Habitat for Humanity

Photo:Janice Boring, guest speaker from Habitat for Humanity, was introduced by May program chairman, Walt Waitt.

Janice Boring, from Shelby County, spoke to Kiwanis about her work with Habitat for Humanity. Habitat International is a nonprofit Christian housing ministry that seeks to make decent shelter available to needy people. By working together in partnership to help build houses, Habitat has built more than 225,000 houses around the world, providing 1 million people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds with the help of homeowner families. They are sold to the chosen partner family at no profit, financed with affordable mortgages. One of the most familiar names associated with Habitat is that of former president Jimmy Carter.

Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a modest down payment and monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor “sweat equity” into building their house and the houses of others.

In Shelby County there is a waiting list of applicants who are screened by a committee and take classes about home management. Janice Boring teaches some of the classes.

Habitat for Humanity’s mission statement is that they are building houses, building communities and building hope. Habitat works in partnership with God and people from all walks of life to develop communities with people in need so every person can experience God’s love and can live and grow into all that God intends.