July 2015 RV Care-A-Vanners Update
 

Featured news

Hello Fellow Care-A-Vanners,

July is the start of our new fiscal year and I thought I would take this opportunity to let you know what is on the docket for this coming year, besides the 290-plus builds that your Care-A-Vanner Desk team listed for fiscal year 2014-15.  Out of those builds, we had to cancel 60, primarily because we had no one signed up. But 2015-16 looks to be even busier.  

That brings me to our first initiative: recruiting more Care-A-Vanners.  I just completed a new Care-A-Vanner recruitment brochure explaining to RVers what our program is all about. It is a trifold colored pamphlet that is available in pdf format in my drop box or for shipping by contacting me.  We need everyone recruiting for us! I received an invitation to attend Winnebago's Grand National Rally this month in Forest City, Iowa.  Winnebago has kindly donated a booth and presentation time to us.  They expect about 1,500 rigs at the rally. Good thing Dave and I drive a Winnebago!     

We are training a new group of Master Safety Trainers in December and we need them!  Our current trainers are having a hard time keeping up with demand for training by affiliates. 

Dave and I did a site visit to a build in Marinette, Wisconsin, a few weeks ago and we were impressed with safety compliance on the jobsite. There was new scaffolding all set up correctly and the Care-A-Vanners on the roof all had fall protection on; good thing on a 6/12-pitch roof. Also, everyone was wearing his or her personal protective gear.  Most significantly, the Care-A-Vanners were bought into the new safety guidelines, thanks to Greg and Karen Harbage, who taught the Competent Person Safety training to the affiliate just prior to the build and the General Safety Awareness course to the Care-A-Vanners attending the build.

Our Decade of Dedication event to celebrate 10 years of service to the Gulf Coast since Katrina will be held Nov. 15-21. Signup for the event is currently open to all Disaster Rebuild Team Members.  As part of the event, we plan to train more Care-A-Vanners for the Disaster Rebuild Team. We will be taking applications beginning Aug. 1. I will send out an e-mail to everyone with directions on how to apply. Here is your chance to get on the Disaster Rebuild Team and get a really cool t-shirt!   

We are moving forward with our Americus, Georgia builds. The build teams will be refurbishing the Global Village Discovery Center, helping Americus facilities spruce up guest housing, spending a day of service at Koinonia Farms, the birthplace of Habitat for Humanity, and a day of community service in Americus. The builds will be posted soon and will be held in February and March 2016.  Sign up and enjoy a visit to this historic community. Your hosts will be Dave and Mary Vandeveld!

I would like to put together an intergenerational build. I tried to find some dates this winter, but everyone has different spring breaks. If you are interested in doing a build with your grandchildren or children next summer, let me know.  I think this is a unique opportunity to share with our families what RV Care-A-Vanning is all about!

My thanks to all of you for your hard work this year and a special thanks to your all-volunteer Care-A-Vanner Desk staff who make all these opportunities possible. I could not do this without them.

Keep up the good work, build safe and have a great summer!

Mary Vandeveld
RV Care-A-Vanner Program Manager
[email protected]
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trips In memoriam: Terry Weber

(Submitted by Diane Gravlee) 

Terry Weber, age 87, died in New Jersey on May 21, 2015. 

He was a World War II veteran and was married first to Elizabeth, by whom he had a son.  He then married Doris, by whom he had 10 children.  Before he retired, he owned a service printing and mailing company, a Christian bookstore and “Originals by Weber,” which marketed many of his inventions and his artwork online. 

He was adventurous, having flown gyrocopters and sailed both catamarans and iceboats.  At 70, he learned to hang glide and at 80, he took a hot-air balloon flight. He was devoted to church work and served both youth and prison ministry programs. 

After semi-retiring, he and Doris bought an RV and spent eight years as active members of Habitat for Humanity's Care-A-Vanner program and they participated in the 2003 Jimmy Carter Work Project in LaGrange, Georgia.  Anyone who remembers Terry will remember his strong faith and his joy in each day.  Our sympathy goes out to Doris. 

Announcements

Alice, Texas, 2016 builds:  Sign-up for the Alice builds will be on Monday, Aug. 24 at 11:30 a.m. EDT.  Sign-up is only online.  Be sure to have your login information handy. If you have trouble with your login, send Lu an email at [email protected].  That email will be time stamped, so we will know where you are on the sign-up list.  Both Lu and I will be available online that day for the sign-up. Remember, if you don't get on the Alice build this year, there are nearly 300 builds a year to choose from.     

RV CAV Promo Video:  We have updated the video and would ask if you have an old copy to delete it.  You can download a new copy from my drop box.  

RV Care-A-Vanner Travel with a Purpose Power Point Presentation:  If any of you are doing a presentation and would like a Power Point about Habitat for Humanity and the RV Care-A-Vanner Program, you can download the latest version of RV CAV: Travel with a Purpose from my drop box.  Be sure to let me know how your presentation went!   

Omaha, Nebraska has put in electrical hookups at their office and ReStore for Care-A-Vanners.  They welcome drop-ins whenever there is not a scheduled build. Thank you, Turner!

Amenities and costs on build listings:  We are often posting builds up to a year ahead of time. We do that to allow you time to plan ahead. As a result, we don't always know camping locations and costs. So I ask the affiliate to post the maximum it would cost, per night. I then update the posting as more information becomes available, so check back frequently on your listing to see if there are updates. Affiliates do their best to identify the work each build team will be doing, but plans can change for any number of reasons, including permit issues, funding, being ahead or behind schedule, etc.  I always tell the affiliates that Care-A-Vanners will do anything that they need done.  The lesson: Go to builds with open minds and an understanding that you may not be doing what is described on the build listing.  


Featured builds:

Sisters, Oregon has posted its first build in a number of years with us starting Aug. 30.  Let's have our West Coasters give Sisters a warm welcome back to our program!

GV15-0278 Wayland, Maine, Oct. 4:  This is a new affiliate for us and they are so excited about having Care-A-Vanners that they put in RV sites at the build site for us and camping is free!

GV15-0279 Nelsonville, Ohio, Oct. 4:  They had their first Care-A-Vanner Builds this spring and they want us back already!  Great job Crooksville build teams!

GV15-0245 Petersburg, West Virginia, July 26:  This is the Almost Heaven Habitat Affiliate.  With a name like that, we need to get them a build team!  Go to our build list and sign up today.

Port Townsend, Washington has put in two RV sites and has listed two-week builds through the summer.  Sign-up for these sites will only be through the Care-A-Vanner Desk.  Because these builds are so small, we will not be asking for team leaders, but we will ask someone to keep the hours.  These builds are listed under Chimacum, Washington, this year. 

August Builds: We have lots of builds in August that are not filled, some with no one signed up at all.  Please look at your calendars and see where you might be able to help!  Visit our build list today!


Hours and stories needed:

We need everyone to report their hours to the Care-A-Vanner desk. If you are on a build without a team leader, be sure that someone is assigned to keep track of the hours. If you are a drop-in, those hours count, as do ReStore volunteer hours. Affiliates do not report your hours to the desk. I need hours worked and number of houses worked on. This data is very important for grant applications and grant reporting. We also love to hear those "Why We Build" stories! It is the partner families that keep us motivated, so send your stories and your hours to [email protected]


Tithing connections

This month, we are excited to share additional information around the Global Mission Fund, building off of our May 2015 newsletter submission.

A quick reminder about the Global Mission Fund: U.S. affiliates can either designate their tithe to a specific Habitat National Organization abroad or they can send it to the Global Mission Fund. The Global Mission Fund is all sent internationally, where most needed, to fill gaps in funding, provide matching funds for government or corporate grants, or fund pilot programs. Two more “real world” examples of the positive impact of this fund are shared below.

Haiti
With the support of unrestricted funds, Habitat Haiti launched the multiyear Canaan project in 2014 to help more than 30,000 families upgrade their current homes, build safer new homes and implement community infrastructure and services.

Tajikistan
By leveraging unrestricted dollars and partnering with local financial providers, Habitat Tajikistan offers a housing finance product that gives families both access to construction and financial services. Since March 2011, more than 14,000 families in Tajikistan have been empowered to improve their housing condition.

If you have any questions about this fund, don't hesitate to reach out to me directly. Next month, we look forward to focusing on the Disaster Response Fund - a newish fund that affiliates can tithe to.

Katie Grover
Tithe specialist, Habitat for Humanity International
[email protected]


Windows to Washington - July

Upon this rock…

POP QUIZ:  What's the first thing you need to build a home? Money? Tools? Blueprints? Motivation? No, no, no and no. The first thing you need in order to build a home is a place to put it. You need land.

No matter where you live – whether a brick home, a log cabin, a high-rise apartment or even a tree house – your home connects back to land beneath it. Even in an RV, you have land under those wheels! Mary informs us that around 200,000 people in the United States live in RVs year-round, which translates to around 0.06% of the U.S. population.

Unfortunately, probably even fewer Americans are aware of something very serious underway in Washington, D.C. right now. But if you're reading this, you can be part of the solution. The problem is that Congress is threatening funding cuts so severely that it would mean the end of a program called the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, or “HOME” for short.

Since the early 1990s, Habitat for Humanity affiliates have used HOME funds to reach the communities with the most need; whether urban, suburban or rural, HOME exclusively funds work for the poorest families across the country, including veterans and persons with disabilities. In fact, a recent survey revealed that Habitat affiliates consider HOME among the most useful of all federal programs that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides. While HOME funds are restricted for use in serving families most in need of assistance, the funds can be spent on a variety of purposes, including: new construction, infrastructure improvements, repairs, and rehabilitation or reconstruction of owner-occupied housing. 

Many Habitat affiliates use HOME funds for land acquisition. Throughout California, for example, Habitat for Humanity uses HOME funds to acquire land and build public infrastructure to support production of additional affordable homes. HOME is particularly critical for that state because following the dissolution of redevelopment and elimination of state funds for affordable home production, HOME is the only remaining source of funds that California affiliates can use to acquire land.

The HOME program works by providing grants to state and local governments to support affordable housing. Those grants are then provided to organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, not only to cover land and other expenses, but to leverage the funds to raise even more money for housing work. As our Habitat friends in California explain, “We match each HOME dollar with $7 in private funding from corporations, faith groups and individuals to build our homes. In 2014, we built and renovated 110 homes in L.A. alone, making us the largest nonprofit residential developer, according to the L.A. Business Journal.”

HOME is unique, as the smart design of the program means that many of the affordable housing developments it supports would not be possible without HOME assistance. Overall, the HOME program has created more than 1.1 million affordable homes in the United States, including building new homes and repairing existing homes. HOME funds have also helped more than 283,000 families through tenant-based rental assistance. And if that's not exciting enough, every $1 million in HOME funds creates or preserves approximately 18 jobs.

Yet funding for HOME keeps eroding. Take a look at the fiscal year numbers: In FY11, $1.6 billion was allocated to HOME. In FY15, the program received only $900 million. The President's FY16 budget asked Congress to increase HOME funds to $1.06 billion. But in late June of this year, the Senate subcommittee reviewing spending levels recommended just $66 million to HOME, a whopping 93% cut to FY15's already record-low funding level. That's not a typo; as things stand, HOME would have 7% of its current budget.

In response to this move in the Senate, one worried California Habitat advocate shared, “A severe cut in this funding would essentially halt many of the projects in our pipeline, leaving families in overcrowded or substandard conditions far too long.”

At Habitat for Humanity, we know the value of housing for physical, emotional, mental and financial health, not only for our partner families but for entire communities as well. We also recognize the value of a proven program like HOME that sends federal dollars to local governments to put to smart use in providing affordable housing. Taking into account the federal budget as a whole, we are asking Congress to restore HOME funding to $1.2 billion. That's 33% more than FY15 in order to meet the growing affordability challenges that are facing our country.

Don't let Congress destroy HOME. Please join us in addressing this important issue. Use your voice today by sending a message to your federal lawmakers, and then encourage your friends and family to do the same. We need advocates like you to help Congress understand the importance of HOME.


Team leader corner

Hello team leaders,

A special thank you goes out to our wonderful June Team Leaders. They are Clint and Kathy Norrell; Jerry and Lori McHugh; Michael and Carol Vincent; Kenneth Krueger and Anne Christman; Stephen and Jan Scully; Scotty Bowman and Lynn Apo; Dennis Klein; Jim Colby and Jo Ann Safranek; Bob Gillespie; Pete Hays and Ed and Linda Cobb.

Remember, if you've been thinking about becoming a Team Leader but are not sure what's involved, contact me at [email protected] and I will send you the guidelines. Lack of construction experience is not a reason to pass on being a Team Leader.  Organization and people skills are what are important. So, don't forget to check the “Team Leader interest” box on your registration if you are willing to lead the build.   Better yet, on your next build, ask the Team Leaders about what is involved and ask to be mentored.

If you are unable to read the roster I send you, or if things appear to be on the wrong lines, chances are you have a Mac or iPad and Word documents do not format correctly. Just let me know and I will send them in PDF. Also, please remember to include the GV number or at least the date of your build when contacting the CAV Desk about a build.  It makes it so much easier to find the build you are referencing.

Team Leaders, please do whatever you can to encourage others to become team leaders. Let them know that it is not that difficult, and how important it is to share the load by taking turns.  I try to avoid going to the same people all the time but the pickings are slim. Take a moment during one of the devotions to talk about the joys of leading a team. Even if you, as Team Leaders, are comfortable taking the lead in construction, be sure to remind possible new Team Leaders that their primary role is communication and organization.

Also, on the topic of construction supervision, please remember that, no matter how extensive your construction experience may be, the affiliate construction supervisor always has the final say on all building techniques. While offering suggestions is fine, no Care-A-Vanner should ever find himself or herself arguing with the on-site construction supervisor about construction methods.
Finally, Team Leaders are needed for the following builds.  If you are available and willing, please contact me.

July 19 - August 2 Sheridan, Wyoming
August 16-30 Pagosa Springs, Colorado
August 16-30 Virginia, Minnesota
August 16-30 Bayfield, Colorado
August 16-30 Sheridan, Wyoming
August 30 – September 6 Sisters, Oregon

Thank you and happy hammering!

Brenda Sawyer
Team leader coordinator
[email protected]

Spread the word
Send your RV friends a Care-A-Vanner brochure about this wonderful mission by pasting this PDF into an email or just printing it out to give to fellow RVers in campgrounds.


 Safety corner

According to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), construction is one of the most hazardous industries. If an accident happens, the mindset of some is that, as bad as it is that someone got hurt, it doesn't affect others. What they don't consider is that accidents don't just affect people who are directly hurt. Indirectly, accidents affect everyone involved, in one way or another. Imagine this scenario:

A relatively minor accident happens on a work site. For at least a few moments, work on the job site stops to allow the injured to be attended to. This impairs the schedule and causes delay, meaning the entire job is being affected.

Now, let's assume the injury is a bit more significant.

Reports of the accident reach the public and Habitat's office is flooded with calls inquiring about the accident. Those calls tie up phone lines, interrupting everyone's work, delaying progress, and delaying our ability to correct the problem that caused the accident.

None of that, of course, is as important to us as the person who was injured, who likely will be in some amount of pain or discomfort, perhaps temporarily disabled to return to work, or even worse.

Let's consider family, friends and other volunteers.  Do any of the above possibilities affect them?  What about a spouse, parent, brother or sister?  Now, let's consider the team leader and/or site supervisor on the job. He or she is responsible for making sure the volunteers stay safe! After that, he or she must consider the work progress gets back on schedule, because delays affect the partner-family getting the house. And accidents can lead to potential volunteers not to get involved with us.

All of this is completely avoidable and is why Habitat takes safety programs seriously.  Safety programs are in place not only for you as an individual, but for everyone involved.
This safety article was brought to you by: Warriors4Safety.com.

Lisa Crawford
Master Safety Training program coordinator
[email protected]


trips Collegiate Challenge and Care-A-Vanners

There are no Collegiate Challenge builds listed yet for next winter as I write, but I'll keep you current in this column as they get posted.

I hope everyone is having a great summer visiting family, sightseeing, catching up at home, or building.  There are still summer builds that aren't full, so give them a look-see if your wander lust kicks in.  I read in Motor Home magazine this month about a study that found some 20% of human beings have a version of a gene known as DRD4-7R.  This gene is linked to restlessness and curiosity.  This probably explains a lot about my husband and me since we love to see new sights and find new adventures down the road and would rather be traveling in our motor home than living in our small stick built home we use as a travel base. 

Maybe that gene explains your RV travels as well.  And giving a purpose to those wanderings by helping with Habitat for Humanity projects just puts icing on the cake.  Safe travels this summer!

Diane Gravlee
Collegiate Challenge coordinator
[email protected]


Welcome new Care-A-Vanners

William and Deborah Brown, Stephen and Britt Densford, Sandy Freed, Gary Grossman and Patrice Gallagher, Will and Lisa Harrison, Charles and Sheryl Hearne, Anne Hinnendael, Tim and Cindy Jacobson, Steve and Janet Johnson, George Kepler, David and Charlotte Lesser, Dean and Barbara Musselman, Sandy and Bobbie Mustard, Trish Pope, Gordie & Ana Saum, Mark Segna.
Our apologies if we have included a seasoned Care-A-Vanner, or if this is a duplication. Habitat for Humanity is grateful for the work that you do!


Disaster Rebuild

Remember our mission in disaster response is to come in at the time of the rebuild efforts and to stay until the last house is replaced or repaired. A lot has to happen before rebuilds begin, including permitting, fundraising, FEMA grant application and awards, building capacity at the affiliate, family selection, etc. It is easy to remember the disaster that just happened, but where we need the help often is in the areas where a disaster happened two or three years ago. HFHI Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery, our partners, are also working with affiliates to do fortified building to reduce injuries and damage to homes when a disaster does strike. This includes building safe rooms in tornado areas, hip roofs in hurricane zones and using anchoring systems appropriate for the risk. If you are interested in learning more about fortification standards, please review IBHS Fortified for Safer Living Standards (PDF). Your knowledge can help our affiliates learn more about these new building practices.

  • Calgary, Alberta: The June 2013 flood in southern Alberta was devastating, affecting 55,000 square kilometers and forcing 120,000 families out of their homes. The town of High River was impacted the most, with all 13,000 residents ordered to evacuate resulting in the community largely being abandoned for a week as officials assessed the situation. The Calgary affiliate is now rebuilding and has asked for Care-A-Vanner help. This is new construction of a duplex for two flood families. Camping will be paid for by a grant from our friends in disaster response at HFHI. The build starts Aug. 16 and runs through Sept. 6. Let's give our friends to the north some support as so many Canadian Care-A-Vanners have helped us. Review the build listing and sign up!
  • Tuscaloosa, Alabama: Tuscaloosa is still building homes for people who lost their housing unit in the 2011 tornado. Yes, there are tornado victims who still have not gotten into homes. Our mission continues there as we stay until the last home is replaced. Tuscaloosa loves the Care-A-Vanners and has builds listed throughout the year. It is a very nice place to work.
  • Floods in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma: I know a lot of you have been watching the news of the epic flooding in the south-central U.S. Once the floodwaters subside, assessments will be done as to what the needs are and how our affiliates and their partner families have been affected. I hope to have an update on this area in next month's newsletter.

Questions, cancellations or concerns?
1-800-HABITAT, ext. 7534
1-229-410-7534 (direct)
[email protected]
RV Care-A-Vanner staff contact info

Current list of active builds
Builds list

How to register for a build online
Step-by-step instructions

Roster updates
Please email updated roster information to [email protected] or [email protected], or call 1-229-410-7534.

Report Care-A-Vanner hours
Help us keep track of total volunteer hours contributed, and partner families served. Please email these stats from your drop-in or ongoing builds to [email protected].



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