The Marion County Community Foundation recently awarded a $3000 grant to Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, Inc., to assist with critical housing repair and rehab projects. Don Croghan, Treasurer of the Marion County Community Foundation, presented the check to Executive Director Lisa Crabbs. Croghan says “Habitat has a great reputation for helping people out in the county, and they’ve been very, very active over the last several years. We just wanted to take a small part and help support their efforts.”
The funds from this donation will be used for housing repair and rehab projects for owner-occupied houses in Marion County. Critical housing repair helps homeowners who are affected by age, disability, or family circumstances and struggle to maintain the integrity of their homes.
“This year we are expanding our scope to include more repairs and rehabs,” said Crabbs. “We greatly appreciate the support of the Marion County Community Foundation to help us serve more low- to moderate-income families living in substandard housing in Marion County.”
Habitat housing repair projects involve extensive interior or exterior work performed to alleviate critical health, life, and safety issues or code violations. This may include a change to or repair of materials; a reconfiguration of space; a modification for accessibility; or installation or extension of plumbing, mechanical, or electrical systems in an existing home. Homeowners will partner with HFHMCI on these projects by completing sweat equity hours and loan repayment.
Habitat for Humanity of Marion County piloted its critical housing repair program in 2013 with funding from USDA Rural Development and partnerships with the Red Rock Community Action Agency, A Call to Serve Ministries (ACTS), United Way of Marion County, Home Depot, and the Pella Community Foundation.
About Marion County Community Foundation: The Marion County Community Foundation’s mission is to foster private giving, strengthen service providers, and improve the conditions of the community. To these ends, it will promote endowment development, community building, grant making, organizational collaboration, needs analysis, and public leadership for the benefit of the people of Marion County.
About HFHMCI: Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, Inc. is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization operated on Christian principles that seeks to put God’s love into action by building homes, communities, and hope. Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating, and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families. Habitat for Humanity was founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a simple, durable place to live in dignity and safety, and that decent shelter in decent communities should be a matter of conscience and action for all.
Founded in Americus, Georgia, USA, in 1976, Habitat for Humanity International today operates around the globe and has helped build, renovate, and repair more than 800,000 decent, affordable houses sheltering more than 4 million people worldwide. Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, Inc. is an Iowa affiliate that was started in 1997. Since then, Habitat has assisted more than 45 families in Marion County either through new home construction, housing rehabilitation, or critical housing repairs.
In addition to the families assisted in Iowa, the Marion County affiliate tithes 10 percent of its unrestricted donations to Habitat for Humanity Guatemala. Currently, Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, Inc. has tithed more than $125,000 to Habitat Guatemala and assisted more than 37 Guatemalan families.