Heritage Community Foundation Presents Grant to SC Habitat for Humanity

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Jonesboro, Ga. (August 4, 2015) – The Heritage Community Foundation presented a grant to Kem Kimbrough ,CEO, and Lindsey Sanders, Deputy Director of Development, of Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity (SCHFH) on July 30, 2015.  The $4,000 grant will be used by SCHFH to purchase and stock an additional tool trailer that will be used on site for volunteer days. Currently, the organization has 2 box trucks, one for tools and the other for transporting materials.  As SCHFH is expanding and increasing the number of families that it serves through home repair, rehabilitation and building new homes, they had a definite need for a third tool trailer.  Right now, they have to plan separate work days for home repair, rehab and new home construction because they don’t have sufficient equipment or supplies. With this new stocked tool trailer, they can increase their efficiency, engage more volunteers in the community by scheduling additional work days and ultimately serve more families.

SCHFH’s mission is to bring people together to build homes, communities and hope. The families that they serve are hardworking individuals who need a hand up, not a hand out. They complete sweat equity working on their home alongside the volunteers and attend education classes to prepare themselves for successful home ownership. SCHFH works with over 3,000 volunteers a year and serves approximately 50 families a year. It takes 250 volunteers to build one home. The outcomes and impact are visible in the homes that you see, in the neighborhoods that are revitalized, and in the families whose lives are changed forever. SCHFH believes in bringing people together for the common goal of putting an end to the poverty cycle and making sure that every person has a decent, safe place to live.

For more information on how to apply for a grant with Heritage Community Foundation, make a donation or volunteer, please visit www.heritagecommunityfoundation.org.  You may also contact Rocky Davis, Executive Director, at 770-478-8881.

Heritage Community Foundation (HCF) is a 501c3 organization which provides funding to local nonprofit organizations in Clayton, Henry and Fayette counties. HCF is designed to support Heritage Bank’s first mission, “Committed to those we serve.” The bank absorbs all of the operating costs of the foundation, so 100% of the funds raised go directly to meet community needs.

Heritage Bank, a state chartered commercial bank, has been serving metro Atlanta’s Southern Crescent since 1955. The independent community bank has six full-service offices, features a well-rounded offering of commercial and consumer products, and is an active, involved member of the community it serves. The company’s stock is traded under the symbol “CCFH.OB”.

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Contact:

Carol Dauro, Public Relations Contact, Heritage Bank, 770-478-8881.

 

 

Austin Meadows Block Party To Kick Off The Summer

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Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity kicked off the summer with a dedication of the 7th home in our Austin Meadows community on June 20, 2015.  To celebrate the end of our fiscal year, we gathered with all of the habitat families, friends and supporters for a block party!  Special thanks to Mr. Yummy’s ice cream, Sam’s Club, Costco, the city of Lovejoy, DJ Gregory Collins and Interactive Attractions.  We are looking forward to a very productive summer with plans to complete a dozen home repair projects!  For more information, please contact 770-477-2367.

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s team up for National Women Build Week

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JONESBORO, GA (MAY 2, 2015) –  Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers were among more than forty volunteers to join Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity today to help build affordable housing in the Austin Meadows Subdivision of Lovejoy in recognition of National Women Build Week, May 2-10.

Volunteers worked to paint the interior and exterior of the home, install interior trim and complete the landscaping.  This is home number 6 in the Habitat community of Austin Meadows. We were so grateful to have skilled workers from Lowe’s to volunteer the very first day of this build and raise the walls, and now to finish it today by completing the final touches, said Jeni Klippel, Construction Manager for SCHFH. New homeowner Tamara will be starting her new journey thanks to Lowe’s and all of the volunteers.

National Women Build Week is a weeklong event created by Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program that challenges women to devote at least one day to help build affordable housing in their local communities. Across the nation, more than 15,000 women are expected to volunteer at Habitat construction sites this week to spotlight the homeownership challenges faced by women.

Lowe’s helped launch National Women Build Week in 2008 and each year provides the support of Lowe’s Heroes and conducts how-to clinics at stores to teach volunteers construction skills.

“National Women Build Week has made a difference in the lives of thousands of families since its inception,” said Joan Higginbotham, Lowe’s director of community relations. “We’re grateful to all the women who got involved this week and were part of something bigger with Lowe’s and Habitat.”

Lowe’s donated nearly $2 million to this year’s National Women Build Week, including a $5,000 store gift card to Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity. National Women Build Week is one of the major initiatives supported through Lowe’s national partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Since 2003, Lowe’s has committed more than $63 million to Habitat and helped more than 4,000 families improve their living conditions.

Habitat’s Women Build program recruits, educates and inspires women to build and advocate for simple, decent and affordable homes in their communities. Since the program was created in 1998, more than 2,300 homes have been built in partnership with low-income families using Women Build crews.

For more information on Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program and to learn about Women Build events in communities across the U.S. year-round, visit Habitat.org/wb or the Women Build tab on http://www.facebook.com/habitat.

About Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity builds affordable homes and provides home repairs to low income families, who need a “hand up, not a hand out” through homeowner education, and financial literacy, provided by partnerships with communities of volunteers and donors.  Since 1986, we have built, renovated and repaired more than 250 homes.  For more information, please visit us at www.schabitat.org.

 

 

About Habitat for Humanity International

Habitat for Humanity International’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Anchored by the conviction that housing provides a path out of poverty, since 1976 Habitat has helped more than 5 million people through home construction, rehabilitation and repairs and by increasing access to improved shelter through products and services. Habitat also advocates to improve access to decent and affordable shelter and offers a variety of housing support services that enable families with limited means to make needed improvements on their homes as their time and resources allow. As a nonprofit Christian housing organization, Habitat works in more than 70 countries and welcomes people of all races, religions and nationalities to partner in its mission. To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit habitat.org.

About Lowe’s in the Community

Lowe’s, a FORTUNE® 100 home improvement company, has a 50-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. Since 2007, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed more than $225 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility and LowesInTheCommunity.tumblr.com.

Southern Crescent Habitat Celebrates Their Supporters at the Golden Hammer Awards!

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JONESBORO, GA (March 26, 2015) – On Sunday, April 26, 2015, Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity will be honoring those who have provided exceptional support to their mission of helping low income working families who “need a hand up, not a hand out” towards home ownership and home repair services.  The Golden Hammer Awards will take place at Eagle’s Landing Country Club from 5pm-9pm.  Mark Winne from WSB-TV will be hosting, Daphne Maxwell Reid, actress who played “Aunt Viv” on sitcom, “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” will be presenting and showcasing her photography, the “Doors” collection. Also, Lucille O’neal, author and philanthropist and mother of Shaquille O’neal will be presenting and signing copies of her book, “Walk Like You Have Somewhere To Go”.

“We are looking forward to celebrating those who have rolled up their sleeves and believe every person deserves a decent place to live”, said Southern Crescent Habitat’s Development Director Lynne Washington.  All of the funds raised from ticket sales and silent auction items will go towards building new homes in the Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity community, Austin Meadows in Lovejoy.

Tickets are available for purchase at www.schabitat.org. Follow Southern Crescent Habitat on Facebook to preview the auction items to include the “Doors” photography collection by Daphne Maxwell Reid.  The first ever Golden Hammer Awards will include dinner, awards ceremony, and silent auction.

About Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity builds affordable homes and provides home repairs to low income families, who need a “hand up, not a hand out” through homeowner education, and financial literacy, provided by partnerships with communities of volunteers and donors.  Since 1986, we have built, renovated and repaired more than 250 homes.  For more information, please visit us at www.schabitat.org.

Habitat Hosts Collegiate Challenge Week

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JONESBORO, GA (March 6, 2015) – Emory and Henry College students will travel to Austin Meadows during their spring break to volunteer with Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity. The students will help build homes and improve the communities the week of March 9th as part of Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge program.

“We are excited about Emory & Henry College coming to work with us at Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity,” said Chief Development Director, Lynne Washington. Shirley Chisholm once said, “Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth”. “The service these young people are willing to give to a family in a different state speaks to the depth of their willingness to serve and help others have a new start, we couldn’t be happier and they are an example to all of us”, said Lynne.

The students will be working on Southern Crescent’s Interfaith Build which kicked off February 24, 2015 by a group of Clayton County High School students from Mt. Zion and Lovejoy. The call to end poverty is shared by the world’s religions, along with the conviction that decent housing for all is critical to achieving that goal. Interfaith groups come together in pursuit of a shared goal to put their faith in action. Other groups that will be participating in the build include the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, Destination Church, Knights of Columbus, Tau Alpha Delta, Klassy Kreation and more.

Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge program invites students to spend one week working with Habitat affiliates to build homes and improve communities. Since 1989, nearly 240,000 college and high school students have volunteered during their spring break to help build or rehabilitate homes, donating over $25 million to Habitat affiliates.

“Collegiate Challenge engages thousands of students each year who work diligently towards improving communities and building decent, affordable housing,” said Mark Andrews, Habitat for Humanity International’s vice president of volunteer and institutional engagement. “We’re grateful to them for supporting our mission and help families realize their dream of home ownership. Communities will benefit from their hard work for years to come.”

The Collegiate Challenge program is one of the many programs Habitat has to engage the next generation of leaders in Habitat’s work. For more information, visit http://www.habitat.org/youthprograms/collegiate-challenge.

Habitat Puts Their Faith Into Action

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(Jonesboro, GA) On Tuesday, February 17, 2015, at 8:30am Habitat invites you to celebrate the kick-off of an Interfaith Build at Austin Meadows in Lovejoy.  Mt. Zion High School will be raising the walls that they constructed in their classroom and will get to see the impact of their hard work.  Jeni, a single mother with 2 children, who is a flight attendant and part time fitness instructor will get to see the first walls put up in her new home.  Churches and civic organizations from all of Habitat’s service area have been invited to join this great event.

 

The history of the Interfaith build with Habitat began in 2006.  The Interfaith Forum of Habitat for Humanity International unanimously affirmed the call to end poverty that is shared by the world’s religions, along with the conviction that decent housing for all is critical to achieving that goal. The result was a commitment to mobilizing interfaith groups around the world in answer to our mission. Those that will be participating in this build include Mt. Zion High School, the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, Destination Church, Knights of Columbus, Emory and Henry College, Tau Alpha Delta, Klassy Kreation and more.

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity is first and foremost a housing ministry.  We welcome all religions to come together with mutual values in pursuit of our shared goal to help families in need.  With your help we can present a unified picture of “faith in action” to create a world where everyone has a decent place to live!

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity would like to have as much of the community involved as possible in this very special Interfaith Build 2015.  For more information about the Interfaith build, please call 770-477-2367.

SCHFH Brings In The New Year With Homes & Hope!

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Jonesboro, GA (January 7, 2015) – Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity will be kicking off a Unity Build, January 15, 2015 in the Austin Meadows community of Lovejoy.  This is the first Unity Build to celebrate what we can accomplish when everyone comes together for the common good.  Carmax will be kicking off the build by raising the first walls of the home for future homeowner Ms. Kym Bradley.  GA Power will be participating on Martin Luther King Jr day to celebrate his legacy of peace and humanity for everyone.

This is house number four in the new community of Austin Meadows and we couldn’t be more excited about moving forward to change lives for low income working families.  Also scheduled this second week of January is a home dedication for our first Veteran Build on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at 5pm.  All of the volunteers are invited to celebrate with veteran Renee and her family as they begin this new journey together.

 

Veteran Build Dedication Coverage-Click Link Below!

http://lovejoyledger.com/habitat-dedicates-third-home-in-lovejoy

 

Habitat Dedicates Second Lovejoy Home By Danny Harrison, Lovejoy Ledger

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“Today is my Thanksgiving Day,” new homeowner Kathy Boucher said Monday afternoon as Clayton County, City of Lovejoy and Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity officials along with family and friends helped dedicate her new home.

Boucher’s is the second Habitat home of 15 to be completed in the Austin Meadows subdivision on Hastings Bridge Road in Lovejoy. It was the “Women Build” home. The first home completed in that subdivision was the Delta Air Lines home, and the third, which is expected to be completed in a few more weeks, is a “Veterans Build” home.

“My prayer is that you’ll get back all the blessings you give out,” Boucher told her Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity friends. “To God be the glory, because He’s the One that makes all things possible.”

A single mother and grandmother, Boucher is a Clayton County Public Schools employee, and she has dreamed of being able to own her own home. Through the Habitat program, she was able to earn “sweat equity” as a volunteer, which helped to qualify her to purchase an affordable, zero-interest, brand-new home.

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity representatives are known for saying they give “a hand up, not a hand out.” All of their homeowners must complete extensive home ownership education and training, and they must complete many hours of volunteer work, whether in the headquarters or on build sites.

Speaking to the small crowd assembled Monday afternoon, Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity CEO Kem Kimbrough said, “Habitat will build a house, but it takes love to make a home. All of you have contributed that love.”

Visit www.schabitat.org or call 770-477-2367 for more information about Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity.

Written by Danny Harrison of Lovejoy Ledger
http://lovejoyledger.com/habitat-dedicates-second-lovejoy-home/

Habitat Kicks off first Veteran Build

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Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity kicks off its first ever

Veteran Build on Veteran’s Day!    

 

Jonesboro, GA (November 6, 2014) – Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity will be kicking off the first ever Veteran Build on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2014.  The new home will be constructed at the new Habitat community in Lovejoy, Austin Meadows.  Veterans from various community organizations will be participating to support a fellow veteran on this very special day.

“It overwhelmingly warms our hearts for us to give back to one of the many veterans who’ve served our nation so ably; after she provided us with safety in our homes during her time in uniform, now we can return the favor for Renee”, said veteran and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity Kem Kimbrough.  The Army Reserve Command Division, Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Military Life Group, as well as the color guard from North Clayton High School, are among just a few who will all be in attendance to support this build.

As required by Southern Crescent Habitat’s program, every homeowner completes 250 hours of sweat equity as well as 50 hours of education classes by the time they close on their home.  The mortgage payment will have a zero percent interest rate making it more affordable to live comfortably.  The home will be one of 15 others built in this Austin Meadows community.  If you would like to help serve our veteran family, please call Habitat at 770-477-2367.  We look forward to partnering with our community to build homes and hope.

About Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity builds affordable homes and provides home repairs to low income working families, who need a “hand up, not a hand out” through homeowner education, and financial literacy, provided by partnerships with communities of volunteers and donors.  Since 1986, we have built, renovated and repaired more than 250 homes.  For more information, please visit us at www.schabitat.org.

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Global Habitat Day

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For IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity Celebrates Their Global Mission with Art Unveiling

 

Wednesday (October 22, 2014)-The Southern Crescent Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity will unveil the “Hands Across the World” mural designed by Henry Arts Collective artist: Moira Fisher, on Wednesday, October 22nd at 5:00pm, followed by a reception immediately afterwards.  The event is being sponsored by Himalayan Spice Restaurant & Bar who will be providing Nepalese food samples to enjoy.   In conjunction with World Habitat Day, several members of the Southern Crescent staff will be wished safe travels as they prepare for an international Habitat Build to Kathmandu, Nepal, scheduled for November 13-22.  Habitat is committed to “God’s love into action” through global and local service and we invite you to come and learn about our mission.

 

About Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity

Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity builds affordable homes and provides home repairs to low income families, who need a “hand up, not a hand out” through homeowner education, and financial literacy, provided by partnerships with communities of volunteers and donors.  Since 1986, we have built, renovated and repaired more than 250 homes.  For more information, please visit us at www.schabitat.org.

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