Habitat blesses Haiti site ahead of 500-house project

Habitat for Humanity recently conducted a site blessing on the 18-month anniversary of the January 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti. Habitat’s staff, partners and local officials and community members gathered at the Santo project site in Leogane, Haiti, where the first of 500 permanent homes will be built in August. About 100 of these houses will be built during the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project to be held at the site in November. The annual special build, led by former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, is expected to attract about 400 international volunteers. 

Read more about the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Haiti. 

About Habitat for Humanity Haiti

• Habitat for Humanity has been at work in Haiti for more than 27 years.
• Habitat Haiti has provided housing solutions through a variety of initiatives including new home construction, progressive building, home repairs and improvements.
• Habitat Haiti also teaches construction skills, disaster risk reduction and financial literacy, and works in coordination with community and government agencies.

Habitat’s commitment to Haiti

Habitat is committed to serving 50,000 Haitian families over five years. Learn more about our Haiti earthquake recovery efforts.

Habitat World Day - Save the Date!

Today, 1.6 billion people live in inadequate shelter around the world; 1 billion of those live in slums. By 2030, it is expected that 2 billion people will live in slum communities.  The world’s housing situation is a crisis in need of attention and action.  
 

On World Habitat Day, October 3, Habitat for Humanity joins the United Nations and organizations around the world in raising awareness, educating and mobilizing individuals and communities to take action on the current global housing crisis while working together to ensure adequate housing for all.

 

In recognition of World Habitat Day and the work Habitat for Humanity has done to alleviate poverty housing, Habitat will dedicate its 500,000th home in Maai Mahiu, Kenya, and raise the walls on its 500,001st home in Paterson, New Jersey. This milestone represents 500,000 houses built, rehabbed or repaired and families served.

Now more than ever, support is needed to help Habitat for Humanity address critical housing needs in our community and around the world.  To support the work of Habitat for Humanity, visit our website and Habitat for Humanity Int’l website. 

SAVE THE DATE: This October 3, Paterson Habitat joins Habitat for Humanity volunteers, homeowners, partners and supporters around the world in recognizing World Habitat Day!

Keep it Cool - Heat Safety Tips

Child Safety Tips

• Make sure your child's safety seat and safety belt buckles aren't too hot before securing your child in a safety restraint system, especially when your car has been parked in the heat.
• Never leave your child unattended in a vehicle, even with the windows down.
• Teach children not to play in, on or around cars.
• Always lock car doors and trunks--even at home--and keep keys out of children's reach.
• Always make sure all children have left the car when you reach your destination. Don't leave sleeping infants in the car ever!

Adult Safety Tips

• Slow down. Reduce, eliminate or rescheduled strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day. Children, senior and anyone with health problems should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.
• Dress for summer. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.
• Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods, like meat and other proteins that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss.
• Drink plenty of water or other non-alcohol or decaffeinated fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you don't feel thirsty. Persons who have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease, are on fluid restrictive diets or have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before increasing their consumption of fluids. Do not drink alcoholic beverages and limited caffeinated beverages.
• During excess heat period, spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly reduces danger from the heat. If you cannot afford an air conditioner, go to a library, store or other location with air conditioning for part of the day.
• Don't get too much sun. Sunburn reduced your body's ability to dissipate heat.
• Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.

Source: NOAA's National Weather Service website

Act Now to Protect Low-Income Programs from Reckless Cuts!

With only a few weeks left before Congress must vote to raise the debt ceiling or face default, negotiators are working overtime to come up with a deficit reduction package. Low-income families and children have much at stake in this debate as critical safety net programs and ladders to opportunity are on the chopping block. It’s not too late to take a stand against reckless cuts to these programs and make your voice heard. In fact, here are a few easy ways to get involved:

Call your senators. Beginning Wednesday, July 13, through Friday, July 15, grassroots advocates concerned about the threats to human-needs programs will participate in national call-in days. Take a few minutes to call your senators and ask them to protect programs supporting low-income Americans and ask them to support fair increases in revenues to fight reckless cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, and other important services. You can call toll-free at 888.907.1485. If you’re unable to make a call this week, we urge you to send an email to your senators with the same message. Click here to send an email—it will only take three minutes or less.

Discuss the current budget battle with members of Congress. On Thursday, July 14, at 2:15 p.m. EST, join a national call on which you’ll hear from members of Congress like Rep. Chris Van Hollen, leading advocacy organizations, and service providers about what’s at stake for low-income families in the budget debate. RSVP by Wednesday, July 13, as call-in lines are limited. To RSVP, click here.

Urge your networks and colleagues to do the same. Please forward this message to colleagues, friends, and family. With the lives of millions of low-income families and children hanging in the balance, the time to act is now.

Article taken from: American Action Progress Fund