12/27/2018
Dear Friends,
As another year comes to a close here at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento and we begin to plan for feats ahead in the coming year, I find myself reflecting on 2018 and one word keeps coming to mind over and over again – GRATITUDE.
As housing and rent prices continued to climb this past year and the affordable housing crisis grew, we had a record-breaking 800+ people attend our home ownership orientations and received an unprecedented 108 qualified applications for home ownership and another 1,000 contacting us in need critical repairs and preservation work. At Habitat, in the voices of families throughout our community in need, we heard the cry to do more. Because of people like you we were able heed that call and respond with action. As a result, Habitat helped more families this past year than any other in our affiliate history.
In the past 33 years that Habitat for Humanity as been serving in Sacramento and Yolo Counties our impact has been seen predominantly in the 144 affordable new homes built for hard working families who were empowered to achieve strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable home ownership. However, this year, seeing that the affordable housing crisis in our community is not just need for additional units but also the need to preserve the existing housing stock and keep families in their homes, we expanded our programs and officially launched our Neighborhood Revitalization program. As a result, this year Habitat completed 32 home repairs for families, seniors and veterans aimed at enabling them to stay in their already affordable homes and avoid displacement. In addition, we joined forces in partnership with dozens of organizations, non-profits and local elected officials to complete 5 community improvement projects and make neighborhoods in Sacramento an even better place to call home.
The accomplishment of helping more families this year than any other year in our affiliate history has been made possible because of people like you. Because in true Habitat form, when things got heavy and the need increased, we rallied together, rolled up our sleeves, dug in our heels, and raised walls, repaired homes and built HOPE.
Perhaps most poignantly, in a year with fewer resources and greater need than ever before, we saw that it is the same spirit of grit, hard work, and determination that pushes our Habitat families to empower themselves to become homeowners through our program that also runs through the heart of every Habitat supporter, staffer, and volunteer. It is that spirit which makes the work we do possible.
From personal donations to championing sponsorships and team builds, making contributions to and shopping at our ReStore, advocating and voting so we can #BuildLouder, or swinging a hammer and driving nails on the job site – I want to offer you my deepest gratitude for being a part of our Habitat family and helping us make tangible impact on our community and the lives of those who live in it. The world needs more people like you.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year! I look forward to rolling up my sleeves to build with you in 2019!
Sincerely,
Leah Miller,
President & CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento
This year, we built and began construction on 8 new homes, repaired an unprecedented 32 homes for low-income homeowners, and completed 5 community impact projects.
We engaged over 2,200 volunteers who put in a combined total of 20,088 volunteer hours, partnered with over 300 local businesses and organizations, kicked-off our second Build for Unity initiative and our first Women Build Month, hosted the first ever Charity Gala to be held on the State Capitol Grounds with our Hard Hats & High Heels Gala, lent our voice and locked arms with 600 coalition partners to advocate on behalf of the statewide Prop 1 Veterans and Affordable Housing Act, and brought the total count of Habitat homes in Sacramento and Yolo County to 144.
Be sure to check out and share our 2018 Year in Review Video HERE.
