"The finest gift you can give anyone is encouragement. Yet, almost no one get the encouragement they need to grow to their full potential. If everyone received the encouragement they need to grow, the genius in most everyone would blossom and the world would produce abundance beyond our wildest dreams," -Sidney Madwed.
One of the organizations I have become involved with in recent years is the Scioto County Chapter of Habitat For Humanity. One of the goals of habitat is to help break the poverty cycle in our community for qualifying and deserving families.
This group of people have and will continue to do great things in this community, by helping people realize what some have called the American Dream. The dream of homeownership.
The group has constructed seven houses in Scioto County and are looking to possibly build another another house in the fall.
One of many things that impresses me about this organization is that it's not a hand out organization.
The families that are interested have to apply and submit a amount of paperwork to that habitat can look over each application to see if the family will meet habitat standards.
Once the families qualify and are accepted by habitat. They begin a partnership that will last a lifetime. The family support committee then helps guide the family through the construction process.
In order for a family to qualify they have to be willing to put in as many as 350 "sweat equity" (labor) into the construction of their home. This way the future homeowner is not only invested but also vested in their home.
One of the biggest misconceptions about habitat is that it gives away the homes it builds. That is not true. The reality is that habitat holds a mortgage on the home for as much as 30 years. The number of years and the monthly payments are based on what the family can afford based on income.
Habitat does not believe in pricing the houses to the families to the point were it put the families further down the poverty cycle. It's our goal to help break that cycle not contribute to it.
Poverty is a huge issue in this community and it will take organizations like Habitat to stand up against it, and work to a solution.
Does habitat have all the answers when it comes to the issue of poverty, no. Can Habitat come to the table to help find a solution to the answer yes.
There are many aspects to habitat and there are many many people that help and have helped make the organization what it is today.
For more information about the Scioto County Habitat For Humanity visit www.sciotohabitat.org.
