaurant Gift Cards

Natalie, Kay, Jackie or Rachel will be at Access Storage at 15800 Space Center Blvd. (Next to Clear Lake Baptist Church) to accept your donations the following times:

* Friday, September 10th 4-7 p.m.

* Wednesday, September 15th 4-7 p.m.

* Friday, September 17th 4-7 p.m.

* Wednesday, September 22nd 4-7 p.m.

* Friday, September 24th 4-7 p.m.

* Wednesday, September 29th 4-7 p.m.

* Friday, October 1st 4-7 p.m.

Meet Lela Chaney!

Congratulations to Lela Chaney, our newest homeowner candidate! Lela along with her son Ronnie 19, and daughter Kendell 14, will begin their partnership with Habitat for Humanity this month. We are excited to have them aboard. Come meet Lela Chaney and her family on the work site when we begin building again on September 18. We look forward to new friendships amidst God's blessings in our community!

Perez family wall raising in La Porte!

We would like to thank all the wonderful volunteers that came out Saturday August 21, 2010 for the La Porte Perez family home wall raising! Our service to the community is only made possible through your ongoing partnership with us.

Volunteers in Service to America

We have a new addition to our familiy here at BAHFH!

Meet Jackie Moran our new AmeriCorps Vista volunteer from Pennslyvania, who will be serving with us for the next year as part of the Resource Development team. Jackie is a long time volunteer of Habitat for Humanity and through her positive experience decided to make her part-time commitment, a full time commitment to the Bay Area team."Even though its so hot my car door knobs are melting off, I am looking forward to see great things happen for the community this year building homes with Bay Area Habitat for Humanity."

Bay Area Houston Magazine

Kathleen Statham from Bay Area Houston Magazine interviewed Kay Davey, Volunteer Extraordinaire Jackie Moran, VISTA Resource Development Assistant, Natalie Ainsworth and Tiffany Gilmore, Habitat Women Build Homeowner on Wednesday! Kathleen was excited to learn about our 2011 Women Build project. Check out the Back Bay Barker in Bay Area Houston Magazine in the October issue. To learn more about Women Build and our 5K Walk scheduled for February 2011 - Call Natalie or Jackie at the Habitat office! # 281 337 3590

How Can YOU Help Habitat this month?

Volunteers are needed to help raise the walls of The Perez Family home this Saturday September 21st 2010! We will start at 8:00 a.m. and work until 1:00 -2:00 p.m. If you can help, please call the Habitat office and get signed up # 281 337 3590 or, email Natalie at nainsworth@bahfh.org.
Thank you for all you do!!!

Adios Aliah!

For a year now, Aliah has faithfully served as our Family Services AmeriCorps volunteer. However this Friday, is Aliah's last day as part of the Bay Area Habitat for Humanity team. Although Aliah's work here ends soon, her service to others will continue for years to come. Aliah will begin training on September 7, to become a linguist in the United States Airforce. We are so thankful for the amazing contribution Aliah has made to Bay Area Habitat for Humanity, and proud to know that her strength of charcter and intellect will take her far in life.

Lowes Supports Bay Area Habitat for Humanity

Lowes Home Improvement donated $70,000 to Bay Area Habitat toward building two homes this year! The Women Build Home (The Tiffany Gilmore Family) was dedicated July 31st 2010.

Lowes not only helped fund this special home, but also sent volunteers from the League City location to help build it!!

We have just started construction on the our Youth United home that students from Clear Lake, Clear Springs, Clear Creek, Clear Brook and Dickinson high schools will have the opportunity to build this fall. Lowes employees will also come out and join these enthusiastic students and help build this special home! Students worked all school year long and raised a portion of the amount needed to construct the Youth United Home, Lowes funded $35,000 toward this home and State Farm Insurance provided a matching grant for $4,000. The Youth United Program is a nationwide venture of Habitat for Humanity International, the mission of this project is to engage and empower a diverse group of young people while they fundraise and build an entire Habitat for Humanity home. For more information about our Youth Program and the 2010 Fall Youth United Home, contact the Development Team at Bay Area Habitat - # 281 337 3590

Habitat Service and Rememberance Day 9/11

As we reflect on our nation's struggles and triumphs over the past several years, in is important that we make a conscious effort to commemorate the lives lost during the tragic event on September 11, 2001. Bay Area Habitat for Humanity would like to honor victims of this attack as well as our local, state and national public safety officials. We will be having a special day of building at our Dickinson and LaPorte work sites for local public safety members (firemen, police men, Coast Guard, US Customs and more) to volunteer and be recognized during Bay Area Habitat for Humanity 9/11 Service and Remembrance Build Day. Businesses and organizations are asked to call Natalie Ainsworth at the BAHFH office for information about being a sponsor for this day. Sponsorship and building opportunities are available for both LaPorte & Dickinson worksite.

The new 2011 Women Build shirts are here!

Last week the new 2011 Women Build t-shirts were delivered! The women of Bay Area Habitat for Humanity show off the new t-shirts above. Come by our office and pick one up and help support the 2011 Women Build! The Women Build is one of our annual events to promote the involvment of women in the construction of Habitat homes. Over 450 Women Build homes have been built world-wide through Habitat for Humanity. To raise funds for the Women Build, we will host our Women Build Charity Walk on February 27, 2011. Last year, RE/MAX Space Center League City, Capital One Bank Bay Colony, BAHA Delta Sigma Theta, Webster Presbyterian, University Baptist Church, St. Bernadette, MRI Technology, University of Houston Clear Lake, Clear Lake Presbyterian, St. Clare Hands and Feet, Clear Lake United Methodist and many others participated in the Walk. So come join us, and pick up a sweet shirt!

2010 Women Build Dedication

The Dedication of the 2010 Women Build Home was Saturday July 31st at 3007 Florida Street in Dickinson Texas. Tiffany Gilmore and her 3 children were given the keys to their new home. This is the second year Bay Area Habitat for Humanity constructed a Women Build Home. The Women Build program, underwritten by Lowes, recruits, educates and nurtures women to build - and advocate for - simple, decent and affordable houses in their communities. Bay Area Habitat for Humanity recieved a $35,000 grant from Lowes to build the house. The work of these wonderful and compassionate women throughout our community has made the dream of homeownership a reality for the Gilmore Family. The additional $35,000 needed to fund this home was raised during our 5K Walk February 21st 2010. Teams raised donations and then came out in teams to help build this home.

Platinum Teams:

Clear Lake United Methodist Church

KK's Kool Krew

St. Clare Hands and Feet

KK's Kool Krew

Pure Energy

Gold Teams:

Tough As Nails

Clear Lake Presbyterian

Ainsworth's Hearts and Hammers

Priscilla Ennis - RE/MAX Space Center

University of Houston Clear Lake

Webster Presbyterian

Keller Williams

Silver Teams:

St. Bernadette Catholic Church

MRI Technologies

BAHA Delta Sigma Theta

Captial One Bank - Bay Colony

Peggy Balwin Friends and Family

RE/MAX Space Center - League City

Plans for the 2011 Women Build Project are underway! The walk will be February 27th 2011 at UHCL - the Women Build Home will be constructed in Dickinson during the spring of 2011!

For more information about how to get your Women Build Team registered call Natalie Ainsworth - Director of Development or Rachel Ward - Resource Development Associate at the Habitat office - #281 337 3590.

More pictures of the Gilmore Family Dedication and the 2010 Women Build can be viewed on our website http://www.bahfh.org/.

The construction of the Youth United home is underway!

The Marshall Family Moves In!

Saturday July 24th 2010 - Angela Marshall and her 2 children were able to move into their new Habitat for Humanity Home in LaPorte. Refreshments were provided by St. John's Episcopal Church Youth Group and The Blessing of the Home and Benediction was done by Father Mike Besson also with St. John's Episcopal. Volunteer groups have worked hard along with Angela and her family to help build this home. View more pictures of this special day by clicking Here

A huge Thank You to the House Sponsors:

City of LaPorte

The Gene Kranz Foundation

Bill and Helen Crowder Foundation

The Christmas Gift Wrappers

The Christmas Donations

Mr. & Mrs. Jon Hodges

This is a crazy week for us here at BAHFH! In true over-achieving fashion, we decided that we would add to the long list of things to do and start our own BAHFH Blog!! This week we had a Youth Group from Pilgrim United Church of Christ drive down to volunteer with us from Wisconsin! So how are they handling the heat? All the off and on again rain we've had this week, has helped to keep our construction site cooler than it normally would be in July. On the other hand, it's made it a complete mud pit! The group came down and helped us finish painting Angela Marshall's house. The big project that they have been working on has been building 2 playhouses "Mini Habitat Houses" for a fundraiser we will be doing this fall. A few years ago BAHFH auctioned off Playhouses in Baybrook Mall, we will not be able to use the mall this year, but stay tuned ~ as soon as the houses are completed we will be selling raffle tickets online. The houses can be viewed along with our "real" Habitat houses on Florida Street in Dickinson. Saturday July 24th at 10:00 a.m. we will be dedicating The LaPorte Spring Build home, Angela Marshall and her two children have partnered with BAHFH to help build this special home. Come and congratulate her on Saturday - the address is 208 N. 6th Street in LaPorte.