Fundraising blitz to benefit Habitat for Humanity

ALLIANCE – $15 can do a lot of things. Maybe it’s admission for two to a movie, plus a soda. It might be a couple of value meals at a fast food restaurant, three if you’re lucky. It would probably get you a haircut, plus tip to the hairdresser.
Or, if everyone in Box Butte County put their $15 together, it could be an affordable home for a family that otherwise wouldn’t get to have one.

Habitat for Humanity of Box Butte County conducted a fundraising blitz this weekend to raise the remainder of the money needed to build its first home and start collecting funds for the next one.

During the week, dozens of Habitat volunteers dropped off letters and donation envelopes to households and businesses in Alliance and Hemingford. Then, on Saturday, volunteers manned four collection sites in Alliance and one in Hemingford from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. where people could bring their donations. Or, people could call a Habitat volunteer to come pick their donations up.
Whether the donation is for $15, $50 or even $1, every donation counts and is appreciated! Drop-off locations in Alliance are: Safeway, Kmart and Sandhills Family Center parking lots and Central Park. In Hemingford, the drop-off location is the Hemingford Ledger.

Also, donations can be mailed into POB 603 or deposited directly into Habitat for Humanity’s account at First National Bank in downtown Alliance.

On Sunday, various churches have been asked to take up collections for Habitat as well. Sunday was also the international day of prayer for Habitat, and the date for the official groundbreaking of Box Butte County’s first Habitat home at 16th and Buchfinck. The ceremony was at 3 p.m., and the public was encouraged to attend.

Habitat for Humanity International is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action.

The organization is founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a simple, decent, affordable place to live in dignity and safety.

That being said, Habitat does not give homes away. In order to make the homes affordable, each selected family buys their home with a no-interest loan and puts in 200 to 400 hours of sweat equity. Payments made by the families go back into Habitat’s fund to help build more homes.

Local Habitat board members estimate it will cost $65,000 to build the home in Alliance. So far, the organization has raised about half the money, and is counting on the blitz to help shrink that gap.

Board President Karen Brown said she hopes the community will respond to Habitat’s call for help.

“It's been two years since the idea of a Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Box Butte County was born,” she said. “Now we have a family to build with, a lot to build on, and the experts and volunteers to help with the work.  The only thing missing is enough money to buy the materials for this project. We hope that the entire community will become partners with us by donating a gift, large or small, this weekend.  If everyone would do that, we are confident that we will have enough to complete the house and have our first Habitat family settled into their new home by the end of the year.”

All donations are tax deductible and everyone who donates will receive a free cup of lemonade at the drop-off sites, and prizes will be given throughout the day.

More information on the organization is available on the web at www.habitatboxbutte.org.

There are 18 HFH affiliates in Nebraska, including those in Alliance, Scottsbluff and Ogallala.