On February 7, Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County celebrated 35 years of serving families in Forsyth County and improving the place they call home.
Over the last few months, a 35th Anniversary Home has been under construction and is nearing completion and the dedication will be scheduled soon!
For information on attending the dedication, email habitat@habitatforsyth.org.
New program engages under-served youth through community-based education, enrichment, and mentoring programs
Program Features
Empowerment Classes
- business and dining etiquette
- leadership and going after your dreams. with Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough (pictured to the right)
- Conflict Resolution with Board President Rev. Kenneth Holly (pictured below)
Serving with Local Non-profits including the Second Harvest Food Bank
Enrichment Trips
- International Civil Rights Museum
- Wrightsville Beach and the UNC Wilmington Center for Marine Science
- Biltmore House
- College campuses
- Washington, D.C.
Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County has traditionally focused on helping adults. By the time they seek Habitat’s help, they may have already been through years of financial struggles and renting crowded, substandard housing.
This past November, Habitat Forsyth’s Training and Education department launched the Youth Empowerment Program(YEP!) for teens ages 12 to 17. George Redd, director of program services, developed the program for the youth of under-served families with the goal of introducing them to experiences and opportunities they might not otherwise have access to. “I honestly, believe that programs like this will help end the cycle of poverty,” he said. “If you show these kids things they have never seen before, if you expose them to different ways of life other than what they see every day, it gives them hope.”
Adding the YEP program is a chance to help youth go in a better direction, Redd said. “This seems like a strange thing to say, but our goal is to keep these kids from ever needing Habitat. We want to see them go on to further their education, get good jobs and qualify for a regular mortgage.”
The Youth Empowerment Program is possible thanks to a generous $50,000 grant from BB&T, now Truist.
See a video of the impact the YEP! program has had already, click here.
Homeowner brings change to the Bowen Park Neighborhood
Three years after moving into his Habitat home in the Bowen Park neighborhood, Herman Hooper (pictured to the left) has become a neighborhood activist. Thanks to his diligent requests to the city, crews recently installed curb and gutter on his street.
Since moving in, every heavy rainstorm would send massive amounts of water down the street. The flood swept through Herman’s front yard, ruining all his attempts to plant grass. The new curb and gutter now channels the water neatly down the street.
Herman is a familiar face in the community, building relationships with other Habitat homeowners and neighbors on the surrounding streets, some of whom have lived there for decades. Together, they are keeping a watchful eye on the neighborhood.
We need your help!
As this issue of the newsletter was going to print, cases of COVID-19 began emerging in Forsyth County. The impact of the situation has no doubt had an impact on everyone.
Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County is, and always has been, committed to:
- building quality homes for families
- keeping staff employed
- keeping families in their homes
In this environment, we have had to stop serving families: we are not accepting homeownership applications at this time, repairs that create a safer and more healthy environment for homeowners to age in place have ceased, and we have suspended our training program activities, including (YEP!). Most recently, we have had to close our ReStores and office to the public.
Currently there are 30 families working toward their dream of decent and affordable housing, 7 of which are scheduled to close before the end of our fiscal year (June 30). Because of COVID-19, we may not meet the needs of our families, but an unrestricted gift of any amount would help us continue to meet all of our commitments outlined above as the situation around COVID-19 hopefully improves over the next few weeks and months.
It will soon be easier to schedule a donation pick-up or make a donation online!
In June 2019, Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County introduced the 2022 Strategic Plan which includes goals around digital transformation and streamlining our processes.
Two programs are in the process of being implemented: Salsa, our new donor database, soon to also be our email marketing tool; and Resupply, the new ReStore donation scheduler and tracker, will provide an improved experience for ReStore donors requesting a pick-up as well as those dropping donations off at the designated donation areas at each store.
Both of these tools help to consolidate the number of programs used for different processes and will provide a more enjoyable and intuitive experience for you!
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a nonprofit home improvement store and donation center that sells new and gently used furniture, appliances, home accessories, building materials, and more at a fraction of the retail price.
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is proudly owned and operated by the local Forsyth County affiliate, proceeds are used to build homes, community, and hope locally and around the world.
The ReStores are now selling brand new appliances, furniture, and home décor!
**The Forsyth County ReStores are currently closed due to the situation around COVID-19. To receive a notification when the stores reopen, and donation drop-off, and pick-up services resume fill out the information request form here.**
