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Habitat for Humanity Leeward Oahu
Habitat for Humanity Leeward Oahu is a
non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that builds simple, decent,
affordable homes in partnership with very low-income families. It is our mission
to eliminate substandard housing and homelessness in Leeward Oahu.
By using a
self-help housing method along with the help of thousands of
volunteers, Leeward Habitat is a solution to the housing crisis
we are facing on O'ahu. Habitat for Humanity is also the only organization that
brings homeownership to the lowest income families, those that
make 50% or less than the median area income.
Leeward
Habitat Executive Director attends Global Village trip to
Honduras
Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity
Leeward Oahu, Susan Hughes, was a part of a select group to
attend the Global Village and Advocacy Trip to Honduras in May
2009.
This group of Habitat affiliate leaders, volunteers, and
Habitat for Humanity International staff, came together to
stress the importance of Secure Tenure rights to local Honduras
officials and to come back and tell about their experiences.
Security of tenure is the ability to live free from the fear of
eviction. Without the security of tenure, families have no legal documentation of their land titles.
"We take it
for granted
that everyone in the
United
States is able to
identify who owns which land," said Hughes. "Over 70% of the
population in Honduras
does
not
have legal documentation of
their land and are subject to eviction. We spoke with community
members who had been forced off their land by
the police. It
makes you want to go out and advocate for their secure tenure
rights. I recommend that everyone take a Global Village trip so
that you can see first hand how Habitat is working to e liminate
poverty housing throughout the world."
In addition to
the Global Village trip and riding out a 7.1 magnitude
earthquake in Honduras, Hughes also traveled to Habitat on the
Hill conference in D.C. hosted by Habitat for Humanity
International's Government Relations and Advocacy team. During
this portion of her trip, she was able to meet Habitat
International's CEO Jonathan Reckford, receive expert training
in advocacy, network and share best practices with participants
from around the country, and get our priorities heard by key
legislators.
Please view a presentation of our trip at:
http://www.ezramillstein.com/content/popup/Honduras_Multimedia/index.html
Photos
courtesy of Ezra Millstein.
ABILITY
Awareness at the Build Site
Habitat
for Humanity Leeward Oahu hosted ABILITY Awareness and several
volunteers with disabilities on May 2nd to help build a Habitat
home in Waianae. Leeward Habitat staff and volunteers also
received training from ABILITY Awareness to help make the build
sites accessible to all volunteers.
ABILITY
Awareness reaches out to volunteers with health conditions and
disabilities to help build the homes, demonstrating to the
community their skills, talents and potential as volunteers and
employees. These builds have engaged thousands of volunteers,
lead to employment opportunities, and ignited an enthusiasm in a
volunteer pool who is generally expected to be the recipient of
charity, and not the giver.
Click here to see more photo's of the build day.
Thank you
once again to Trinity Western University!

This marks the third group from
Trinity University to travel to our affiliate from British
Columbia to help with our build projects! This trip was very
productive and the groups accomplished so much. The group
worked to finish the exterior painting, interior doors and
drywall were hung, and the porch railings and back steps were
built. Site supervisor Dave Luehring wrote "it was a joy to see
TWU folk grow from individuals to a cohesive group, united in
purpose."
Many thanks to Trinity Western
University students and of course to job foreman Dale.
To see pictures of their
build, please click here.
WANTED!
Site Supervisors for Leeward
Habitat's future build projects. If you are interested, please
call the office at 808-696-7882 or complete the
Skilled Worker Form
and send it to the Leeward Habitat office.
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