Take Action Now!

Can you take one minute to help Habitat for Humanity build strong relationships with the new Congress? Just weeks ago in Washington, D.C., the 112th Congress was sworn in. The last election brought significant change to Congress, and the current situation at home and abroad will bring significant challenges in 2011. Millions of Americans know and support Habitat’s work, but some people have misconceptions about who we are and what we do. Some think we just give houses away. Some have never been inspired by the story of a Habitat homeowner. And some just haven’t heard enough about the critical and life-changing work we do. Will you take one minute to reach out to your member of Congress to help Habitat build good relationships in Washington? It’s important for your voice to be heard, and sending a letter will take just a moment. As we move into 2011, we at Habitat will be working to welcome, inform and engage new members of Congress by making sure they know how important our work is to constituents like you. We will be reaching out in coming weeks with more ways to get involved, but it’s important to start strong, today. Thank you for all that you do. Here’s looking ahead to a year of strong partnerships, great work and meaningful results. Liz Blake Senior Vice President Habitat for Humanity International

How to Prepare for a Snow Storm

Seems like we've been bombarded with snow storms this season.  Here are some tips on How to Prepare for a Winter Storm (www.wikihow.com)

1.  Make sure you have some basic survival items in your house before the threat of a storm:

• A shovel. Even if you live in an apartment you should own a shovel as you may need to dig yourself out before your ground crew gets in, and they are unlikely to dig out your car.
• Flashlights. Make sure you have good quality flashlights and lamps with fresh batteries. Also purchase "Self Powered Flashlights" and "Self Powered Radios". Some models will also charge your cell phone.
• Food. Make sure you have enough non-perishable food to last a few days. Even if your budget is tight you should make sure to keep extra food in the house. Canned and powdered foods are good for long-term storage.
• A Can Opener. Make sure to have a good old-fashioned manual can opener.
• Blankets and Warm Clothing. You may already have these items, but remember you will need enough blankets to keep you warm without any heat and in adverse conditions.
• A Camping Stove or Barbeque Grill. A gas powered camping stove is a wise investment for any emergency situation. If you have an electric stove in the kitchen a camp stove is almost a necessity. Be sure you use it with proper ventilation, and have plenty of backup fuel.
• Matches to light your gas range/camping stove/candles. Do not rely on lighters that can run out of fuel or break down all too easily.
• A Battery Operated Radio. This way you can get news without wall power. Make sure the batteries are good. It is also possible to buy a motion charging radio, as you can with a flashlight.
• Prescription medications. Like food, it is always wise to have enough to last you a few days.
• Anything else vital to your household. You should always have ample supplies of items like diapers, formula, batteries, and so on before the storm hits.
• A wall phone with a cord, or a portable cellphone charger. Cordless home phones will not work when the power is out. Many states require at least one wall plugged phone, which receives power from the telephone connection, in all households.

2.  Winterize your home and any other buildings you or your family will use during a storm. Insulate walls and attics, caulk and weather-strip doors and windows, and installing storm windows or cover windows with plastic.

• Clear rain gutters and repair roof leaks in order to avoid clogging and flooding.
• Cut away tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a storm.
• If necessary hire a contractor to check the structural strength of the roof. Make sure your roof can sustain the unusually heavy weight of snow - or water.
• Insulate pipes with insulation and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing.

 4.  Anticipate a long power outage. By preparing you can make a power outage bearable.

5.  Be aware of approaching storms. Watch weather reports, listen to emergency radios, and actually watch the little black bands at the top of your TV screen warning you about storms. This will tell you when you need to be prepared for the storm. 

6.  Keep Warm to survive the storm. When the storm hits, already have a fire or furnace running to keep you warm if this is feasible. Keep blankets ready, and above all, stay warm. Drink hot liquids and eat hot foods.

7.  Have Entertainment Bored people can become anxious, panicky, or plain irritable, and this can sometimes lead to poor decision-making during a winter storm. Have entertainment such as books, board games, cards, crafts, and so on in the house. It's entirely possible to even enjoy a power outage!

Haiti and Habitat - One Year Later

In response to the earthquake, Habitat Haiti has been able to achieve the following:

•        More than 21,000 emergency shelter kits are in the hands of people who needed them most. The kits included tools—hammers, pliers, chisels, work gloves, rope and tarps—that have allowed Haitians to clean up debris, do basic repairs and create emergency shelter. In addition, more than 3,300 emergency shelter kits have been stockpiled, ready to distribute quickly whenever disaster strikes again.

•        More than 1,000 families have received recyclable transitional or upgradable shelters, with a total of 2,000 scheduled to be completed by the end of January 2011. Transitional shelters are constructed so they can be dismantled easily and relocated. Upgradable shelters can be turned into permanent homes.

•        More than 2,000 housing damage assessments have been conducted. Assessments help determine which structures can be made safe and which need to be torn down, making way for new, permanent shelters.

•        More than 500 Haitians have been trained in seismic resistant construction techniques.

•        More than 200 Haitians have been hired by the Habitat Resource Centers to help in Habitat construction activities. In a nation with an unemployment rate of 60 percent, job opportunities are a crucial part of rebuilding.

For ongoing updates on Habitat’s Haiti recovery program, please follow Habitat Haiti on Facebook and Twitter (@habitatinhaiti).

Thank you for your support of Habitat Haiti. We are committed to serving 50,000 earthquake-affected families and are grateful for the continued partnership of affiliates across the United States.  Let’s keep the momentum going in 2011!

Emailed to us by:
Mark Andrews, Vice President, Haiti Recovery
Habitat for Humanity International

How you can help

• View a slideshow of information on ways you can help: Building Hope in Haiti: One Year Later.
• Donate to support Habitat’s efforts to rebuild in Haiti.
• Get ready to volunteer. To be notified when Habitat begins recruiting volunteers, take the Haiti volunteer interest survey. This survey will collect your demographic and basic skills information and will sign you up for a periodic e-mail with updates regarding Habitat's response in Haiti.
• Learn about even more ways you can help Haiti.

Habitat Car Donations Get Double Value

Residents who donate vehicles to four local Habitat for Humanity affiliates through June 30 will see the value of their donation doubled.

Habitat for Humanity of Paterson, Newark, Bergen County and Morris County have a matching donation grant of up to $100,000 from Habitat for Humanity International.

The offer is good for donations from ZIP codes in Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic counties. Donors also can request that their vehicles go to one of those affiliates.

Habitat for Humanity accepts and resells cars, boats, motorcycles and recreational vehicles through its Cars for Homes program. Most donations are eligible for a tax deduction.

The matching grant program will end in a weeklong "Jersey Road Trip" event in the spring, when representatives from Habitat's Cars for Homes program will help build homes at four North Jersey work sites.

Donors should call 877-277-4344 to arrange for pickup or arrange a donation online at http://www.carsforhomes.org/.

The Record on the Road: New Orleans

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Each November, Paterson Habitat for Humanity sends volunteers to help rebuild New Orleans. This year, we painted, poured concrete and helped frame a new home in the Carrolton district. Beautiful weather, great food and the warmth of the people of New Orleans made the build a terrific success.

Tip: Skip the loud, touristy French Quarter and head up to the clubs (DBA, Spotted Cat, Negril) of Frenchmen Street and the Treme to really experience the fantastic music and culture of New Orleans.


Pictured: Sam Meyer (Ridgewood), Rose Marie Mesisco (Rutherford), Donna Meyer (Ridgewood), Babette and Marty Galinak (Flemington) and Billy Neumann (Rutherford).

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