LIVING WELL
Habitat For Humanity Greater Fresno Area
Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.
For over three and a half decades, Habitat for Humanity Greater Fresno Area has created impact-building, safe, decent, and affordable home ownership opportunities. Habitat for Humanity’s mission brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. The organization does not build houses for
families—they facilitate a partnership with families in need who demonstrate the ability to pay a mortgage and a willingness to partner in the construction of their home. These families are supported by a community of volunteers, donors, and staff who provide financial and in-kind support for construction supplies and materials during the building process. Since the inception of the organization’s Greater Fresno Area chapter in 1985, living conditions for over 1,000 local homeowners have been improved.
Now an international organization, Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 on a community farm in southern Georgia, called Koinonia Farm, as a Christian ministry seeking a world where everyone has a decent place to live. “It has since spread to reach all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide.” To date, the
non-profit has helped more than 35 million people improve their living conditions. Habitat’s homeowners invest hundreds of hours of “sweat equity,” their own physical labor, into building their houses. Once complete, they pay back an affordable loan.
Habitat Greater Fresno Area’s Interim CEO Ashley Hedemann understands the importance of staying true to the mission of being a builder of affordable homes, while evolving with the times. Through over three decades of continued service, “Habitat still builds new homes, but, in the last 5 years, has expanded to other exciting areas and exponentially helped many more families stay in their existing homes by adding a focus on rehabilitation and repairing crucially needed items in existing homes owned by families,” Hedemann explains. “Habitat’s mission of providing safe, decent, and affordable housing remains the primary focus but now includes doing so by both building new homes and preserving existing homes.”
Compared to its affiliates, Habitat Greater Fresno Area is unique in three ways, Hedemann shares. “1) While many affiliates have enjoyed building housing near readily available transit options with an abundance of high-paying jobs, Habitat Greater Fresno Area serves a community severely lacking in both. This has resulted in less government funding sources available for our area and has placed us in the unique position to depend more on corporate and personal donations. 2) Habitat Greater Fresno Area has become a leader amongst affiliates in the repair of existing homes to ensure families can safely stay where they are. 3) Habitat Greater Fresno Area has continued to build single-family homes preferred by local residents despite rising construction costs versus moving to high-density owner-occupied apartments more prevalent in other affiliates.”
Having skin, or sweat, in the game sets Habitat for Humanity’s approach apart from other charitable housing non-profits—hence the term “sweat equity.” “Habitat requires homebuyers and homeowners to put in sweat equity hours to help the community while working towards a new home or repairs on their existing house,” Hedemann elaborates, noting that Habitat’s method benefits more people than just homeowners and homebuyers.
“Habitat also relies on volunteers for much of the labor in our construction and retail programming and has become a premier source for providing valuable, on-the-job workforce education and training that has allowed local residents to gain valuable job skills and higher wage employment in the future while helping their community. In our community, where high-paying jobs are scarce, this is especially important,” she points out. “Likewise, our Habitat neighborhoods stay well-cared for long after others because of the individual investment each has made in their home and in their neighborhood prior to taking occupancy.”
Throughout the pandemic restrictions, Habitat has been able to continue partnering with the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission in an effort to provide firsthand work experience for those in construction trades. Yet that is not the only partnership which has strengthened due to the coronavirus crisis. “While the Central California Food Bank had always provided food for Habitat families who needed it via planned food delivery pickup days, Habitat and the Food Bank forged a new partnership to provide essential delivery service to residents not able to leave their homes due to the pandemic because the pickup days were no longer an option.”
Habitat Greater Fresno Area continues to address community needs resulting from coronavirus effects. For starters, shares Hedemann, “We saw an increased need for affordable housing as residents excitedly learned they could accept higher-paying jobs in other areas because more companies are allowing employees to telecommute. By doing this, they could live in a lower cost, yet larger house in Fresno and still access the higher pay scales.” Additionally, “As more residents contracted the coronavirus and food and essential items could no longer be distributed via scheduled pickup days, we quickly realized we needed to find a new way to ensure they receive their items safely. This is when we deepened our partnership with the Central California Food Bank and established an essential delivery service directly to homes.”
Habitat also offers a unique shopping experience, called ReStore, that gives back on multiple levels. ReStore’s location in Clovis, on Railroad Avenue, is owned and operated by Habitat for Humanity Greater Fresno Area and offers the local community an ever-changing inventory of new and gently used building materials sold at discount prices. “It is driven by corporate and community donations of new and gently used building supplies and furniture. The proceeds generated from the store help Habitat build and repair homes” for qualifying families in Fresno and Madera counties. Whether you are a contractor with a surplus of 2x4s or a budget-conscious DYI enthusiast, shopping at and donating to ReStore is a win-win. “Last year alone, it is estimated the ReStore kept 681 tons of waste out of landfills.”
In addition to shopping at ReStore, there are many opportunities to get involved, at Habitat for Humanity. “Volunteering time and talent at home construction sites or at rehabilitation projects, restocking or cashiering at the Habitat ReStore, working in the Habitat central office, serving in hospitality as a host or host of snacks at a Habitat event or project, or serving on a committee or the Board of Directors” are some of the options. “Being able to own your own home or have much-needed repairs done at your existing home within income qualification guidelines,” suggests Hedemann. “Donating cash or gently used or new construction items to the ReStore” is also greatly appreciated.
Anyone can support the work of Habitat for Humanity. “The best ways to reach Habitat,” Hedemann says, are by “a) calling the office at 559.237.4102, b) visiting the website www.habitatfresno.org and using the applicable direct contact link, c) sending an email that you’d like to volunteer to volunteers@habitatfresno.org, and d) if interested in volunteering or donating items to the ReStore or have questions about products to buy, call their dedicated information line, 559.237.4102.” For anyone in need of help, the same link applicable for calling the office or visiting the website will serve to initiate the process. Supporting Habitat for Humanity is an easy way to enable those in need in the Greater Fresno Area to live well.
Headquarters
4991 East McKinley Avenue, Suite 123
Fresno, CA 93727
559.237.4102
