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Chapter spotlights
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Habitat Young Professionals of Omaha put on their best Band Build event yet by raising $6,500 on January 25. Band Build is a fundraising concert featuring local musicians who volunteer to perform. The planning for Band Build 2014 began months earlier by event chair Matt Guzallis who worked closely with the music venue, The Waiting Room, to secure band commitments, promote the event and acquire corporate sponsorships which contributed to more than half of the proceeds. The Omaha HYP chapter appeared on two network morning shows to promote the event and is setting their sights on the $10,000 mark for next year. |
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HYP of Trenton, N.J., hosted its first Valentine's Day chocolate tasting. Twenty members gathered at Monday Morning Flowers Co. in Princeton to sample a variety of chocolates and network. The owner of the store donated 10 percent of the proceeds from all sales to Trenton HYP as well as 20 percent of the proceeds from the sale of their signature puppy bouquets. Each attendee walked away with a bag donated by Monday Morning Flowers Co. and a very satisfied sweet tooth. |
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Habitat Young Professionals of Austin held “Build the Love” on February 10 at the popular Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill. Moonshine generously donated a tented patio space and wine, and Thirsty Planet Brewery contributed beer to the event. Build the Love had 65 attendees and netted more than $6000, including proceeds from a silent auction, ticket sales and a “Battle of the Sexes” challenge, as well as $4000 in sponsorships. Entertainment was provided by a local country duet The Rankin Twins. |
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HYPAC bios
Emily Fernald, director of family services at Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity
Emily is originally from Maine, but moved down the coast to complete her undergrad at Lesley University in Boston and her master’s in social work at the University of South Carolina. She has volunteered with Habitat since college and has attended and led alternative spring break trips to New York, South Carolina and New Orleans after Katrina. Emily is a Habitat AmeriCorps VISTA alumna and during her VISTA term founded the Columbia Habitat Young Professionals Chapter. She has remained the Habitat/CHYP liaison and, in 2013, was accepted onto HFHI's first ever National Habitat Young Professional Advisory Council.
Kristin Gasser, vice president
Kristin Gasser sits as the vice chair on the National Habitat Young Professionals Advisory Council. She launched the Habitat for Humanity of Dane County affiliate’s Young Professionals group in the fall of 2009 in Madison, Wis. The group has flourished in the past four years, hosting monthly social hour events, regular volunteer build days and raising critical funds through marquee annual events.
Kristin works for Rowland Reading Foundation, a nonprofit educational publisher in Madison. She plans and manages the logistics for numerous national events, conferences, company meetings and trainings. She handles the project planning and logistics from the invitation mailings to on-site event management.
Kristin began volunteering in high school, attended annual service trips in communities in the U.S. from Pittsburgh to New Mexico and internationally in El Salvador, Jamaica and Ghana. She enjoys traveling and spending time with family. She is also a long distance runner, completing numerous half-marathons and marathons. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan. |
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Upcoming events:
Since 1989, young people ages 16 to 25 have chosen Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge over a typical student break trip. This March 2-8, we’ll celebrate 25 years of serving communities. We will be holding the 25th anniversary of Collegiate Challenge in Winston Salem, N.C., with Forsyth County Habitat for Humanity.
Do you have stories or photos from Collegiate Challenge trips you’ve been on? If so, please send them to [email protected]. |
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Advisory Council
Three hundred congressional offices visited, 13 workshops, 60 pages in the program to spot check, around 1 mile between the hotel where the conference was held and Capitol Hill, and before the conference ended, nearly 11 inches of snow – these are some of the ways one can measure this year’s Habitat on the Hill legislative conference. But the most exciting numbers are two, 100 and 12. Two is the number of sessions we live streamed and you can still watch at www.habitat.org/LiveOnTheHill. One hundred is the number of people who attended Habitat on the Hill for their first time, including 12 youth delegates. Speaking on behalf of their fellow youth, Kristina Maguy of Stonehill College and Stephanie Dooper of University of Louisville recounted the excitement of meetings on Capitol Hill, including a hug from Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
Have questions or ideas? Contact [email protected]. Want to become an Advocacy Ambassador? Sign up by sending an email to [email protected]. |
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Habitat AmeriCorps Alumni Association
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Are you a Habitat Young Professional and an AmeriCorps alum? The AmeriCorps program has been a strong support to Habitat affiliates across the country since 1994. To date, more than 8,000 AmeriCorps alumni exist. Now those alums can take part in the Habitat AmeriCorps Alumni Association to reconnect to their service year, fellow AmeriCorps alums and once again volunteer as leaders for affordable housing. For more information, go to www.habitat.org/americorps/alums, and “like” the HAAA Facebook page to stay up to date with current events at https://www.facebook.com/HFHAmeriCorps |
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