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| Jack Kemp, chairman of the More Than Houses campaign, measures drywall in an apartment unit rehabilitated by Habitat volunteers. |
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by Jack Kemp
I have long been inspired by the shared resolve of Habitat for Humanity volunteers, donors and staff in their effort to help low-income families secure the decent housing they so desperately need. The recently concluded More Than Houses campaign is an inspiring measure of that, and it was my privilege to serve as its chair.
The historic five-year fund-raising initiative consisted of a bold vision and three core goals:
- To build the next 100,000 Habitat homes by the end of 2005
- To bring the Habitat program to 100 countries
- To raise a minimum of $500 million for house building around the world.
I am pleased to report that More Than Houses met or exceeded these goals. Last August, Habitat volunteers built the 200,000th house in Knoxville, Tenn., and--thanks to generous support from individuals, corporations, churches and foundations--the campaign raised $593 million to intensify Habitat's drive to serve more families across the United States and throughout the world.
The campaign illustrates the extent to which Habitat partners come together for the sake of low-income families in need of better housing. It's important that we interpret the campaign and its conclusion as an opportunity to cultivate the partnerships Habitat has established with so many friends--and to expand those relationships in a renewed commitment to helping families attain the dream of decent housing and homeownership.
Habitat for Humanity is not a Band-Aid solution. It's not a temporary fix, a means of helping families get by until something more permanent comes along. Often homeowners talk of how, for the first time, they have something to pass along to their children, a legacy of permanence, a sense of place. Affordable homeownership changes lives and, not surprisingly, when donors and volunteers witness such a transformation, they feel themselves transformed, and therein find their reward.
As Habitat's message spreads, more donors recognize the need for adequate housing in our world. They understand that the dream of ownership applies not only to those families living within U.S. borders, but to any family in any location wishing for a decent place to sleep at night.
A prospective Habitat homeowner once said to me, "All I want is a piece of the rock." Well, that rock is the dream of ownership, the same dream my parents had, the same dream we all hold for our children and for their children. More Than Houses' success is measured by the dollars raised, to be sure, but perhaps even more importantly it's measured by the fulfillment of that dream, not just in America, but in 100 countries around the world.
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