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ABOUT US!
Central
Westmoreland Habitat for Humanity is the local affiliate of
Habitat for Humanity International. Our work began in 1993.
We are a Christian organization that believes all of God's
people deserve a decent shelter. We have renovated one house
and built nine others for Habitat partner families. All
families are paying their no-interest mortgage to CWHFH for
materials purchased to build their house. This money is then
used to purchase materials for future Habitat homeowners. We
select families and raise money from our territory.
The service
area of the Central Westmoreland Habitat affiliate is
defined to include
Adamsburg,
Arona, Delmont, East Huntingdon Township, Export, Greensburg, Hempfield, Hunker, Irwin, Jeannette, Latrobe, Loyalhanna,
Madison, Manor, Mount Pleasant, Murrysville, New Stanton,
North Huntingdon, North Irwin, Penn, Penn Township, Salem
Township, Scottdale, Sewickley, Smithton, South Greensburg,
South Huntingdon, Southwest Greensburg, Sutersville, Unity,
Youngstown and Youngwood.
For Central
Westmoreland Habitat for Humanity to fulfill its mission, we
need two essential ingredients: land and partner families.
We have been blessed with both. A recent acquisition in
Jeannette means our affiliate now has a much needed
warehouse. Thanks to town meetings in Latrobe, Jeannette,
Greensburg and Irwin, we also have identified several
families with whom to partner on future building projects.
ABOUT MILLARD FULLER
"I
see life as both a gift and a responsibility. My
responsibility is to use what God has given me to help His
people in need." – Millard Fuller, Founder, Habitat for
Humanity International
Millard Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International.
He travels and speaks worldwide, and has received
international recognition for his work in advocating decent,
affordable housing for all in the US, Asia and other parts
of the world.
A
graduate of Auburn University in Alabama and the University
of Alabama Law School, he and a college friend began a
marketing firm while still in school. Fuller's business
expertise and entrepreneurial drive made him a millionaire
at age 29. But as the business prospered, his health,
integrity and marriage suffered.
These crises prompted Fuller to re-evaluate his values and
direction. His soul-searching led to reconciliation with his
wife, Linda, and to a renewal of his Christian commitment.
The
Fullers decided to sell their possessions to begin a poverty
housing initiative that would eventually become Habitat for
Humanity International. Their work started in a
racial-reconciliation community located near Americus,
Georgia. They built modest houses on a no-profit,
no-interest basis, thus making homes affordable to families
with low incomes. Important Habitat concepts were pioneered:
sweat equity, where each family was expected to invest their
own labor into the building of their home and the homes of
other families; the revolving fund, where house loan
re-payments were used to finance the building of even more
homes.
The
model was refined in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of
Congo) where the Fullers and their four children worked in
the early 1970s.
Fuller received the Medal of Freedom from former US
President Clinton in September 1996, and was named the 1995
Builder of the Year by Professional Builder magazine. He and
his wife were awarded the 1994 Harry S. Truman Public
Service Award, and he also has received the Martin Luther
King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. He continues to receive many
honorary doctorates and achievement awards for his
outstanding leadership and contributions toward meeting the
goal of eliminating poverty housing worldwide. The latest
was in December 2003, when Non-Profit Times of the US named
him its "Executive of the Year".
In
January 2004, Fuller participated in the World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he spoke on a panel
entitled “Setting the 2004 Agenda: Human Security”. He was a
plenary speaker at the UN Conference on Shelter (“Habitat
Two”) in 1996.
Fuller is author of numerous books about the work of Habitat
for Humanity.
He
left the organization in 2005.
WANT TO KNOW MORE? REQUEST A SPEAKER!
Contact our
Speakers Bureau at 724-523-0308 or
CWHFH_SpeakersBureau@yahoo.com
for information on how you
or someone you know can become involved in the greatest gift
of offering time and talent to help others in need.
Presentations last between 15 and 30 minutes and stress the
work of Habitat for Humanity in general and the Central
Westmoreland affiliate in particular. Target groups are AARP
chapters, civic organizations, fraternal organizations and
churches. Speakers are also available for Sunday morning
worship services. Here, the "Theology of the Hammer" is the
focus.
To learn more about the work of Habitat for Humanity, please visit
www.habitat.org.
For more information on
Habitat for Humanity Homeownership, please
click here.
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