Habitat for Humanity Work at St. Luke's

 

 


Habitat Interfaith Build

 

Habitat for Humanity of Durham

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit housing organization that believes decent housing is a matter of conscience and action.

 Habitat builds homes for working families in Durham whose housing is unsound, unsafe or overcrowded.  Habitat builds new homes and sells them at no interest.  The no-interest loan as well as donations of time and money allow Habitat to offer an affordable mortgage payment to families who don’t qualify for traditional mortgages.  Since 1985 Habitat has broken ground on more then 225 homes! 

Owning a safe, decent, affordable home offers families hope and allows them to build equity for the future.

 

Interfaith Build

This fall, members of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities are joining together to sponsor a Habitat home.  Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian ministry that invites people of all faiths to join efforts to eliminate poverty housing and work together to serve God by serving others.  The interfaith build is an opportunity to be in partnership with our brothers and sisters of different faith communities to build community, understanding and respect about our beliefs and traditions.  This is an opportunity to put our love into action!

 

Sponsoring the construction of a Habitat home does more then pay for sticks and bricks, it also sponsors a family!  Home sponsors affirm a family’s desire to become financially independent and help sponsor a family’s future. 

 

There are just two sponsorship commitments with Habitat.

  1. $50,000, the critical up-front capital that allows Habitat to begin the construction process.  The good news is the $50,000 is nearly raised for the interfaith build.
  2. Volunteers for home construction, prepare food, organize, lead prayer…

 

We invite you to join in Habitat’s ministry in Durham through the Interfaith Build.  There are already many groups on board for the Interfaith Build and we are eager to have more! 

 

The following congregations and organizations are participating in the project:           

                                               

                                                        Beth El Synagogue

Durham Congregations in Action

Episcopal Center at Duke

Hillel's Social Action

Islamic Center on Fayetteville Street

Jewish Life at Duke

Muslim Student Association

St. Philip's Episcopal Church

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

St. Luke's Episcopal Church

St. Joseph's Episcopal Church

St. Titus Episcopal Church

 

Partner Family

Habitat homeowners seek a hand up, not a hand out.  Families contribute a minimum of 250 hours of “sweat equity” toward their homes.  This time spent building their homes and the homes of their Habitat neighbors is given in lieu of a financial down payment.  Habitat homes are sold at their appraised value and families repay their mortgage in full.  Homeowner mortgage payments help build future Habitat homes. 

 

 

The Rahlan Family

 left to right

Chau (18, yellow shirt), Kam (15, white shirt), Justin (21, blue plaid), Dul (dad), Bop (mom), Be (7, pink pants), Kim (9, white shirt), Sam (13, green shirt), Thahn (4, in mom’s lap), and Jon (20, gray shirt).

 

The Interfaith sponsored home will be built in partnership with Dul Rahlan and Bop Siu who emigrated from Vietnam with their eight children.  Dul has been a permanent resident since February 2005.  Bop and their children joined him in Durham two years ago.  They have five sons and three daughters ranging in age from 4 to 21.  The family currently lives in a three bedroom house that is too small for their large family.  The family is very excited to partner with Habitat and their Christian, Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters to build their new home.

Community Building

The Rahlan’s home will be built at 1009 Carroll St. in Southwest Central Durham.  This is the back-yard community to Duke’s West Campus and an area with great historic pride.  There are five local neighborhood associations that comprise Southwest Central Durham.  They are connected through a grassroots neighborhood association called the Southwest Central Quality of Life Project which leads the redevelopment of their community.  Habitat builds here in partnership with the community and in partnership with Duke University, the Durham Community Land Trustees and Self-Help Community Development Corporation.  Habitat of Durham has built over 40 homes in this community helping to transform the community.  With rebuilding there has been a 50% average reduction in reported crime.   

  

 

  

 

 

           The Rahlan’s lot at 1109 Carroll St.  Their new home will look similar to this Habitat home.

 

Build Details

Construction of the Rahlan’s home will begin on Sunday, October 18.  We invite you to join us at 1009 Carroll St. at 1 pm for a blessing of the build which will be followed by a short work-day until 3 pm.  Please let us know if you plan to attend by contacting Jean or John Willard, 471-0816 or willarj@mindspring.com or signing up on the sheet in the Sprague Room.  Signup sheets for working and helping with lunches will be out in October.

 

Building will continue Saturdays and Sundays each weekend from 10am-3pm.  To help build community with the volunteers, partner family, and neighborhood, we will have one shift each day.  Volunteers will come in the morning to build, enjoy lunch together, and then work again in the afternoon. 

 

There are many ways to be involved!  In addition to construction volunteers, hospitality volunteers are needed to provide snacks and lunch.  To respect dietary requirements suggestions for meals will be provided.  Each build day we would like to have a member of a faith community to lead volunteers in prayer to share about their tradition. 

 

Driving Directions

From the Durham Expressway/Hwy 147 take exit 13.  Turn onto Chapel Hill St., driving away from downtown.  After passing over 147 (or after turning onto Chapel Hill St.) get into the left lane and turn left at the light onto Buchanan Blvd.  Go 1 block and turn right onto Jackson St.  Take your next left onto Carroll St.  When Carroll St. seems to dead end into Morehead Ave., turn left and then take a quick right to continue on Carroll St.  1009 Carroll St. is on the left.t Sigh up sheets are available i       

                                                                                                                                                                               

Home sponsors transform lives and communities in Durham, one family at a time.

Every house is a sermon of God’s love!

 

Habitat for Humanity of Durham

215 N. Church Street    Durham, NC 27701    www.durhamhabitat.org    (919) 682-0516

More information on what we do is located on the sub-menus to the left.   If you would like to help with any of our Outreach programs, or would like more information, contact us at outreach@stlukesdurham.org .