Field Notes
With the addition of seven new affiliates in April and May, Habitat for Humanity International has 1,490 affiliates in the United States (including the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) and also is represented in 63 other countries. In addition, there are 552 campus chapters around the world.

Northeast Region

Paterson, N.J. - When 37-year-old Shelly McQueen applied for a Habitat house a few years ago, there were two things she never anticipated. The first was that she would doubt her ability to complete the required 500 sweat-equity hours on her house and would almost call it quits. The second was that television personalities Rosie O'Donnell, Martha Stewart and Sally Jessy Raphael would help her put the finishing touches on it. But in early May, Paterson HFH played host to "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" by lending McQueen's nearly completed Habitat house for the setting of a good-natured construction vs. decoration sparring match between the celebrities. McQueen, a single parent of two and a full-time employee at a Christian health care center, credits her co-workers and her employer's top management with helping her to transform a self-described "terrible attitude" to one of determination and gratitude. "God is in the midst of things," she says. "And I know my responsibility, because the Bible says, 'To whom much is given, much is required.' "
· Belle Haven, Va. - Talk about blue blood: In February, 58 otherwise clear-headed men and women braved 47-degree temperatures to plunge into the Chesapeake Bay's icy waters and raise money for Eastern Shore of Virginia HFH. In all, $6,700 was raised. · New campus chapter - South Kingstown High School, Wakefield, R.I.

Area 2
Asheville, N.C. - Asheville Area HFH undertakes a "first" for them this summer, as 17 congregations and faith communities join together to build a Habitat house. The faiths involved in the project include two Jewish synagogues, four Catholic churches, four Lutheran churches, the Asheville Friends Meeting, the Muslim Community, Bahai, First Christian Church, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Unitarian Universalist Church and Jubilee Community Church. The three-bedroom house will be completed by the end of September. · Sumter, S.C. - Sumter First Presbyterian Church has been a strong supporter of the work of Sumter HFH since the affiliate's inception in 1987. In fact, this spring, volunteers from the church finished building the eighth house sponsored by the church, and plan to begin another one in the fall. While homeowner families typically are presented with a Bible and house keys during dedication ceremonies, First Presbyterian Church does the tradition one better by inviting the family to church that morning, and presenting the family with a Bible from the church. · New affiliates - Alexander Co. HFH, Taylorsville, N.C.

Southeast Region

Birmingham, Ala. -For veteran Chris Wright, Memorial Day found him in his wheelchair at a Habitat construction site on the first day of a blitz build organized especially for him. This was no ordinary build, however. It was the first Habitat house in the nation built entirely by persons with disabilities and in partnership with a person with disabilities. Dubbed "The Ability House" project, the house was co-sponsored by Bell South and Ability Magazine, a national magazine for persons with disabilities. Special accommodations, transportation, lodging and meals were provided for the volunteers by local volunteers. Wright lost the use of his legs in 1991 due to the sudden onset of a spinal cord infection. · DeLand, Fla. -For the first time ever, 11-year-old West Volusia HFH in March built a new house start-to-finish in less than a week, thanks in large part to 30 Alfred University college students from Alfred, N.Y. Normally, the affiliate's house construction takes an average of three to four months to complete; West Volusia HFH has built 34 houses. This three-bedroom house was sponsored by the Farris Foundation of Lawrenceville, Ga. · Special area events - Greater Miami HFH in Miami, Fla., needs volunteers to work at its Jordan Commons site. For information, call (395) 670-2224; Flint River HFH, located in Albany, Ga., needs volunteers to help with its ongoing flood recovery work. For information, call (912) 446-8199.

Area 3
Denton, Texas - When Habitat volunteer Jean Austin was growing up - in the 1930s - she wanted to become an architect. Instead, life's reality found her teaching English. But when she retired in 1991, and finally had time to devote to "running around doing good," she chanced upon Denton HFH when her church - First United Methodist - partnered with Denton HFH to build a house. And then a second one. They will begin a third house soon. Today, at the age of 74, Austin has found her niche by not only working on site, but also by reviewing the affiliate's house-design plan to ensure it is environmentally oriented. "I think they get a little concerned when I'm on a ladder painting," says Austin, "but I enjoy it." · New affiliates - HFH of Columbia Co., Magnolia, Ark.; Utica Area HFH, Utica, Miss. · New campus chapters - Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas; St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas; Cameron University, Lawton, Okla.; Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas. · Special area events - Marion County HFH, located in Columbia, Miss., needs volunteers to help in the construction of its second house. For information, call (601) 736-0401.

Area 4
Glorieta, N.M. - Maria Varela and her two young daughters were two weeks away from moving into their three-bedroom Habitat straw bale house last Feb. 16, when it accidentally caught fire and burned in the middle of the night. The only thing left standing besides the slab foundation were the straw bale walls themselves. That's because the straw bales are sandwiched between interior and exterior plaster. Santa Fe HFH received so much community support to rebuild the house that reconstruction, which began at the end of April, took just two months - instead of the usual six - to complete. Varela and her children finally moved into the house in July. · New affiliates - HFH of Del Norte, Crescent City, Calif; HFH of Hobbs Area, Hobbs, N.M.; Florence HFH, Florence, Ore.; Grande Ronde Valley HFH, Lagrande, Ore.

Midwest Region

Michigan - Of the more than 250 Habitat houses projected to be built across the state this year, 180 of them were built in June and July during the "Jack Kemp Build." The former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and former HFHI board member helped pound nails in Detroit and Grand Rapids. Roughly 60 of the state's 82 affiliates participated in making the build a reality in their areas; 67 of the houses were pre-fabricated in Michigan prisons through HFH Michigan's prison program. · Milwaukee, Wis. - Milwaukee HFH is celebrating its 15th anniversary of building houses and building community in the Milwaukee area this year. Over the years, Milwaukee HFH has built or renovated houses in partnership with area churches, civic organizations and corporate sponsors. To mark their birthday milestone, Milwaukee HFH plans to build 15 new houses in the Midtown neighborhood during 1999. One of the many ways it raises funds is through an annual birdhouse auction and artfest. This year's event raised more than $42,000.


International Field Notes

Auckland, New Zealand - If you blinked, you might have missed this record-breaking build by Manukau HFH in Auckland on March 13. Though it was 14 months in the planning, the speed build of a four-bedroom house took just 3 hours, 44 minutes and 59 seconds. Some 140 volunteers were on site as the "Laserbilt" prefabricated walls went up and a crane lowered the wooden roof frame (built on adjacent land) onto the four walls. As volunteers applied the finishing touches to the house, a "postie" rode up on his bicycle and delivered the first letter to the Suafoa family's new mailbox: It was a congratulatory letter from the Governor General of New Zealand, Sir Michael Hardie Boys. Nashville HFH (Tenn., U.S.A.) held the previous record for a blitz build of 4 hours, 39 minutes and 8 seconds.

El Salvador - Three Salvadoran sites hosted some 250 volunteers from Canada, the United States, Northern Ireland and Guatemala during Holy Week last April. Dubbed "Rise Up and Build," the project raised 27 houses with families in need from Santa Ana, Suchitoto and San Vincente, and helped further reconciliation efforts in that country. "I think we saw a number of examples of reconciliation," says David Haley, former associate church relations director for HFHI, "first with the Protestant and Catholic groups working together, and second with the El Salvador military working with local people." Volunteers included 20 local churches, five major international church teams and two El Salvadoran military units.

Affiliate Countries - Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Bangladesh · Belize · Bolivia · Botswana · Brazil · Burundi Canada · Central African Republic · Colombia · Costa Rica · Democratic Republic of Congo · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Ethiopia · Fiji · Germany · Ghana · Great Britain · Guatemala · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Hungary · India · Indonesia · Jamaica · Japan · Kenya · Kyrgyzstan · Malawi · Malaysia · Mexico · Nepal · Netherlands · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Nigeria · Northern Ireland · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Poland · Portugal · Republic of Korea · Romania · Slovenia · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Tanzania · Thailand · Trinidad and Tobago · Uganda · United States, District of Columbia, Territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico · Zambia · Zimbabwe


Reprinted from Habitat World Magazine, August/September 1999.
This article may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
©1999 Habitat for Humanity International