RV Care-A-Vanners Update
October 2011


Dear Care-A-Vanners,

RV Care-A-Vanners is growing. New Care-A-Vanners are signing up every month. Affiliates are having their first Care-A-Vanner build. Experienced Care-A-Vanners are stepping up to serve as team leaders. All of which means more and more families are able to benefit from a simple decent house. Thank you for helping to make this happen.

We also need to thank the staff at HFHI's Global Village department. While Tony and I and our assistants Joyce, Lu and Mary V are volunteers, working from wherever we are, we could not do what we do without the support of the our "home base" in Americus. They supply the laptop and air card I am using to compose this update and send it to you. They developed and maintain the online registration program and everything you see at www.habitat.org/rv. They print our brochures and paid our expenses to reach out to new affiliates at the National Affiliate Conference last spring. Most recently, they have given us our very own dedicated - Contribution Page. You can also find this link, as well as directions for donating by check, by clicking "Donate/Support" on the Care-A-Vanner web page � www.habitat.org/rv.

Donations to RV Care-A-Vanners directly support the Care-A-Vanner program. If you haven't contributed in a while, please consider making a donation. We just did.


In Partnership,



Mary (and Tony) Campbell

Need more information about online registration?
The RV Care-A-Vanner Yahoo e-group provides step-by-step instructions for first-time users, plus a place to post other Care-A-Vanner-related questions. To join, send an email with a blank subject line and body to [email protected]. For more details or to join this group, visit the group online.

Online registration do's and don'ts:

Do explore the build list, but don't click on "register" unless you want to sign up for that build. Unfortunately, you cannot obtain a user id and password separate from your first on-line sign-up.

Do remember your password; if your forget it, click on "forgot password" and follow the instructions. It works best if you copy and paste the computer generated password and then change it to one you will remember.

There is no process to "change" the email address which is your user id; you can only re-register as you did the first time. You can receive these email updates at multiple email addresses (click on "email list" at habitat.org/rv). But if your user-id email becomes invalid you must create a new user id and password and re-enter your contact information in conjunction with signing up for a build, Please let the desk know if you change email address so that they can update the files. You can subscribe to the Update here and unsubscribe on the bottom of the next Update.


Monthly Care-A-Vanner trivia: Do you know?
How many houses has Habitat built since its 1976 founding? (Answer at end of update)

Special building requests

Joplin, Missouri HFH & Tulsa HFH are partners in Launching 16-day Blitz Build 10 homes in tornado ravaged area.
There is an urgent need for House Leaders and Crew Leaders OCTOBER 27 � NOV. 15. Tulsa Habitat is overseeing the project. Wall raisings will begin 10-29-11 hopefully ending by 11-13-11 plus 2 additional days of achieving perfection. We will have 10 homes completed and ready to move in on 11-15-11. We would like leaders to arrive no later than Thursday 10/27/11. The dedication is scheduled for 11/19/11.

It is our goal to have a House Leader and Assistant on each home overseeing the work team. We will also need 2 Block leaders that will oversee 5 homes each. Please contact Jamie Cox via email [email protected] or by phone 918-592-4224 Ext. 205. Jamie Cox's assistant is Paula Blalock if Jamie is not available. You may also contact Bill Moriarty via email: [email protected] or by phone 954-304-0549 for more information.

HFH Almost Heaven Pendleton County, West Virginia is in urgent need of your assistance this fall. They currently have four homes that are in the completion stages that need to be finished in time for families to move in before the snow flies in the highlands of West Virginia. Their goal is to have all four families moved into their homes by Thanksgiving. Three of the homes are located in the township of Franklin, which lies along the South Branch of the Potomac River. The fourth home lies high in a mountain meadow above the North Fork Valley, which is the next valley over from Franklin. Two of the families are in situations that make it imperative that we get them into their homes as soon as possible. One of the families is currently living in a 1950's trailer without running water or plumbing and only a long extension cord from their parents' home for electricity. This family sold their wood stove earlier this year, thinking that they would be into their new home before cold weather set in.

The Cave Country Campground where you will stay at only $16 per night (discount by the week) is situated next to the river. The drive to the worksites will either be about 8 miles along the river or about 15 miles over Snowy Mountain Road. (Onsite parking may be available for smaller rigs.) All meals will be on-your-own. We request a commitment of at least one week. There is no fee to participate, but donations are encouraged and accepted. To make a reservation contact Kristi Miller at 304-358-7642 or [email protected] . Volunteer coordinators are Fred and Karen Laird 304-567-2685 [email protected].


Disaster relief volunteers needed in Tuscaloosa
Kristin Wright, Disaster Corps Specialist of HFHI in Atlanta is currently deploying Disaster Corps volunteers to Tuscaloosa to assist with their disaster recovery builds. There does not seem to be any affordable housing, which is proving to be a major deterrent. If you are interested and willing to dry camp, contact Bob Johnson at the Tuscaloosa affiliate at [email protected], or call 205-349-4620 for more information.

Tornado response
The devastation to affiliates, partner families and communities by the recent tornadoes in Alabama and other states is currently being assessed. When communities are ready to schedule builds, we will let you know through this newsletter.

Some of you may already be involved with first-responder organizations such as the Red Cross. If you learn of affiliates that might benefit from RV Care-A-Vanners at the appropriate time, please let us know.

Special Partnerships

Dow Chemical and HabitatDue Soon

October 21, 2011

Greetings. From Jonathan T.M. Reckford
CEO, Habitat for Humanity International

One of our consistent messages to the corporate community is that a partnership with Habitat for Humanity benefits both parties. I am asking you to demonstrate that fact to one of our most faithful partners.

Habitat and The Dow Chemical Co. are finalists in the Best Partnership Category in the 2011 Corporate Citizenship Awards presented by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its Business Civic Leadership Center. The winner of this award is determined by online public voting. Right now the voting is close, and the Dow-Habitat partnership is in second place. That's pretty good, but do we want to be number 2?

Please take a moment to help put us in the lead. You can cast your vote�one per e-mail address�until 11:59 p.m. EST Oct. 28. Please visit the Dow Voting Site and indicate your support for our partnership. Then spread the word to your friends, family and colleagues. Supporting Dow in this competition is one more way we can build louder.

Thank you very much for your help.
Blessings,

RV Care-A-Vanners and Millard Fuller Legacy BuildNEW!
Ten rigs of RV Care-A-Vanners partnered with the Fuller Center Legacy Build in Minden, Louisiana this month, which included eight new houses and seven rehabs. More work remains to be done. If interested, contact Charlie Park, 318-422-3473.

Upcoming builds
We add new builds whenever an affiliate schedules one. We try to update the build list on Fridays, so you can check over the weekend to see if any new builds have been added. Builds are now sorted by date when the list comes up. You can sort by state by visiting the link at the top of the list.


Team leaders corner
Wow, we are busy here at the RV Care-A-Vanner desk. We are adding new builds, new affiliates and new CAV like crazy, but that is creating a problem. I have more than 15 builds this winter without team leaders. The other day, I reviewed the affiliate welcome package Mary Campbell sends out to affiliates who want to host CAV builds. There are a lot of hoops we ask the affiliates to jump through before we will list their build. There is the matter of adequate parking for our rigs, constructions supervision, lunches, devotions, welcome dinners and most important, lots of materials and lots of work to do. In exchange for all that preparation we ask the affiliate to do, we promise them that we will provide a team leader for our CAV teams. It gives the affiliate one contact person to arrange for the build team's arrival. So please consider taking your turn at leading.

One issue we are still having at the desk is getting through your spam filters. E-mail is a vital way for us to communicate with all 5,000 of you in the field. When we call you, we have to use our personal cell phones (all Verizon), making e-mail more cost effective for us. Please allow the following e-mail addresses through your spam filters:

I want to thank our September team leaders. Thanks to Ken and Joy Fehrenz, Lynn and Linda Laymon, Ron and Jean Gratz, Ron Bathgate, Nancy Oliker, Dick and Linda Aide, Scott and Nancy Hoag, Ron and Judy Bell, Harry and Linda Drivas and Richard and Sharon Smith. Thank you for leading our teams in Habitat For Humanity's quest to end substandard, unsafe, unaffordable housing.

If you would like to volunteer to lead one of the many builds I need leaders on this fall and winter, please contact me at [email protected] or call me at 920-737-0507.

In Partnership,
Mary Vandeveld

Roster updates

Please make corrections by hand or bold on the latest roster and fax it to 1-229-410-7490, or scan and email it to [email protected]. For minor updates, leaders can report corrections by calling 229-410-7534 or emailing them to [email protected].


Welcome to our new Care-A-Vanners
Jim and Rosy Bartells, Terry and Sue Baughman, Mark and Sue Bryer, Bradley and Jacolyn Dadles, Paul and Ginger Doyle, Carol Fare and Vicki Brown, Donald and Karen Fehr, David Harper, Tom and Sandra Linkimer, Ed Lungren and Glory Lane, Dean and Kathryn Mendenhall, Brad and Kim Opfer, Gary and Beverly Peterson, Andy Robertson, Patrick and Julia Rowling, Doug and Nancy Schaefer, Ken Schedler and Sonya Holmquist, Laura Shaffer, Richard and Diane Timblin, Pam Tittle, Donald and Judy Vanderheyden, Mike and Carol Vincent, Dale and Janice Wald.

My apologies if I have included a seasoned Care-A-Vanner or if this is a duplication. Habitat for Humanity is grateful for the work that you do!

Care-A-Vanners nominated
Fellow Care-A-Vanners John and Joyce Williams are among five finalists for the Good Sam Club's RVer of the year. They have logged thousands of volunteer hours with NOMADS (Nomads on a Mission Active in Divine Service), SOWERS (Servants on Wheels Eveready) and the American Red Cross as well as with Habitat. Having been selected Michigan RVer of the year for 2011, they are now in the running for the national award.

Care-A-Vanners who are Good Sam Club members can help select the winner by voting online at www.GoodSamClub.com/vote through October 31. The winner will be announced in Highways Magazine in February 2012. Good luck, John and Joyce!

Congratulations on the Retirement of:
Ken & Joy Fehrenz for their years of volunteer building with the RV Care-A-Vanners and Habitat for Humanity. Thanks for more than 13 builds from 2001. Your continued effort is greatly appreciated by the many homeowners around the country from North Carolina to the Black Hills.


Report Care-A-Vanner hours
To help us keep track of total volunteer hours contributed, please report all hours served at drop-in or ongoing builds to the [email protected].


Donate your RV, trailer, car or boat and help Habitat build homes
Looking for new ways to give? Call Cars for Homes�, Habitat's vehicle donation program, toll-free at 1-877-277-4344 to donate cars, trucks, boats and RVs.


Contact us
For questions, cancellations and concerns, the most efficient way to reach us is by e-mailing [email protected]. You can also call 1-800-422-4828, Ext. 7534, or 1-229-410-7534 for assistance.

To help us find you in the database, please include your name (and your spouse's name, if applicable) and ZIP code in all communications.

Because we coordinate from the road, please allow 48 hours for a response. If you cannot reach Mary and need more immediate assistance, please call the Habitat for Humanity International Volunteer Mobilization desk at 1-800-422-4828, Ext. 7530, or 229-410-7530.

Registration, step by step instructions:
Beginning October 15, 2010, there is a new way to register for Care-A-Vanner builds.
Care-A-Vanners may simply choose a build from the build list and register for that build with four clicks of the mouse. The Care-A-Vanner Coordinator will respond by email to confirm assignment to the build.

The Build List contains much more detailed information about the build: project description, parking location, type of work, exact parking cost, and detailed hookup information, distance to job site and team leader's name, as well as the number of spaces available. If a build is full, you can still register online for the waitlist.

A user login and password is created the first time you register for a build. Clicking on "Create User ID" leads to a screen asking for your name and email address (your email address becomes your User ID). An email is immediately sent to that address (to make sure you are you). A link in this email enables you to create a password and security question, (be sure to remember these for future use) then returns you to the registration page for the build you have chosen. This is where you will provide your contact information and rig size/type (we all have to do this � one time only � for the new system, even long-time Care-A-Vanners). Before leaving this screen, experienced Care-A-Vanners can check a box to volunteer as team leader for the build.

There is also a link for the Emergency Contact Information and Waiver Form which you can type online and print out in advance of the build. Finally, you click on Register (or Register for Waitlist, if the build is full). To register for a second build takes only 4 mouse-clicks!

For future signups, just select "Build listing" from http://www.habitat.org/rv, log in and sign up for a build with four mouse-clicks. Your contact information will be pre-filled so you can verify it and make any necessary corrections.

Application versus Assignment. You will receive two emails for each build for which you register (only one if registering for the waitlist). Upon registering you will see on the screen "Application Received" and immediately receive an email stating the same (be sure to check your spam folder if you don't see it in your inbox - it will be from [email protected]). The RV Care-A-Vanner Coordinator must then review/update your contact information and actually assign you to the build. The second email (which you should receive within 48 hours) confirms this.

Waitlist. If a build is full, click on it as usual, then click on "Register for Waitlist." You will be contacted if there is a cancelation.

Ongoing Builds. The procedure for ongoing builds is unchanged. Use the contact information provided at http://www.habitat.org/rv/ongoing_builds.aspx to get in touch with the affiliate and make your own arrangements.

As always, the RV Care-A-Vanner Coordinator is available for questions or additional information at [email protected] or 1-800-422-4828 ext. 7534 or 229-410-7534 (direct). In addition a Yahoo e-group has been set up for sharing common questions and answers that may be beyond our knowledge (such as problems with specific browsers, unique situations, etc.) To join this e-group send an email with a blank subject and blank body to: [email protected] or go to http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/rv-care-a-vanners and click Join This Group.

Monthly Care-A-Vanner trivia answer: Do you know?
On October 3, 2011 � World Habitat Day � Habitat celebrated its 500,000th house in Maai Mahiu, Kenya and the 500,001st house in Patterson, NJ. See more here.




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