Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties

When you shop at jcpenney stores or online during the month of May, you can support Habitat for Humanity!  At checkout, associates will invite you to round up to the nearest dollar – donating your change to Habitat for Humanity International to build strong communities. The fundraising campaign is part of jcpenney’s charitable giving program, jcp cares.

Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and renovates simple, decent houses with the help of homeowner families here in Tompkins and Cortland Counties and around the world.

The associates at our local jcpenney store (in Cortland) are very excited to be supporting Habitat this month!  Please shop at the store, round up your purchase, and thank them for their enthusiastic support of Habitat!

Women Build Weekend is almost here, hooray!

Thanks to all who have signed up to volunteer with us this weekend. Here are a few important things to know…

• This event is taking place rain or shine! We’re hoping that Mother Nature cooperates on Friday and Saturday but it’s looking right now like mid-60′s with a chance of rain. Please dress accordingly and remember to wear closed toed shoes for safety on the job site.
• Parking is available at Schara Auto, located at 308 Main St in Groton (and, look for the signs!). From there, you’ll walk across the street to the pavilion behind the American Legion where we’ll be doing registration, handing out our terrific pink t-shirts, giving a safety talk, accepting donations, etc.
• Lunch is provided for all volunteers and we’ll also have light breakfast food and snacks available all day. Please bring a re-useable water bottle if you have one.
• Playhouse tickets will be available for purchase, $5.00 each! In the past, many people were so excited about the playhouse as they saw it being built or helped build it that they wanted to get their tickets right away. This year, you can!
• It’s not too late to bring a friend, nor is it too late to bring a donation… although we love that so many of you pre-registered, if you recruit a friend or family member to join you, bring them along! We are also encouraging volunteers who did not fundraise online or with a corporate team to make a $25 donation to Women Build, to help offset costs of the event. Again, this donation is not required, only encouraged. Any amount of support that you can give is appreciated, even if only your time and enthusiasm.
• We are able to honor everyone’s ‘first choice’ shift so please feel free to come at the time which you registered for. If you need to change your shift – not a problem.
• We will have all of the necessary tools available for you to use but, if you’d like to bring your own, feel free (just be sure to label them, as tools easily wander off on site). We will be hanging drywall and installing siding at our Women Build house, raising walls for the Habitat house next door, and building our 3rd, fabulous playhouse!
• Be sure to “like” us on Facebook – that’s where we’ll post oodles of event photos!

2013 is the 6th year that Lowes has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to celebrate Women Build and over 41,000 women have participated over the last 5 years. This year, 300 Habitat affiliates across the country are having Women Build events this week – you are a part of something BIG!

Questions or concerns? Email us at womenbuild@tchabitat.com or call our office at 844-3529.

See you this weekend!

It’s almost time for the event that so many of you wait for each year… Women Build Weekend!  Join us on Friday, May 10th and Saturday, May 11th for two fun-filled days of volunteering, learning, construction, and spreading awareness about the need for affordable housing in our community.
Once again, our pink shirts will be swarming in on the Village of Groton to accomplish a variety of tasks: installing siding and completing drywall finish work on our Women Build house, constructing and decorating yet another fabulous playhouse with our friends from Play By Design, and raising walls (yes, everyone’s favorite, raising walls!) for our Habitat house at 205 Barrows St.
Sign up HERE and start recruiting your Mom, sister, friends, co-workers and neighbors to join you today!  And, create a team fundraising page (or, a personal page) to help us reach our $20,000 goal by visiting: http://www.stayclassy.org/groton/events/women-build-weekend-2013/e24454
Questions?  Contact womenbuild@tchabitat.com or call our office at 844-3529

It’s almost time for our 3rd Annual Raise the Roof fundraiser!  

This year’s event will be held on Friday, April 12th, from 6 – 9 p.m. at the beautiful Hangar Theatre in Ithaca.  Join us for a complimentary wine tasting, artisan cheese tasting from local Finger Lakes farms, as well as delicious appetizers and desserts from favorite Ithaca hotspots.  You’ll also have the opportunity to play games and bid on specialty raffle items from local businesses. Live entertainment will be provided by Dean’s List Band (featuring John and Bob Dean of the renowned Dean Brothers Band!), performing four-part vocal harmonies on everything from originals and folk to classic rock and Motown, with guitar, bass, and fiddle for kick! 

Whether you need a break from a boring old Friday night, have a passion for local cheeses, want a chance to win a complete cordless tool kit, or just have a hankering to support our Women Build program and help us raise $5,000 in one night…  this event is for you!

Get your tickets online now at: http://tchabitat.com/get-involved/event-calendar/raise-the-roof-2013  And, special thanks to our generous event sponsor, Warren Real Estate!

If you or a family you know is interested becoming a Habitat homeowner, TCHFH is accepting applications for our Groton and Cortland houses through May 31st, 2013. Fill out a pre-application here or contact Family Services Coordinator Elizabeth Warner at liz@tchabitat.com or 844-3529 for more information.

We’ll also be hosting an info session at the YWCA (14 Clayton Avenue in Cortland) at 6:00 pm on Monday, April 15th. If you have questions about applying, aren’t sure how Habitat works, or just want to learn more about how to get involved or volunteer, this is a meeting for you!  Sessions are free and open to the public and this is a great opportunity to chat first hand with our Family Services Coordinator, if you’re interested in applying for our houses in Groton or Cortland.