Habitat for Humanity Task Force

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Habitat for Humanity Task Force

The primary goal of the Habitat Task Force is to support Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County and its effort to provide decent, affordable housing for everyone. The task force also seeks to back the objectives of other organizations to improve the housing situation in Monroe County. Task force members volunteer to build Habitat houses, raise funds to donate to Habitat for Humanity for a variety of needs, and seek to improve awareness in the congregation and community about the need for affordable housing.

In 2021, the task force:

  • Sponsored an online fundraising concert, “In Harmony with Habitat,” in May. We brought together excellent musicians who contributed recorded performances and had a live band and emcees. We raised $2,840 through ticket sales and donations.
  • Brought together a 35-member team of UU women and friends who volunteered to construct two houses for the annual Habitat Women Build in Habitat’s new Osage Place neighborhood. Individual women raised about $16,500 AND the task force contributed $16,000 of funds it has raised for about three years to provide an extra funding boost.
  • Attended Habitat’s “reimagined” More Than Houses annual fundraising event at the Osage Place. Task force members personally make financial commitments to Habitat each year.
  • Contributed a wide variety of handmade and other unique items to sell at the online UU Holiday Bazaar. We raised $1,295 from sales.
  • Agreed to contribute a holiday food basket worth $106 to Monroe County United Ministries from our task force funds.
  • Accepted money from people who parked at the UU Church for the IU-Rutgers football game in November. We earned $1,341, as did five other task forces who also helped park cars at five other games.
  • Was awarded a $1,000 UU social justice grant to donate to Habitat for Humanity for purchasing a much-needed storage shed to be located at the Osage Place building site.
  • Raised a total of $5,724, including a $2,000 donation from the UU Hunger Task Force and $300 each task force receives annually from UU. Task force members will decide on the ways to spend these funds.
The ongoing pandemic has limited our typical fundraising activities at UU during the past two years and, at times, has limited Habitat for Humanity’s ability to accept volunteers on builds. But we have continued to raise funds as we are able. In the future, when the church is fully open, we hope to again be able to sponsor breakfasts, bake sales and other events, as well as educational programs, to support our efforts.
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What can you do?

  • Join our task force, which normally meets in person once a month between UU services. We haven’t been able to meet at UU during the pandemic, but we still communicate through emails and occasionally, Zoom meetings. If you’d like to receive email updates about events and upcoming builds, please send Barb Berggoetz (barbberg@nullbluemarble.net), task force chair, your email and phone number.
  • Volunteer to participate in Habitat builds. We have opportunities, when Habitat has openings, to gather a group of UUers, usually up to 10 people or more, and work together on build sites. We are planning to build on Saturday, March 26. Contact Barb if you are interested in that date and if you want to be contacted whenever build days are open in the future. No building experience is necessary. You can also build as an individual. Everyone who builds needs to register once as a builder and then sign up for a specific date at: monroecountyhabitat.org/volunteer.
  • Volunteer for planning and participating in fundraising activities throughout the year. Individuals are needed to do a variety of duties, including baking, preparing food, organizing a coffeehouse, creating educational programs, etc., and other activities task force members develop.

CONTACT: BARB BERGGOETZ, TASK FORCE CHAIR, barbberg@nullbluemarble.net, 812-320-8422.

As of now, we have about $5,724 in our account, which includes $2,000 the UU Hunger Task Force kindly donated to us earlier this year and $300 each task force gets annually from UU to spend within the coming year. We need to discuss how to spend our funds.

Habitat needs builders to finish five houses, including the Women Build homes, under construction in January, February and March. It would be great if we could schedule a group of 10 or more builders on an upcoming Saturday. Here are a few suggested dates to see if we can get a group together: Jan. 29, Feb. 12, Feb. 26, March 12 or March 26. Please respond ASAP (by Jan. 15) if you can build and your 1st and 2nd build day choices.