Build for Unity - Interfaith Build

Join Build for Unity 2020

“Build for Unity” is a monumental interfaith build program and effort by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento to bring people together of different backgrounds and faiths to put aside differences and build homes and unity in our community.

Build for Unity 2020

Planning is currently underway for Build for Unity 2019.  Fundraising for Build for Unity 2019 will take place over the next several months with above ground construction beginning in late summer of 2019.  To join Build for Unity 2019, click here or contact Kaitlyn Bathke at KBathke@HabitatGreaterSac.org for more information on how to get your faith organization involved.

We kicked off Build for Unity 2019 with our first ever Unity Concert on November 18th.  Various faith leaders joined together for an evening of song and celebration of unity directed by Steven Johnson (choral director for St. John’s Lutheran Church and the Sacramento Gay Men’s Choir).  Stay tuned for our upcoming 2019 faith events leading up to the wall raising!

To view the full participation packet for Build for Unity 2019, please click HERE.

Please note, pledges and/or donations must have been received by June 14, 2019 in order to have your place of worship’s name included in the official Build for Unity publication that will be inserted in the local paper!

Faith Leaders Committee

Akram Keval, Chair – Interfaith Council of Sacramento, Muslim Community

John McCormack – St. Mark’s Methodist Church

Miriam McCormack – St. Mark’s Methodist Church

Sharon Rogoff – Congregation B’nai Israel

Melanie Mages-Canale – Congregation B’nai Israel, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom

Sofia Jamal – Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, SALAM

Ted Firch – First Christian Church

Michael Ochoa – Knights of Columbus

The History of Build for Unity

From January 2016- June 2017 in Sacramento, various Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh, and other interfaith communities came together to fund and build Habitat homes as a permanent representation of unity within our community.  These homes were made possible through the generosity of 180 different faith communities and individuals who raised $176,000 and worked side by side to build the homes as a symbol of unity.

The homes of the first Build for Unity project were dedicated on June 22nd, 2017.  (For photos from the touching dedication event, click here ).  Over 1,000 volunteers from all different faiths contributed to the building of the homes, putting in 10,000 hours of labor alongside the families.

Since the pilot Sacramento Build for Unity Project, over 30 cities across the US have started their own Build for Unity projects in their own communities.

Planning is now underway for Sacramento’s next #BuildforUnity 2019.

To learn more about our Build for Unity project, how it started, and the people behind the initiative – watch the video below or check out our Build for Unity publication.