Habitat's Life Lessons From High School Musical

In the words of High School Musical 2, 

"What time is it? 

Summertime. 

It's our vacation. 

Schools out, Scream and Shout!"  

The High School Musical franchise has taught us so many valuable life lessons through their lyrics, such as: we're all in this together, it's now or never, there's no second chance, and this moment is all we really have. High School Musical, you can "bet on it," your lyrics struck a cord with us. As you scream and shout about your vacation, decide that this summer will be, "the start of something new."  Make the most of your summer with Habitat. Even if you are jet-setting across the world, donate to Habitat for Humanity of Saline County online and earn frequent flyer miles!

Sharpay hit the nail on the head with her simple request of something fabulous and inspiring, and we can't find anything more inspiring than providing everyone with a decent affordable place to live. 

Our "head is in the game," as we kick summer off with the Arkansas REALTORS Build, June 4-8. Realtors throughout the state of Arkansas are flocking to Saline County for their "start of something new," their first annual Habitat for Humanity build through their Hearts and Homes foundation. 

"The Boys are back and here to save the world." Celebrate Superhero dad and participate in the "Build with Dad Day" in Partnership Village on June 8 (16 and up). If dad doesn't want the High School Musical trilogy DVD set, we have him covered for Father's Day gifts with his very own personalized hammer or donate a personalized hammer to the construction site. Help dad clean out the garage and donate all of his gently used tools to Habitat's Father's Day Tool Drive. 

Singing isn't Habitat's only artistic talent. Throughout the summer Habitat will be preparing for our Third Annual "Home is Where the HeArt is" art auction, and will be hosting painting with a purpose events. Painting with a Purpose for ages 5-12 will be June 12 at First United Methodist Church in Benton, AR. Painting with a Purpose for ages 18 and up will be July 25 at Dianne Robert's Studio in Benton, AR

Make the most of your summer with Habitat because after all, "we're all in this together." 

Women Build Playlist Has Been Built!

We have made the playlist of all playlist to celebrate the women across Saline County who are trading in their red high heels for work boots this Saturday, as they take part in Habitat for Humanity's National Women Build Work Day. 

10. Brick House by The Commodores - We might not be letting it all hang out, but we're mighty mighty on the construction site! 

9. Takin' Care of Business by Bachman Turner Overdrive - Habitat is all about taking care of business EVERY DAY. Every day, we are ending poverty housing in Saline County and world wide because everyone deserves a decent place to live! 

8. Happy Little Working Song by Amy Adams- Enchanted was one of our favorite movies, and we learned a valuable construction site rule from our favorite Princess: You can do a lot when you got such a happy little working tune to hum.

7.Independent Women by Destiny's Child - The women empowering anthem struck a cord with all the independent Women Build women. Who else could say: The house you live in, we built it!

6. This Girl is on Fire by Alicia Keys - We are on fire, and we've got our feet on the ground, but instead of burning it down, we're building it up.

5. Just a Girl by No Doubt - 'Cause we're just a girl, all pretty and petite, and it's no big surprise we're rocking work boots on our feet.

4. Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper- The phone might ring in the middle of the night, but don't you worry by the morning light, we'll be having fun on the construction site! We can't think of a better way to empower women and have fun!
3. Man! I Feel like a Woman by Shania Twain - The best thing about being a woman is the prerogative to have a little fun and ... Oh Oh Oh we might not go totally crazy on the construction site, but we know how to have fun!

2. Good Time by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen - Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh We don't even have to try it's always a good time!

1. This One's for the Girls  by Martina McBride - We're all the same inside, from one to 99. This one's for the girls, who've ever had a broken heart, who've wished upon a shooting star, you're beautiful the way you are, this one's for the girls, who love without holdin' back, who dream with everything they have, all around the world, this one's for the girls. Nothing is more beautiful than watching women empower other women. Join us for Women Build 2013!

Our Story: The American Dream

After 35 years of marriage Earl and Bernadine Walker are finally getting the opportunity to live the American Dream. Bernadine says that she would have never imagined in her wildest dreams that she would ever have the means or the ability to own her own home. Earl and Bernadine hail from Chicago, where the cost of living is astronomical, and owning a home was only possible for the upper-middle class. They have lived in Saline County for the past seven years, and learned about the Habitat Homeownership program through an add in the Saline County Courier.

Their journey through the Habitat program has been long and tiring; yet, Bernadine and Earl have captured the spirit of what Habitat for Humanity is all about. The Walkers are not only living their American Dream, they are helping their neighbors live the American Dream as well. Two of their current neighbors will continue to be their neighbors in Partnership Village, the Habitat neighborhood, because of Bernadine's zeal to spread the word about the Habitat program. Since entering the program, Bernadine has held informational application meetings at her current apartment complex. It has been an inspiration to see Bernadine so impassioned about the Habitat Homeownership program.

Their American Dream will be complete in early to mid summer, and they will finally end their journey at home on Glory Cove.

Women Build - Heels, Hammers, and Hair Curlers

I think it's safe to say that if Destiny's Child were still rocking the sound waves, they would send a shout out to Habitat's National Women Build program. How could they not with their Independent Women lyrics?- the house I live in, I built it  (Note: we used our creative license to make a lyric change, but we are pretty sure that if they couldn't buy it, they would have build it!) Despite the lyric change, their anthem has inspired us to grab a hammer, ditch our heels and hair curlers for work books and hardhats, and empower lady friends to take action against poverty housing.

Women Build, an initiative of Habitat for Humanity International, empowers women to be part of the solution to end the poverty housing crisis. Women Build nurtures, recruits, and trains women to build simple, decent, and affordable houses. Lowe's, whose goal is to never stops improving, made one of their greatest improvements by partnering with Women Build. (Well we think it was their greatest improvement.)  Lowe's how-to clinics have "put hammers in the hands of thousands of women" by teaching women basic construction skills. Join us and empower women to make a difference in Saline County.

• Join us for Construction 101 on Thursday, May 9, 6 pm at Lowe's Home Improvement, 2330 N Reynolds Rd, Bryant, AR.
• Join us at the Construction Site - Partnership Village on Saturday, May 11, 8 am for Women Build Workday.

In a sea of daisies be a hammer. Behind every great house stands a women and a hammer.

Don't Be Generic This Mother's Day

Dad is tired of getting ties, and Mom is tired of getting ... well ... let's face it, sometimes we drop the ball when it comes to mom. After all she does throughout the year, she deserves something special! Don't be generic this Mother's Day, skip the flowers, and celebrate the special women in your life this Mother's Day by giving a gift that builds hope for others and leaves a legacy in Saline County. Habitat for Humanity of Saline County would like to introduce Habitat for HumaniKeys. Personalize your HumaniKey, and give the special women in your life a gift that will touch not only their hearts, but the hearts of people across Saline County who are in need of a hand up.

All proceeds go will go to Youth United, a chapter of Habitat for Humanity that mobilizes youth. Our chapter educates youth and adults about housing issues, advocates for affordable housing, and fully funds and builds a Habitat for Humanity house every other year. To date Saline County's Youth United has built four homes. Help them as they help others by building their fifth home in 2014.


For more information please contact the Habitat office 501-315-5434 or visit our website www.habitatsalinecountyar.org. 
We will mail to any HumaniKey necklaces to any location. 
Gift options are listed below.

Act! Speak! Build!

On the heals of Collegiate Challenge, which we in Saline County affectionately coined Habitat's March Madness. Habitat's youth students in Youth United, a chapter of Habitat for Humanity that mobilizes youth, participated in Habitat for Humanity's Act! Speak! Build! Week. A week dedicated to advocating for decent, affordable housing by engaging elected officials and their community to eradicate poverty housing.

Bringing awareness to poverty housing was the theme of the week, Youth United students brought awareness to their local churches and schools about poverty housing in Saline County. The Mayor's Youth Council got involved in advocating and raising awareness by "stickering" the lunch room with Habitat for Humanity stickers and promoting the SleepOut. Throughout the week, Youth United students took to social media outlets to bring awareness and advocate to eliminate poverty housing. They tweeted elected officials statistics about local poverty issues, and tweeted US Congress members to sign on to Rep. Lewis' Colleague letter to advocate for foreign poverty issues. The students used Instagram and Facebook to promote events throughout the week.

The week kicked off with a Chick-fil-A Fundraiser Night. While we are still awaiting the monetary results from Chick-fil-A, the evening was triumphant because Youth United students were able to bring awareness to Saline County residents about local poverty housing issues as they served Chick-fil-A customers. Benton Middle School students participated in a Penny Wars contest, which raised $362.43, and donated all of the money to the Youth United 2014 Build. Act! Speak! Build! Week culminated with a SleepOut event, which took place on the Courthouse Lawn, a perfect setting in the middle of downtown Benton to raise awareness and advocate to eradicate poverty housing in Saline County. Local officials were invited to observe the SleepOut, which commenced with check presentation ceremony.
State Farm, a corporate sponsor for Habitat for Humanity youth programs donated $10,000 toward the 2014 Youth United Build. After the check presentation, the students began building houses out of cardboard boxes. The evening was filled with games, crafts, Zumba, and a drive-in movie on the Courthouse Lawn. Although the evening turned slightly chilly, the twenty-two students had fun and were able to truly grasp the reality of poverty housing conditions. The SleepOut ended with a Pancake Breakfast, which raised $520.00. As of right now, Youth United students were able to raise a total of $11,058.43; all proceeds will go to the 2014 Youth United Build.

March Madness

Habitat has survived March Madness, and no Louisville wasn't at the top of our bracket! Collegiate Challenge has culminated leaving Habitat and Saline County a little richer. Saline County welcomed four Collegiate Challenge groups throughout the month of March and broke ground on Habitat for Humanity of Saline County's 54th and 55th house. Round one went to Stonehill College from Massachusetts. Stonehill broke ground on house 54, which will be for an elderly couple. They also picked up trash on Market St. as a way to beautify the streets of Saline County, and they still found time to do a little Harlem Shake. The entertainment didn't stop with Stonehill; as Habitat welcomed Western Kentucky University and the University of New Hampshire, Little Rock's KSSN 96 caught wind of Collegiate Challenge and had to find out what it was all about. KSSN 96's morning show personality Bob Robbins broadcast live from Partnership Village to bring awareness about poverty housing in Saline County, as well as, commend Collegiate Challenge students who selflessly give up their Spring Break to spend an "Alternative Spring Break" with Habitat.
After the morning show, KSSN 96's crew stuck around to volunteer on the construction site. Not only did WKU and UNH broke ground on house 55, which will be for a single mom and her daughter, they also helped count cars at a local school zone intersections in hopes that a stop light could be installed at the busy cross walks. Finally, Habitat welcome St. Jude Catholic Church youth students from Louisiana, who regenerated the Habitat crew with their energetic personalities. St. Jude brought a little taste of Louisiana to Partnership Village as they prepared a much appreciated Jambalaya dinner for the residents of Partnership Village. St. Jude continued work on houses 54 and 55, and was able to completely weather proof house 54. Although the madness is over, we do miss our newly gained friends, and are incredibly thankful for their generous time. We look forward to Collegiate Challenge 2014!