Growing up, Habitat for Humanity was one organization that always left an impression on me. Habitat is an organization that takes donations and hosts builds where everyday people can come to a site and help to build a home for those in need. I was first made aware of Habitat in highschool, where it was listed as a club that was accepting members. Two of my friends and I quickly hopped on board and joined. We fundraised a bit, and built later in the year, helping for the day in Mastic, Long Island. Ever since, I have advocated for the organization.
Habitat for Humanity’s mission is outlined as, “Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.” Growing up, the issues of homelessness and poverty in our world always resonated with me. Thus, when the opportunity to help presented itself, it was a no-brainer. For me, Habitat’s mission and overall goals are something that I align with. I think that a “world where everyone has a decent place to live”, and achieving that through “promoting dignity and hope”, as well focusing on “affordable housing and a transformative development” is without a doubt, a better world, (Habitat for Humanity). Building nice homes not only provides shelter, but can also improve an overall area. For example, the specific neighborhood where I built was not the nicest, but with the addition of a nice home, a difference can be made in its appearance and nature.
Also, having a first-hand experience with the organization definitely helps me to advocate for Habitat. Seeing just how much goes into a home allowed me to appreciate the work that goes into a build. It is a great way to come together for a great cause, and also learn new tricks. Throughout the visit, the Habitat builders/supervisors were great. They were very supportive, informative, and excited about their job, which made the experience that much better.
As stated, Habitat provides homes for those in need, and allows people to donate their time and efforts to achieve this goal. However, it is also important to note that Habitat also provides disaster response, and neighborhood revitalization. This allows for Habitat to be there when disaster strikes, and to partner with, “community leaders and organizations to best address real concerns and improve the lives of the people who live there”, (Habitat for Humanity). They also advocate for many differing issues that they feel can help achieve their goals to ensure that families have access to affordable homes for decades. Some topics they have touched on within the US include mortgage regulations and neighborhood zoning, (US advocacy for Housing).
Habitat for Humanity has a very impactful international presence as well. Just in 2019 they helped Nepal tremendously. In 2008, Haliya laborers were freed from the government, but had no way to acquire housing. With investment help from US Habitat affiliates, “Habitat Nepal is leveraging government funds of more than US$525,000, helping these families secure land tenure and building 165 new homes in the Kanchanpur district of western Nepal”, (Annual Report). I think accomplishments like this are important to note when deciding whether to donate or not. A ton of other success stories similar to this one can be found on their website. Habitat will be a worthwhile organization for students as they can donate in a variety of ways as seen on their website. Homelessness is an issue that too many people in today’s world face, and I believe that Habitat can help reduce this number in a variety of ways, as well as improve the overall nature of communities.
Nick Galanti
Great pitch! I have thought a lot about Habitat for Humanity's initiative to provide homes for those in need. What troubles me is that building homes for groups who cannot afford housing is sort of like putting a bandaid on a larger issue. According to the Government's Council of Economic Advisers summary document, 552,830 people were homeless in the United States at the beginning of 2018. Link: (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/The-State-of-Homelessness-in-America.pdf). On page 24 of this document there is a graph that reflects the number of beds provided by homeless assistance programs. When looking at permanent supportive housing, there were close to 400,000 beds made available to the homeless in 2018. Even so, 500,000 remained homeless. This makes me think that there are significant problems at the root of homelessness. Although charities like Habitat for Humanity can provide beds, or even homes to those who can't afford it, this doesn't solve the greater issue at hand. What makes people homeless in the first place? I don't mean to insult Habitat for Humanity- I think they are amazing. However, I wonder what might be a more effective way to spend that money to end homelessness. Unemployment, poverty, mental illness, substance abuse are just some of the many causes of homelessness. I am wondering if Habitat for Humanity directs their efforts to any of these areas?
ReplyDeleteThis was a fascinating read and pitch, Nick, thanks for sharing it! Since we went to the same high school, I was involved in the same club, although our times in the club did not intersect. Habitat For Humanity was one of the most active and empowering clubs our school offered and it was very interesting for me to hear you talk about the experiences you had with it. I was not aware of the other programs Habitat was doing around the world and it was nice to hear that they focus on issues beyond our chapter of it. Disaster relief and the revitalization of different areas is essential in dealing with the issue of homelessness. I can fully understand Lucia's point that this is putting a bandaid on a larger issue, however, I don't necessarily see it that way. I believe that the more individuals and families that we help, the more that they will help others in the same way. Building homes for these people truly changes their lives, and we should not discount the fact that they now have the chance to rebuild and support more people. I have recently been working on a project in my education class about homelessness in schools, and it is evident that when children are homeless, they are more likely to be bullied and that an lead to depression and anxiety (https://www.icphusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Bullying-Prevention-Month.jpg). The more homes that are built that can support children, the less likely this will happen. Habitat for Humanity's mission is noble, and I support that these homes should be built. They also bring a community together and that has infinite benefits as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this organization with us Nick! I feel like there is not enough emphasis put on homelessness in this country. Anti-homeless architecture is the worst because as if it is not bad enough that they have nowhere to go but they also cannot rest their weary heads on benches. It is dehumanizing and solves nothing but forcing them to operate out of the public eye. That is why Habitat for Humanity is a great organization! They fix the problem by building homes for not only homeless people, but for those who lost their homes in natural disasters. The impact they had on Nepal was really interesting and shows their outreach in different places around the globe. I am interested in the legal aspect of that as land tenure is a problem that indigenous peoples in American still struggle with, especially with being recognized by our government. It is important because owning things lends itself to self-worth. There is something self-assuring about ownership as it is connected to who we are as people and eventually gives us pride. Being lost without a home is especially excruciating and I am sure the work Habitat for Humanity is doing combats that loneliness. Through human connections we see ourselves in the people we help and hopefully once they regain their pride, they’ll find happiness in the end.
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