Tuesday Mornings

Out of all the days of the week, I'd say that Tuesday could be considered the most crucial day. There's Super Tuesday, Black Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday, New Music Tuesday, and then there's the Tuesday Crew.

Bright and early every Tuesday, you can find a group of dedicated volunteers in Partnership Village. They faithfully arrive with hammers in hand ready to work as they fulfill Habitat's mission. We have affectionately coined these core volunteers as the Tuesday Crew. The Tuesday Crew coordinates tasks on the construction site and mentors new volunteers. During Saturday Build days and Build Weeks, they continue mentor new volunteers by giving them basic home construction skills that they can carry with them throughout life. They are more than mere volunteers they are the backbone of Partnership Village, and because of their diligence every Tuesday in Partnership village is considered Transformation Tuesday.

The Tuesday Crew is essential to Habitat's Mission of building simple, decent, affordable housing. If you are interested in joining the Tuesday Crew visit habitatsalinecountyar.org or call 501-315-5434.

No prior skills needed! The Tuesday Crew will mentor you!

It Starts with a Simple PB&J

During our Monday morning staff meeting, we discussed some of Habitat of Saline County's strengths and struggles. While there are "a-bazillion" strengths, we do have some struggles. One of our main struggle is finding new people to donate meals to the construction site. We want to make volunteering on the construction site as easy as possible; therefore, we just ask that volunteers simply show up! In return we provide volunteers with training, Habitat gear, and meals.

One of our staff members proclaimed that we need to show people that it all starts with a simple PB&J. We sat dumbfounded as she launched into her favorite story about her grandmother. Her mother came from a large Italian family of 13 that lived in a three bedroom house. They didn't have much money-by societies standards they were poor, and in fact, if Habitat for Humanity had been active, the family would have been prime candidates.
One hot summer afternoon, a man knocked on the door of the small rundown house and asked for a sandwich. The children were ready say they didn't have any extra food, when their mother intervened and went into the kitchen to make a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. She didn't stop at one, she sent the man home with an extra. When one of the older children asked her why she made another sandwich because he only asked for one, she simply replied that the man probably wasn't going home to an empty house and he probably had a family that was just as hungry as he was. She concluded by explaining that God had given them the means to spare an extra sandwich, and sometimes we are called to give more than what is asked of us.

While our volunteers might have the means to pack a lunch, we don't want breakfast and lunch to stand in the way of someone volunteering on the construction site. We feel if they are donating their time to build a house for their neighbor, the least we can do is feed our volunteers because after all they, too, are our neighbors.They might not be next door, but they are still our neighbors.

Please visit www.habitatsalinecountyar.org or call 501-315-5434 if you would like to donate meals to the construction site.

Merci, Gracias, Arigato, Grazie, Toda, Danke, Thank you

Sometimes a simple thank you just isn't enough to express our sincere gratitude. There is an array of emotions that run through each of us as we embark on a Build Week. We feel everything from anxiety to utter excitement, while our future homeowners feel profoundly grateful.
Arkansas REALTORS Build week will go down in the Habitat for Humanity of Saline County's record book. It was a seamless week full of love and hard work. We had approximately 65 realtors throughout the state of Arkansas volunteer 960 hours to build future homeowner Susan Myers' house.
Associate Director, Amy Bennett said that this build was one of the most successful builds she has seen. Myer's house progressed much further than expected, and that wouldn't have been possible without the enthusiasm and hard work exhibited from AR REALTORS.

From the bottom of our hearts,

Merci, Gracias, Arigato, Grazie, Toda, Danke, Thank you

Why Sale, When You Can build?

At Habitat we often ask the question, "Why rent, when you can own?" Our philosophical question has spawned the Arkansas REALTORS Association to ask their own philosophical question, "Why sale, when you can build?"

In late February the Arkansas REALTORS Association donated $20,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Saline County through their Hearts and Homes Foundation with the intention of participating in a full build. Tomorrow they will break ground on Susan Myers' house. The Kick Off Ceremony will take place in Partnership Village at 3:00 in the afternoon. Arkansas REALTORS and Susan would like to extend an invitation to you to join in the festivities.

Susan Myers is spunky vibrant women, and has been a joy to welcome into the Habitat family. She is a retired Weapons Technician for the Navy, and has had the opportunity to live around the world. Fortunately for us, she has recently moved to be closer to her family, and called Saline County home for the past four years. Susan is excited about owning her own home through the Habitat Homeownership Program and sees this opportunity as a blessing to serve others.