July 2017:
Man it’s been hot! Even though the thermometer hasn’t seen triple digits yet, the old heat index is definitely keeping our construction crew, our donation pick-up pros, the ReStore team (especially the gang in Receiving) and most volunteers reaching for the Gatorade. For those who may see any of these folks, please give them a hearty ‘thank you’ for hanging in during these tropical days.
PARKING LOT DEDICATION:
Speaking of heat, thanks to all who braved the warmest parking lot dedication Habitat ever had on July 11. We had a great group including the Mayor Pro Tem, sponsor BKD, officers and members of the Board, friends from the Chamber and others on hand to celebrate the smoothest lot in town. Thanks to all who came out to enjoy the event!
NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION:
Now that we have a full board of 25 directors on hand, we want to really focus on our Neighborhood Revitalization (NR) partnership with Woodland Heights and all can lend a hand. NR seeks to improve the quality of life for an entire community by understanding the aspirations of the neighborhood and set goals.
We are working with Woodland Heights neighborhood to create a ‘sustainable infrastructure’ the will continue to move the community forward long after Habitat is involved. But Habitat CAN’T do it alone! We’re good at ‘bricks & mortar’ but we need your contacts at other businesses, civic groups, churches, community groups and individuals with a community spirit willing to help Woodland Heights achieve their goals.
If you, or your group or organization, would like to find out more about how you can help us revitalize Woodland Heights, please contact Melissa Adler and we’ll share the vision.
ADVOCACY:
On July 14 we saw Congress’ first official response to the President’s budget request, which proposed eliminating every single program that supports Habitat’s work. Since the release of the budget request, Habitat has directed its advocacy to Congress because Members ultimately hold the purse strings on the future funding of SHOP, HOME, CDBG, Section 4, USDA 502 and 504, and National Service.
The House appropriations bills contained mixed news for Habitat’s legislative priorities, but overall the outcome was better than expected. For our housing programs, there was good news for SHOP, which was level funded at $10 million. Section 4 received a small cut of $5 million. The largest cuts went to CDBG and HOME, which were both slashed by $100 million.
CDBG has provided over $235,000 and SHOP over $245,000 to Habitat Springfield over the years.
Between now and mid-September, the Senate will release its appropriations bills, which will give a more complete picture of where funding proposals stand for all of our issues in Congress.
Therefore we still need all of you to keep your advocacy strong, especially over the next few months, because more key decisions will be made around the budget, and the success we’ve accomplished thus far is a direct result of your advocacy efforts. Please click the link Support Habitat to tell Congress to support the programs that support Habitat and then share this sign on letter with your network!
Thanks for all your help and stay cool!
Blessings,
Larry Peterson
Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Springfield, Mo.