Today we celebrated love in action, on Love Street!

Dozens of members of the Habitat Family: staff, board members, volunteers, donors, faith partners, city & town partners, and more joined together as we celebrated another Habitat home on Love Street. (1 of 8 Habitat homes on Love Street)

When Eudosia first applied for the Habitat homebuyer program, she explained that her preference for Habitat was in large part due to the financial and home maintenance education that is part of our program.

After furthering her own education, including teaching herself to read and write English as a young adult, she is now investing in her future through homeownership. Her goal is for this home to not only provide stability for herself, but also to be an asset to her young adult children.

The Brighton Churches Habitat Coalition has been building homes in partnership with Flower City Habitat for Humanity since 1998, when four Brighton pastors decided among themselves to launch the Coalition.  The faith-based membership has grown considerably over the past 21 years to include ten pastoral communities.

The Bright Coalition now includes: Atonement Lutheran, Baptist Temple, Edgewood Free Methodist, First Baptist, St Damien of Molakai Knights of Columbus, Our Lady of Lourdes-St. Anne Cluster Community, Peace of Christ, Saint Thomas Episcopal, Trinity Reformed, and Twelve Corners Presbyterian.

This year’s home on Love Street is the 7th Habitat home and first rehabilitation project sponsored by the Brighton Coalition, which previously built Habitat homes on Taylor Street (1999-2000), Rauber Street (2002), Love Street (2005), Orange Street (2008-2009), Orchard Street (2011-2012) and Brown Street (2014).  The refurbished home being dedicated today is the second on Love Street sponsored by the Coalition.
 
Now entering a third decade of partnering with Flower City Habitat, the Brighton Churches Habitat Coalition is a prime example of our mission to put God’s love into action by bringing partners together to build homeownership, communities, and hope.

We were also honored to be joined by partners from the City of Rochester, Town of Brighton, and Town of Pittsford; represented by: Dana Miller, Rochester Director of Business Development & Chairman of Rochester Land Bank Corporation; Bill Moehle, Brighton Town Supervisor; and Matthew O'Connor, Pittsford Town Council & Chair of Brighton Church Coalition.

All of these partners coming together - to lift our neighbors and ourselves - is how Habitat builds homes, community, and hope.

Learn how you can help build a home for yourself through our homeownership program or with your neighbor by volunteering or donating today.

We're excited to be partnering with Foodlink Cooking Matters, a national program that works to make sure all kids have the healthy food they need every day.

Thanks to a sponsorship from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, 20 Flower City Habitat families are participating alongside volunteer culinary and nutrition experts, to learn to select nutritious and low-cost ingredients, and prepare them in ways that provide the best nourishment possible to their families.

Learn more at: https://foodlinkny.org/fight_hunger/cooking-matters

Women Build teams joined Illeana and her family to raise the fourth wall of their home on Holworthy Street!

​Today we dedicated two previously-vacant, now completely-rehabilitated houses on Fernwood Avenue and Del Monte Street.

We celebrated the transformation of two empty houses (and neighborhood eyesores), into two wonderful homes filled with families, new memories to be made, and a strengthening neighborhood.

After just a few more finishing touches, and closing on their affordable mortgage, we'll have two of Rochester's newest homeowners!

The rehabilitation of both of these homes was made possible through several partnerships including ESL Federal Credit Union, City of Rochester, NY - Mayor's Office, Rochester Land Bank, and Enterprise Community Partners.

And in just a few short weeks we will be finishing up the next one on Barberry Terrace!

​Before photos credits: Richard Margolis Art + Architectural Photography

The Autism Council of Rochester, Inc. has created a new partnership with Flower City
Habitat for Humanity to create a unique housing program for individuals and families
with children & adults living with Autism. This partnership is a first-of-its-kind in New
York State and its focus will be to remove barriers which prevent our families from fully
participating in homeownership, including the families in the build process and the
necessary accommodations for Sensory Needs Modifications, which may be a
challenge for individuals on the spectrum and possibly prevent them from being able to
enjoy their physical surroundings and comfort within their home.

The program currently has five applicants in the process.

"We are very excited about the new housing program and the steps being taken to
serve a vastly underserved group in our community. As a parent of someone living with
autism, I have first-hand knowledge of the challenges living situations can create on a
daily basis," said Lawana Jones, Founder & Executive Director of the Autism Council.

“We are truly gratified to be in partnership with the Autism Council of Rochester. We
look forward to providing homes that will allow each individual to be fully supported
and truly benefit from their living environment. We know the impact on our homebuyers
and their families will be a lasting one,” said Matt Flanigan, CEO, Flower City Habitat
for Humanity. “We look forward to continuing to work together to achieve our mission
of building homeownership, communities, and hope.”

Groundbreaking for the initial two homes in the program will begin in June 2019.

​For more information on the next round of applications for the housing program, please
email, info@theautismcouncil.org

What a beautiful day to celebrate TWO Habitat Home Dedications!

Today we had the honor of celebrating the ceremonial and spiritual transition of two construction sites into two new Habitat Homes that were full of excitement, love, and plans for the future.

There's a few things left to finish up, but in just a few short weeks The Betts Family and The Sutton Family will be closing on their affordable mortgages, moving in, and building the next chapter of their lives in a quality, affordable, and stable home.

These two homes were made possible by the hard work of our partner families, Habitat staff and volunteers, and the faith-filled support of the Penfield Area Coalition of Churches, Thrivent Financial, and the Harvest Home Coalition.

All three of these faith-based organizations (along with many more) are already gearing up to partner with us again - and if you are interested in putting your faith into action with us, we invite you to learn more at: www.rochesterhabitat.org/faith

To learn more about our homeownership program, visit: www.rochesterhabitat.org/homeownership

"The help I had with Abi and my coach getting me through this year, when I had my ups and downs... You guys brought me through this year and made me stronger, to say that I can do this. I just want to thank everyone, thank you guys so much. And today is my grandbaby's birthday!"

To Regina and her family, we want to say thank you for partnering with us to help make your dream of homeownership come true - your strength and hard work make us all stronger too!

We also want to thank all of the volunteer and donors from our Women Build program who brought together the funding and volunteers to make this possible - the 14th Women Build house in Rochester!