Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County

Habitat Named Beneficiary of the GHS Centennial Half Marathon & 5K

Staff — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:41:57 +0000

We’re happy to announce that Habitat Greenville has been named the beneficiary for the GHS Centennial Half Marathon & 5K. The money raised will benefit theGreenville Hospital System build.

They are seeking volunteers and of course, runners! Please spread the word and join in!

GHS Centennial Half Marathon & 5K – A Swamp Rabbit Race to Greenville
Gateway Park – Travelers Rest, SC
Saturday, March 10, 2012 @ 8:00 AM

Register here to run and walk. To volunteer sign up online or by phone. Call Alfred Olivetti at 843.338.1481 for more information.

The Half Marathon is a point-to-point race starting in Travelers Rest, SC and finishing downtown Greenville, SC. Flat and Fast Course for the 5k and Half Marathon – ran mostly on the Swamp Rabbit Trail (great for a Personal Record).

Inaugural Event – Presented by the Greenville Hospital System – This Event will Celebrate the GHS Centennial Anniversary of Servicing our Community – Standard Age Divisions for Awards – Finishers Medal for Half Marathon

Spinx Charity Classic: Selected Recipient

Staff — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:31:55 +0000

We’re happy to announce that Habitat Greenville has been selected as a beneficiary of the 2012 Spinx Charity Classic.

Full Press Release

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Spinx Company has announced American Red Cross Greenville Chapter, Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County, Julie ValentineCenter, Junior Achievement Upstate, Loaves & Fishes and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas as the beneficiaries of their 2012 Spinx Charity Classic presented by Corporate Benefits.

The Spinx Charity Classic will be held on May 1. The tournament will be hosted at two Greenville private golf courses, the Chanticleer and Riverside Courses. Tokick-off the tournament, there will be a private pairings party, held in Downtown Greenville, the night prior to the tournament.

“There are so many great nonprofit organizations in this area that it was a difficult selection process. These six organizations meet the Spinx mission which focuses on improving the health, education and well-being of children,” said Stewart Spinks, CEO of Spinx, in a press release. “We’re looking forward to partnering with each of them through the Spinx Charity Classic.”

The American Red Cross Greenville Chapter is a volunteer humanitarian organization that provides relief to local victims of disasters and emergencies. By providing affordable home ownership opportunities to qualified low-income Greenville residents, Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County aims to eliminate poverty housing. The Julie Valentine Center is focused on preventing sexual assault and child abuse through educational programs while providing healing and recovery services to victims.

Junior Achievement Upstate offers hands-on, experimental programs aimed at teaching young people the key concepts to achieve economic success. Greenville’s mobile food rescue organization, Loaves & Fishes, rescues perishable and prepared food and then delivers it to organizations in the area that feed the hungry. The Ronald McDonald House of the Carolinas helps critically ill and injured children and their families cope with the stress and expense of daily living.

Registration for the tournament is open to the public with individual and 4-person teams available for purchase at myspinx.com. Gift bags, food and beverages are provided to tournament participants. An awards ceremony follows play of the tournament with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners for each course.

Fall Family Introductions: The Heard Family

Staff — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 02:36:15 +0000

Originally from Laurens, SC, Nancy at the age of 11 relocated to Brooklyn, NY until the age of 23, when she decided to moved back home to Laurens. Nancy Heard is a single mother of two (Joshua 22 and Nakkia 19) and proud grandmother of 1. In 2008 Nancy moved her family from Laurens to Greenville. While working and raising her family, she attended Piedmont Technical College and earned an Associate’s Degree in Business. She continued to work in the clerical field up until her kidneys failed in 2001 and she was forced to go on disability. In 2003 she received the gift of life, a new kidney. This was truly a blessing and an opportunity to make sure she lived the best life she could as a way of being thankful and appreciative of what has been given to her. Nancy states that she would like to encourage other families like hers to never give up on their dreams and to continue believing that God may not provide all of your wants but He will provide all of your needs, Just Believe!

While living in Laurens she applied for a Habitat home and because of 2 other families having a greater need, she was turned down twice. She never gave up on Habitat or her dream of homeownership. Nancy moved her family around a bit and had to deal with a lot of landlords who didn’t really care about fixing things or exposing them to unhealthy conditions. Just knowing that her children will have the opportunity to have a home they can call their own is so special to her and her family. God has truly guided her steps.

Interior decorating and cooking are her hobbies so finally she will have walls she can paint, and a home that will become her new canvas. That special place in the home will be the kitchen; it will be the place her family gathers and spends time together over a meal. She is looking forward to sharing daily stories and making memories with her family. This room will be the heart of the home for them all.

Keep up with the progress of their house here.

GHS Has Talent!

Staff — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 02:06:10 +0000

We are very excited to announce that GHS Has Talent raised $13,788.24 to build a house for Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County in Spring of 2012. Thank you to Fred Cunningham, WSPA-TV News Channel 7, Myra Ruiz, WYFF News 4, and Sherwood Mobley, Greenville Symphony Orchestra, for judging the show!

Volunteer Corner – October 2011

Staff — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:00:37 +0000

Thank you to all of the many volunteers who have helped us give three Greenville families a homeownership opportunity like no other this fall! You have eagerly signed up and have filled all of our volunteer spots for this season; but we’ll have more opportunities this coming spring! Don’t forget that if you want to volunteer with your group, you’ll need to sign up or call me early in the season to ensure that you get the date you want, especially for a Saturday – those days fill up quickly! Don’t forget to check out the photos from our current and past builds in our Photo Gallery! Please also take a moment to send us feedback about your volunteer experience.

Thanks and blessings,

Karen Olson
Volunteer Coordinator
P 864-672-6345 | F 864-312-5009

Second ReStore Celebrates a Successful First Year

Staff — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:59:56 +0000

The Wade Hampton ReStore will celebrate its first year of being open on October 19^th. Habitat is extremely grateful to all who have donated and shopped at the ReStore this past year. It is because of our generous community members that we’re able to keep the doors open, items out of landfills and have the ability to create more affordable housing in Greenville County. Proceeds from the ReStores totally fund the construction of one house each year and partially fund a second house.

“It is beyond measure that the ReStores are funding more than one home,” said Tom Sawyer, Habitat Greenville Director of Resource Development. “We appreciate the public shopping at the ReStores.”

Stop by or visit our website for more information:
5201-A W. Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors OR 305 Rutherford Rd., Greenville
Hours: Tues.–Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Check our Website: www.greenvillerestore.org
Have a donation?
Call our Donation Hotline 864-298-0099

Fall Family Introductions: The Pollard Family

Staff — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:59:19 +0000

Carolyn Pollard was born in Manhattan, New York but at the tender age of 7 her parents along with her little sister relocated to Greenville, the birth place of her father. She attended Greenville County schools and graduated from Sterling High School, which was torn down several years ago. She has 3 children, 2 daughters and a son. Her youngest daughter became a Habitat homeowner several years ago. Carolyn had dreams of owning her own home one day, but did not know how she would be able to do it. The fact that this day is here is a blessing for her because her dream has been fulfilled.

For over 16 years, Carolyn has worked in the food industry. She started working at the age of 16 washing dishes for a restaurant. She worked her way up from dish washer to prep to finally short order cook. Twelve of these 16 years were spent working at Vince Perones a well-known restaurant in Greenville County that closed down when the owner passed away. Most recently she was employed with Sam’s Club as a Food Demonstrator. Carolyn is a member of Piedmont Manor Baptist Church where she serves on the Usher Board. She is very proud to be a member of The Nicholtown Community Choir and have the opportunity to sing with them as they open the Praise Fest at the Bi-lo Center this year.

Carolyn enjoys cooking and baking but she states that baking is her specialty. One of the things she looks forward to is decorating the entire house just the way she envisioned over the years. The yard will be extremely important because that is what others will see prior to entering the home. She has viewed books and magazines and pretty much knows what she wants. Carolyn said, ” I want my home to be the Model Home for the way Habitat Homes should look.”

Keep up with the progress of their house here.

Volunteer Corner – September 2011

Staff — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 01:41:02 +0000

Volunteers,

Thank you so much for all your hard work so far this season! We’ve had great turnouts and lots of groups are getting involved! We have just a few more spots available on the following days at Carolyn Pollard’s new home in the Brutontown community, near downtown Greenville. Sign up at www.habitatgreenville.org/register if you can make it!

Saturday, Sep 24 – siding and insulation

Friday, Oct 28 – interior trim and painting

Saturday, Nov 12 – landscaping

Saturday, Dec 3 – punch list and cleaning

We’re also looking for someone to serve at the Family Support Volunteer for Carolyn. You are simply there as a friend through this process – checking in once a week, taking her to dinner or lunch occasionally, and just being there to answer questions or support her when she gets frustrated (because all of our families do get frustrated at some point(s) in the process). Though it’s a wonderful opportunity for our families, owning your own home isn’t always easy, and we want to do everything we can to ensure that our families will be successful when they move in. So having this friend they can talk to, especially someone who is a homeowner, can be a very helpful thing as they complete the program, move in, and begin their journey into homeownership. Call or email me if you are interested in serving in this way!

Thanks and blessings,

Karen Olson
Volunteer Coordinator
P 864-672-6345 | F 864-312-5009

Fall Family Introductions: The Simpson Family

Staff — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 01:36:36 +0000

Originally from Greenville County, Rodney and Crystal met while working together at a local Wal-Mart back in 1992. They both received Associate Degrees from Greenville Tech and Crystal is currently working towards her Bachelor’s Degree in Business. Rodney and Crystal married in 1997 and to this union they welcomed a son and daughter. Their son attends Hughes Academy a Magnet School and their daughter is in Elementary School. Rodney is a 2^nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and is an instructor at the Greenville Tae Kwon Do Academy. His son shares in his enthusiasm of martial arts and has been involved for over 5 years and their daughter aspires to be a pianist. Crystal enjoys reading, exercising and meeting new people. The family is excited about having the opportunity to become homeowners again and hopes to be more successful this time. They now know the importance of being ready for homeownership. The preparation workshops Habitat offers has helped them to look at finances and money differently. And the children are just excited about having their own rooms and the freedom to decorate them the way they want, with their Mother’s approval of course.

When asked why they chose Habitat for Humanity for their homeownership experience they both agreed that it was because ofHabitat’s reputation in the community and the fact that they build quality affordable homes. Crystal loves flowers and working in the yard and watching her flowers grow will be enjoyable. They both are looking forward to sitting in their living room together with family and friends just enjoying the fellowship. The family attends Berean Baptist Church in Fountain Inn where they are active members of the congregation and look forward to inviting a few church members over for Sunday dinner.

Keep up with the progress of their house here.

Larkin’s Awards Habitat at Rhythm on the River

Staff — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 01:31:05 +0000

Earlier this year, Habitat was selected to participate in Larkin’s Rhythm on the River concert series. On September 8^th, Larkin’s announced that Habitat was their Big Give Challenge winner! Along with $1000 check, Larkin’s awarded Habitat with an all-expense paid event at their venue! Habitat is extremely fortunate to be the recipient of this award.