“A world where everyone has a decent place to live.”
Recently, I was asked to identify three things for which I am thankful. One of my choices was “I am thankful that my house is my home”. That answer may have been rhetorical at the time, but it made me think about what I had said. Home ownership is certainly nothing to take for granted. I am thankful for my humble abode, but I know that many families don’t have a house to call home, and would be undeniably thankful if they did. Home ownership is possible, however, for some disadvantaged families. By partnering with Habitat for Humanity, families can, “through a combination of sweat equity, volunteer hours, homeowner education classes and mentoring”, achieve the dream of owning their own home.
For those of us fortunate enough to not require assistance from Habitat for Humanity, yet who feel empathy for those who do, there are ways that we can help. Several years ago I volunteered with Habitat to help build a house for a Native American family. I hammered, dug, painted, and labored with a group of people, including the recipient family. I found this experience immensely rewarding. I was able to help a family in need as well as having learned quite a lot about how “homes” are built. If you are motivated to offer time and energy to help others, as well gain some insight about how a house is built, I recommend that you contact Habitat for Humanity for information.
Of course there are other methods of contributing if you are unable to participate physically. Here again I urge you to take a moment to view the WEB pages for the Sarasota or Manatee County Habitat for Humanity. I’ve included a link to these below. Habitat is good for the recipients, the volunteers, and the community. As stated in their Vision Statement, why not help create “A world where everyone has a decent place to live.”
https://www.manateehabitat.org/
As a post script, I would personally recommend that every home have a cat— adopted from the Cat Depot of course. And, that is a topic for my September blog, stay tuned! (Oh, dogs are good additions as well. )
Mark F.
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