Habitat Readies For Special Summer Build

Habitat green hats and volunteers will come together for a one home build that is set to begin on Thursday, July 24.

Memphis Habitat will officially break ground on a new home at 4336 Range Line Road this Thursday, July 24. Volunteers are needed for all weekday build shifts. Lunch will be served between 12 and 1 p.m. Detailed build information is available here. For additional information or to sign up for the Summer Build, please contact Erica Gorman, volunteer and events coordinator, at 901.761.4771, ext. 217 or via email at egorman@memphishabitat.com.

- posted on July 22, 2008

Habitat Closes ReStore to Focus on Core Mission

Memphis Habitat's Board of Directors has voted to close the affiliate's ReStore effective Tuesday, July 15, 2008. Following the recent approval of a three-year strategic plan outlining Habitat's goal of building 90 homes by 2011, Habitat has chosen to more strictly focus on the organization's core mission.

"The ReStore was a great resource for Habitat and our customers for many years," said executive director Dwayne Spencer. "However, Memphis Habitat is in a period of tremendous growth, and we're anxious to direct all of our energy toward serving more families than ever before."

Citing decreasing donations, increasing fuel costs and continuing struggles with inadequate facilities, Spencer said the ReStore's performance level dropped dramatically below expectations during the last fiscal year, jeopardizing its viability as a significant fundraiser. The ReStore relies on donations from individuals and companies and is open to the public. It has served as one of Memphis Habitat's fundraising sources for the better part of the last decade.

"We are so thankful to everyone who shopped at and donated goods to the ReStore over the years," Spencer said. "It's been an important part of the life of Memphis Habitat, and I hope all of those who supported the ReStore will continue to be advocates for Habitat's mission to eliminate substandard housing and make homeownership possible for all Memphis-area families."

Spencer said he also hopes that ReStore donors will continue to support the concept of recycling and reusing by contributing their gently used merchandise to other worthwhile organizations such as MIFA, Goodwill and The Salvation Army.

To learn more about how you can support Habitat's mission, please contact Jeff Capps, director of community relations. He can be reached at 901.761.4771, ext. 215 or jcapps@memphishabitat.com.

- posted on July 3, 2008

Exotic Italian Car Show Raises Nearly $22,000 for Habitat!

David Wolford and son Taylor pose in front of their 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS, which was the winner of the 7th Annual Exotic Italian Show's Best Ferrari Class II (1950-1989).

The 7th Annual Exotic Italian Show, presented by Memphis Cars Italia and sponsored by Foreign Cars Italia, Ameriprise Financial and Oak River Fine Homes, took place on Sunday, June 15. The Show, which was held at the Memphis Botanic Garden, featured Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis and more, as well as non-Italian Porsches, Aston Martins and an array of elite vehicles from manufacturers around the world. Around 2,000 patrons attended the show, which raised almost $22,000 for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis. Special thanks to the 2008 sponsors Foreign Cars Italia, Ameriprise Financial, Memphis Cars Italia, Oak River Fine Homes, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Northwest Airlines, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Pepsi Americas, Golf Discount Superstore, Lewis Bros. Bakeries/Bunny Bread, Frito-Lay, Weber, The Memphis Flyer and FM 100 as well as the car owners, volunteers and patrons who made the 2008 Show the most successful one yet!

- posted on June 18, 2008

The Exotic Italian Car Show Will Zoom into Memphis June 15th!

Come see an amazing collection of Italian exotics and other mouth-watering sports and European exotic cars at the Exotic Italian Car Show at Memphis Botanic Garden Sunday, June 15, 2008 from noon to 5 p.m. From state-of-the art modern-day Ferraris to some of the rarest vintage Italian cars, this exotic car show will not disappoint! The cars’ owners will even start up the cars’ engines several times during the show so you can hear the “marvelous music” of Italian horsepower from V12, V10, V8, V6, flat 12 and turbocharged, high-powered engines.

A sampling of new and vintage Italian cars expected to participate in the Exotic Italian Car Show include Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Alfa Romeos, Fiats, Maseratis and more, as well as non-Italian Porsches, Aston Martins and an array of elite vehicles from manufacturers around the world. One of the fastest production cars in the world, the 200+ mph Ultima GTR, will be present.

This special Fathers Day event benefits Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis. Enjoy fun promotions, food vendors, refreshments and activities throughout the day, including face painting, balloons and crafts for the kids. There will be free hot dogs, chips and ice cream available while supplies last.

For a little well-deserved inspiration, spend an afternoon with some gorgeous Italian beauties – marvelously crafted sports and exotic cars – at the Exotic Italian Car Show at Memphis Botanic Garden in Audubon Park Sunday, June 15, 2008 from noon to 5 p.m. Admission to the Car Show is $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 2-10). The Exotic Italian Car Show – benefiting Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis – is organized and presented by Memphis Cars Italia and sponsored by Foreign Cars Italia, Ameriprise Financial, Oak River Fine Homes, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Northwest Airlines, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Pepsi Americas, Golf Discount Superstore, Lewis Bros. Bakeries/Bunny Bread, Frito-Lay, Weber, The Memphis Flyer and FM 100.

For more information, call 901-761-4771 or go to the Memphis Cars Italia web site: www.mcicars.com, which also features photos from last year’s Exotic Italian Car Show. The Memphis Botanic Garden is located at 750 Cherry Road in Audubon Park, Memphis, Tennessee.

- posted on May 21, 2008

Five New Partner Families Welcomed Home

E. Jimmie Holmes, Habitat construction site supervisor, addresses the dedication ceremony crowd before distributing Bibles, bookmarks and birdhouses to the three new Tully Street homeowners. The gifts were donated by Cub Scout Pack 452. Home Depot also donated tools for each of the new homeowners.

Habitat Executive Director Dwayne Spencer reads the Habitat covenant to new homeowners Lanette Coleman and Willie and Lizzie Bright during the Northaven home dedication ceremony on Saturday, May 10th.

Spring Build sponsors, volunteers, homeowners and staff gathered one final time on Saturday, May 10th for the Northaven and Tully Street dedication ceremonies. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis would like to extend a very special thanks to everyone who made the Spring 2008 Build such a tremendous success. For a complete list of sponsors, click here. To view pictures from the dedication ceremonies, please click here.

Home construction will resume in mid-September 2008. For more information about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, please contact Jeff Capps, director of community relations, at 901-761-4771, ext. 215 or at jcapps@memphishabitat.com.

- posted on May 13, 2008

Habitat To Dedicate Five New Homes This Saturday

Five homes will be dedicated this Saturday, May 10th, including 990 Tully Street, the new home of Catina Newsom and family. The home was built in partnership with Tennessee Valley Authority.

This weekend, five more deserving Memphis-area families truly will have a place to call “home” for the first time, as Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis celebrates the completion of three homes on Tully Street in north Memphis and two homes in the Northaven community.

Separate dedication ceremonies will be held at both of those locations. The Northaven dedication, at 5050 Chesterton Cove, will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Tully Street ceremony, at 990 Tully Street is scheduled for 3 p.m. The Tully Street dedication will be followed by a block party for the new homeowners, sponsors, volunteers and neighborhood friends. Snacks and drinks will be provided for all guests, and games and activities will be available for children. For directions to both dedication sites, click here.

The Habitat Spring 2008 Building Blitz started on Friday, March 14 and ended on Saturday, May 3. Spring home sponsors include include Accredo Health IT Department, Allenberg Cotton Company, Bolton High School, Cargill, Cordova High School, Craigmont High School, Cummins Inc., Cummins Mid-South, FedEx, First Assembly Christian School, Germantown Presbyterian Church, Germantown United Methodist Church, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Houston High School, Holy Rosary Catholic Church, International Paper, Medtronic, Philip Morris USA, Running Pony Productions, State Farm Insurance, St. Patrick Presbyterian Church, Tennessee Housing Development Agency, Tennessee Valley Authority, White Station High School and Wright Medical Technology.

For more information about this or other Habitat for Humanity initiatives, please contact Jeff Capps, director of community relations, at 497-7022 or jcapps@memphishabitat.com.

- posted on May 9, 2008

Habitat Prepares for May 10th Home Dedications

Volunteers paint the future home of Stephanie Austin on Saturday, April 12th.
Miss Austin's home will be completed this Saturday along with four other homes.

Habitat volunteers, sponsors, homeowners and staff will wrap up the eight-week Spring Building Blitz this Saturday, May 3rd. Volunteers from Cargill, Germantown United Methodist Church, International Paper, Medtronic, Tennessee Valley Authority and Youth United will be on-site doing much of the cleaning and landscaping for the five new homes.

The homes will be dedicated on Saturday, May 10th. The Chesterton Cove and Chesterton Drive home dedications will take place at 1 p.m. with a tour of the homes to follow. The homes on Tully Street will be dedicated at 3 p.m. Following the Tully Street dedication ceremony, all volunteers, sponsors, homeowners and friends are invited to attend a Habitat-sponsored neighborhood block party, which will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, please contact Crystel Hardin at 901-761-4771, ext. 210 or at chardin@memphishabitat.com. Please click here for directions to the Chesterton Drive and Tully Street homes. To view the Habitat Home Dedication flyer, please click here.

- posted on May 1, 2008

Youth United to Hold Interest Meeting on May 6th

Spring Youth Build volunteers take a break from their hard work on Saturday, April 12th. Youth United provided over 350 volunteers for the 2008 Youth Build.

Youth United will hold an interest meeting on Tuesday, May 6th from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. The meeting is open to youths aged 5 to 25, parents, teachers and youth leaders. We will discuss the basics of the program, leadership opportunities, fundraising and event ideas and the 2009 Youth Build.

For more information, please contact Crystel Hardin at 901-761-4771, ext. 210 or at chardin@memphishabitat.com.

-posted on May 1, 2008

Hilton Hotels Corporation Helps Habitat Hit a Home Run

Marilyn Hughes with Hilton Hotels Corporation presented a $5,000 check to Hilton's five nonprofit partners before the Memphis Redbirds game on April 15th. Jeff Capps, Habitat's director of community relations, and Stephanie Austin, a Spring 2008 homeowner sponsored by Hilton, accepted the check on behalf of Habitat. Hilton also presented the Memphis Redbirds Foundation with a check for $25,000 during the pregame festivities. Special thanks to Hilton and the Memphis Redbirds for making this fundraising game possible!

-posted on April 17, 2008

Act! Speak! Build! Week Speaker Empowers Youth

Youth from area high schools and colleges gathered during the Youth Build lunch break on April 5th to hear a speech given by Bobby McMahon, youth programs coordinator for Habitat International. Over 50 students volunteered during the first day of the 2008 Youth Build and joined Memphis Habitat's first-ever celebration of Act! Speak! Build! Week.

-posted April 8, 2008

2008 Youth Build to Kick Off During Act! Speak! Build! Week

Youth United is set to kick off its 2008 Youth Build this Saturday, April 5 at the Tully Street build site. To celebrate this important event and Act! Speak! Build! Week, Habitat International’s student-initiated week of advocacy, Youth United will be hosting a special lunchtime presentation. Bobby McMahon, Habitat International Youth Programs Coordinator and AmeriCorps member, will talk about the problem of worldwide poverty and homelessness and how everyone can help fight these issues. Following his presentation, Bobby will join the youth on their build site. If you’re interested in attending the lunchtime presentation, please contact Crystel Hardin at 761-4771, ext. 210.

Participating in the 2008 Youth Build are Bolton High School, Cordova High School, Craigmont High School, Germantown High School, First Assembly Christian School, Houston High School, Memphis University School, St. Mary’s Episcopal School, St. Patrick Presbyterian Church and White Station High School. Special thanks to everyone who made the 2008 Youth Build possible!

For more information about Youth United and the Youth Build, please contact Crystel Hardin at 901-761-4771, ext. 210 or at chardin@memphishabitat.com. In order for Youth United to build and fund an entire Habitat house, we need your school or youth group to get involved today!

-posted April 2, 2008

Hilton Hotels Corporation Partners with the Memphis Redbirds to Benefit Habitat

Hilton Hotels Corporation volunteers take a brief break from their work on 986 Tully Street to smile for a group picture. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis was selected as one of the Hilton Partnership Program’s 2008 nonprofit partners. Through this partnership, Hilton will be building with Habitat in spring and fall 2008. They will also provide support to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis’ Family Services Department.

Who doesn’t enjoy watching baseball on a perfect spring evening? Here’s your opportunity to catch a good game while supporting Habitat! Hilton Hotels is partnering with the Memphis Redbirds for their April 15th "Community Kick-Off" baseball game at AutoZone Park. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. If you buy your ticket through Hilton, $7 of your $10 ticket purchase will be donated to Hilton’s nonprofit partners, including Habitat. For ticket information, please contact Andrea at corporate.communications@hilton.com. Special thanks to Hilton Hotels Corporation for organizing this fun family event!

-posted April 2, 2008

Help Memphis Families This Weekend!

Habitat volunteers (left to right) Curt Wilson, George McGaha and Ron Risley displayed their tireless dedication Thursday, March 20 by working during the week to help get the sites ready for the upcoming build date this Saturday, March 29. Special thanks to all the volunteers who worked “overtime” to ensure the success of the Spring 2008 Build!

What are you doing this weekend? Do your plans include roofing, framing and siding? If you’re a spring build volunteer for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis, you might be doing all of these things this Saturday, March 29! You’ll join forces with volunteers from large corporations, church congregations and small businesses, as well as individuals, families and friends to hone your construction skills and help build homes for five Memphis-area families. In addition to learning new skills, you’ll get the opportunity to make friends and more importantly, impact the lives of families in need. If you already plan to volunteer your time this Saturday, we thank you for your generous support of Habitat’s spring build, and we look forward to seeing you at the site! If you have any questions about this weekend’s build, please contact Crystel Hardin at 901-761-4771, ext. 210 or at chardin@memphishabitat.com.

If you’re new to Habitat but interested in becoming a spring build volunteer or sponsor, please contact Jeff Capps at 901-761-4771, ext. 215 or at jcapps@memphishabitat.com. A background in home building (or home improvement) isn’t necessary – the only requirement is the strong desire to help your neighbors in need!

-posted March 25, 2008

Spring Build 2008 Begins Despite Rainy Weather

Volunteers from Tennessee Valley Authority and MLGW begin the framing work on 990 Tully Street under the direction of Green Hat Mark Guttensohn.

The rain started falling late Thursday and continued throughout the night, but the bad conditions didn't keep the volunteers, construction committee and staff from assembling at the Tully Street and Northaven build sites at 7 a.m. Friday morning. Thanks to great volunteer turnout, generous sponsorship, wonderful construction committee leadership and lots of hard work, much of the framing on all five houses had been completed by Friday evening, despite the mud and sometimes threatening weather. Unfortunately those conditions gave way to rain on Saturday morning, and work on the houses was postponed until Saturday, March 29. Thanks to everyone for making the first build weekend such a major success. We hope to see you again on March 29!

For volunteer and sponsorship information, please contact Jeff Capps at 901-761-4771, ext. 215 or at jcapps@memphishabitat.com.

-posted March 17, 2008

State Farm Insurance Awards Youth United with a $10,000 Grant

Thomas DuBose and Lisa Maples of State Farm Insurance present a $10,000 grant check to Dwayne Spencer and Wanda McNeil of Habitat for Humanity
of Greater Memphis.

State Farm Insurance pledged its support for area youths Monday by awarding Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis with a $10,000 matching grant. The money will help fund the 2008 Youth United program. The program, launched in Memphis in 2007, has raised over $20,000 and gathered 320 volunteers for the spring build. The youth build begins April 5 at 986 and 1043 Tully Street. For more information about Youth United and the youth build, please contact Crystel Hardin at chardin@memphishabitat.com.

-posted March 12, 2008

Habitat Kicks Off a Historic Year of Building Hope

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis Spring 2008 homeowners gather for a group picture during the Sponsor/Homeowner Reception at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. The Spring Build begins on Friday, March 14.

In just one week, Habitat for Humanity sponsors, volunteers, homeowners and staff will come together to begin the 2008 Build Season, the 25th in the history of our affiliate! Before the groundbreaking takes place and the exciting work begins, sponsors, homeowners, construction committee members and staff celebrated the important occasion with a reception held at Holy Rosary Catholic Church on March 4. The group mingled and dined on a variety of appetizers before Diane Franczyk, a Habitat board member, welcomed the group, and Jimmie Holmes, construction site supervisor, led the group in prayer. Following Diane and Jimmie at the podium was Jeff Capps, director of community relations. Jeff briefly explained build expectations before Michael Clark introduced each of the Habitat homeowners. The night came to a close with everyone reviewing the plans for the six new homes.

If you’re interested in getting involved in the Spring Build as a house sponsor, volunteer or lunch sponsor, please contact Jeff Capps at 901-761-4771, ext. 215 or at jcapps@memphishabitat.com. Many opportunities are still available. Join us to “Help Build It in 2008” and make our 25th year the most successful yet!

-Posted on March 7, 2008

HOME TEAM HUDDLE is a "Super" Success for Habitat!

Members of Germantown United Methodist Church's "Asbury Class" gather for their HOME TEAM HUDDLE party on February 3. The class raised $1,400 for Habitat! In all, there were more than 50 Huddles throughout the Memphis area, raising more than $18,000. Special thanks to our sponsors and all who participated!

-Posted on February 12, 2008

Habitat Supporters Set Aside Hard Hats for Football Helmets!

Huddle up with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis this Super Sunday! It's super easy! Help Habitat build safe, decent and affordable housing for local families in need, all the while cheering on your favorite NFL team on Sunday, February 3. Host a "party with a purpose" and raise donations to support Habitat during the halftime show. All party hosts and guests will be eligible for a grand prize--an NFL weekend getaway next season. For more information or to sign up to host a "huddle", contact Jeff Capps at 901-761-4771, ext. 215 or hometeam@memphishabitat.com.

-Posted on January 20, 2008