Category: Building homes

Washington DC, February 6, 2023— Habitat for Humanity of South Central MN (HFHSCMN) will join hundreds of local Habitat organizations and affordable housing advocates in-person this week for Habitat for Humanity’s annual legislative conference, Habitat on the Hill.

During the three-day, D.C.-based event, advocates will convene and meet with Congressional leaders to draw attention to and discuss actionable solutions to housing affordability challenges faced by rural, suburban, and urban communities across the nation. 

This year the conference is focused on themes highlighting advocacy for impact, with special emphasis on advancing Black homeownership and addressing the historic low supply of affordable homes.

HFHSCMN will meet with Brad Finstad, Tina Smith, and Amy Klobuchar to discuss federal solutions that will help increase access to affordable homeownership in every state including MN/South Central MN.

Sondra Herman, Executive Director of the HFHSCMN affiliate states, “Through our advocacy efforts, we’ve been successful in implementing the use of USDA Rural Development funds in the rural communities of our service area, but there is still more work to be done. We are calling on Congress to support the bipartisan Neighborhood Homes Investment Act and robust funding for vital housing and community development federal programs.”  “Through continued advocacy efforts, we hope to expand our programming locally to increase the positive impact on the communities and families we serve. Funds provided through the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, USDA Rural Development, and other federal programs can make a great impact on our ability to address the barriers to affordable housing that exist in our communities” says Herman.

Habitat Has Broken Ground for the 25^th Time in Collaboration with the High School
Carl & Verna Schmidt Foundation continue to support the Building Trades Class

St Peter, MN — Ground has been broken for the Habitat for Humanity and St Peter High School’s Building Trades Program as the new school year begins. Habitat for Humanity and the Building Trades class has been building homes to meet the community need for affordable housing for 25 years. The collaboration between Habitat and the Building Trades class allows for high schoolers to get hands on building experience and an opportunity to participate on a project that has a lifelong impact on a Habitat family and the community.

Each year, the Building Trades class offers 12-18 students a rigorous and relevant hands-on learning curriculum which helps meet the community need for affordable housing. Habitat provides the building materials and students build the home under the guidance of their teacher while they learn essential skills preparing them for occupations in the building trades.

Habitat is committed to continue to offer families in St Peter the option to attain homeownership affordably. Families with access to affordable homeownership offers them a hand up not a handout creating improved safety, child education attainment, and build generational wealth. The St Peter Building Trades teacher and students are a vital part of this mission. Generous financial partners including the Carl and Verna Schmidt Foundation continue to consistently support affordable housing in St Peter and the Building Trades class through this collaboration.

About Habitat: Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity South Central Minnesota has built 145 homes and 630 individuals in Blue Earth, Sibley, Watonwan, Le Sueur, and Nicollet counties. Through shelter, we empower. Interested in donating or volunteering to support the Mankato build? Visit habitatscmn.org.

Join us for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ruiz Family in Mankato!
August 10, 2022
3pm
160 Monks Ave, Mankato, MN 56001
Want to learn more about Habitat and how to volunteers? Visit habitatscmn.org

Habitat Fiftieth Groundbreaking is Good News for Affordable Homeownership in Mankato

Community members and neighbors are invited to the fiftieth Habitat for Humanity groundbreaking celebration!

Mankato, MN— A Mankato family of four mark an important milestone in the construction of their new home and the community is invited to join in the groundbreaking celebration on August 10, 2022, at 3pm at 160 Monks Ave.

The Ruiz family will be the fiftieth Habitat homeowner in Mankato. Habitat for Humanity is a hand up not a handout. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Homeownership offers many benefits for families, communities, and local economies and Habitat is excited to partner with the community of Mankato to build more affordable homes.

Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves.

About Habitat: Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity South Central Minnesota has built 145 homes and 630 individuals in Blue Earth, Sibley, Watonwan, Le Sueur, and Nicollet counties. Through shelter, we empower. Interested in donating or volunteering to support the Mankato build? Visit habitatscmn.org.

Join us for the groundbreaking ceremony for the LaVigne Family in New Prague!

📅 August 12, 2022
⏲️ 3pm
📍 505 2nd Ave NW, New Prague, MN 56071

Interested in volunteering in New Prague?

On Tuesday, Jan. 28th we had the honor of celebrating our final dedication of the 2019 build season. We are so excited for Kate, Nick, Wyatt, and Josie on this new chapter in their lives in a brand new home!

Work began on this home back in July, and we are very excited with how it turned out. Our dedication involved a short ceremony and meal, with plenty of socializing with the new homeowners and their family and friends. This was also the first time that the St. Peter High School students that helped on the home were able to attend, and it made it extra special having them there as well.

We’d like to thank everyone that contributed along the way to get this house built. Thank you to all of our wonderful and dedicated volunteers – many of them came on an almost daily basis to help us out. Thank you to all of our donors who contributed money or in-kind donations to help offset the upfront costs of the home. Thank you to Warren Peterson and the students at the high school for their great work. Thank you Pastor Andy from Union Presbyterian Church in St. Peter for his words during the dedication, Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Peter for contributing blankets for the kids, and Dana Lamb for the welcoming care package, and to everyone who brought food to share for the meal. And lastly, thank you to everyone who was able to take time out of their day to come celebrate with this wonderful family in the dedication of their new home.

Congratulations and God’s blessings on your new home!

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Tuesday, November 19th was an exciting evening at Habitat as we celebrated our 2nd dedication of the year with the Gallardo family! Kimberly, DeAndre, and Kylani are beyond thrilled to be moving into their new home on a beautiful lot in Le Sueur, and we are so happy for them!

The event centered around a short program, during which Kimberly shared her journey that led to this moment, and was followed by a delicious meal for all to share. The love that her family has for each other and the joy of this opportunity was extremely evident, and we know that they will love their new home for years to come.

We owe a big thank you to Pastor Andy Davis of United Presbyterian Church in St. Peter for his words during the program, our Construction Manager Mike Kroenke and the many volunteers who helped build a lovely home, Trinity Lutheran of St. Peter and Dana Lamb for the quilts and welcome bags, and to everyone who graciously helped provide food. And lastly we appreciate everyone who was able to come that evening to celebrate with this wonderful family.

God’s blessings on your new home!

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On Monday, November 11th, we had the privilege of holding our first home dedication of the season! Congratulations to Karin Kopischke and her children – Tyler, Eli, and Sabrina – on their new home in St. Peter!

We had a full house for the event, which included a short program celebrating the new homeowners, and a delicious meal afterwards. Karin is never one to hide her excitement, and it was a joy to see how happy she and her family are to be moving in to their own home. She shared with the group how long she has been waiting for this day and how much she enjoyed tracking the progress – starting with the initial building of the house by local students at the St. Peter High School up through the sweat equity that she and her family and friends put in and all the hours contributed by Habitat staff and volunteers.

A huge thank you to everyone who was able to attend, for all the great food that many people contributed, to the blankets donated by Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Peter, to Pastor Joy of Trinity Lutheran for her help with the dedication, to Warren Peterson and the St. Peter HS students for their work constructing the house, and to Habitat’s Construction Manager Mike Kroenke and Terry and Carol Endresen for their countless hours dedicated to completing construction.

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South Central Minnesota’s Habitat for Humanity was recently blessed to have a traveling Care-A-Van crew with us for about 2 weeks helping us build our homes in St. Peter and Le Sueur.

If you are unfamiliar, the Care-A-Van program is an effort coordinated through Habitat for Humanity International that matches traveling volunteers with Habitat affiliates all across the country in need of volunteer support. These volunteers venture to various affiliates while living in an RV, enjoying the benefits of RV living and volunteering at the same time.

This year’s crew at our South Central MN affiliate included one solo volunteer (Steve, joining us from Colorado for the 2nd year in a row), and two couples (Mike & Janet from Indiana and Doug & Chris who are living full time in their RV). They were a very hard-working and entertaining crew, and helped us make great progress on our current builds. Four of our prospective homeowners even had the opportunity to provide meals for the group. Below are a few pictures from their time with us.

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We thank our five Care-A-Vanners for all their hard work, generosity, and joyful energy that they brought to our organization for these two weeks, and wish them luck on their continued journeys!

If you would be interested in learning more about Habitat for Humanity’s Care-A-Van program, please follow this link.

Our first home dedication of the season was held this past Thursday in Nicollet at the home of Chris and Heather Hoffmann. It was a heart-warming event for the family of six, their friends, their relatives, and the staff of Habitat. Blessings and prayers were shared as were four quilts that were made by two churches–Christ the King in Mankato and Madelia Presbyterian Church–which were given to each of the four children. The donor of the land also presented Chris and Heather with a yummy cookbook and her best wishes for the family. The family is extremely appreciative and thrilled to be moving into their own home! Join us in wishing them the very best.