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November 2020

Melesse & Habtam’s Home Dedication

2020-11-20T17:46:04-06:00

Elyse Johnson | Author Allie Turck | Editor Published 11/20/2020 Photographers: Shae Allen John Lehman Donald Riedesel A celebration of hope and happiness. This is a Home Dedication, beyond the passing of the keys and the signing of papers. Our Habitat Homes represent the coming together of our community to give others a hand-up. Our homeowners work hard with us to help create their safe and affordable home. This past month, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Garland (HFHGG) was proud to have hosted a Home Dedication ceremony for our homeowners, Melesse and Habtam! Background Our Habitat homeowners, Melesse and Habtam, came to the United States from Ethiopia both to join their family in the states as well as escape political turmoil in their country. Melesse came to the States first to secure housing and

Melesse & Habtam’s Home Dedication2020-11-20T17:46:04-06:00

My Internship Reflection

2020-11-12T20:29:18-06:00

Elizabeth Lutz | Author Published 10/16/2020 Written 7/28/2020 My name is Elizabeth Lutz. I’m from Missouri and attend school in Illinois. Originally this summer, I planned to travel abroad to visit friends and family. Soon enough, my flights were cancelled and I was left with no summer plans. Knowing I’d be spending a lot of time at home, I looked online for ways to fill my time. I found an internship that did much more than that.  I began working for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Garland the day after my online classes ended. I dove into working 20 hours a week from the jump. My workload at first seemed daunting, but once I got a hang of the system, and finding pleasure and meaning in my work, I felt like time flew by. I’m still surprised now, as I write this

My Internship Reflection2020-11-12T20:29:18-06:00

Habitat Accessible Bathroom Remodels

2020-11-07T04:16:26-06:00

Allie Turck | Author Elyse Johnson | Editor Published 11/6/2020 Planning ADA Tips Conversion Options Grab Bars Shower Bar & Curtain ADA Vanity & Sink Toilet More than 80% of bathroom-related injuries are caused by slips and falls, mostly while getting in and out of the tub or shower. A majority of these falls lead to serious injuries and expensive hospital visits. Homes with the highest risk of these falls are most often in low income households that have been unable to renovate their home as they have aged. This leads to unsafe home environments especially as mobility becomes more difficult with age. Planning Our first steps when planning and designing a bathroom remodel is with questioning our homeowners based on Activities

Habitat Accessible Bathroom Remodels2020-11-07T04:16:26-06:00

October 2020

Meet Mrs. Simmons

2020-10-27T19:42:10-05:00

Allie Turck | Author Elyse Johnson | Editor Published 10/30/2020 Partner Contractors: All Pest Solutions Lone Star State Mitigation After the calamity of World War II, all around the country homes were built for the veterans returning home. Small, manufactured homes made simply and affordably. They were built specifically for those returning veterans and their families. One of those veteran families was Mr. Simmons, a WWII Army Systems Mechanic, and his wife Mrs. Simmons. They bought their home in 1953 for a total of $7,750 dollars, a staggeringly low price compared to today's housing market. Over the years, they were able to manage the upkeep of the house and raised their family in a happy, healthy home. Sadly, things have changed, Mrs. Simmons’ daughter recalls, “After my dad died and since my Mother has gotten a lot older she hasn’t been able to

Meet Mrs. Simmons2020-10-27T19:42:10-05:00

What Type of Flooring is Best for Your Home?

2020-10-24T01:55:39-05:00

Allie Turck | Author Elyse Johnson | Editor Published 10/23/2020 The flooring throughout your home can have a large effect on your lifestyle, especially for people with mobility limitations, The majority of serious fall injuries occur in people over 65, and many of our 65+ population have stayed in their same home for prolonged periods of time. Because of these long periods of time with homeowners who are unable to repair or replace damaged or inadequate flooring, many of their homes are full of fall hazards. According to the CDC, each year, 3 million older people are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries. Over 800,000 of those people are hospitalized. With that large number, around 75% of the costs are shouldered by Medicare and Medicaid, which in 2015 totaled more than $50 Billion Dollars. There are plenty of different types of flooring

What Type of Flooring is Best for Your Home?2020-10-24T01:55:39-05:00

Meet: Edrena

2020-10-16T17:46:44-05:00

Elizabeth Lutz | Author Elyse Johnson | Editor Published 10/16/2020 Partner Contractors: Roof Replacement provided by Swan Roofing LLC Backstory: Edrena is a Garland resident who suffers from Parkinson's disease and seizures. Due to this limitation, she is no longer able to work -- living month to month on very minimal disability checks. After paying all the necessary bills, Edrena has only around ten dollars to herself. This was not enough to put into savings for emergencies such as her roof. Edrena’s roof has been deteriorating for a few months, but because of financial restrictions, she was unable to do anything about it. A friend told her about Habitat for Humanity of Greater Garland (HFHGG), and she thought she may as well give it a shot and apply. She prayed about it, and thought that

Meet: Edrena2020-10-16T17:46:44-05:00

Meet: Brenda

2020-10-15T17:12:31-05:00

Elizabeth Lutz | Author Elyse Johnson| Editor Published 10/7/2020 Partner Contractors:Flooring installed by Mezquite InstallationsElectrical repairs provided by Rockwall ElectricOthers HFHGG installed laminate flooring where Brenda had only concrete before HVAC unit and ADA compliant walk-in tub installed in Brenda's home Before and After of Brenda's Living Room with installed laminate Backstory:Brenda worked full time as an office administrator until 2011, taking care of her mother and aunt in the evenings. After 20 years working, she was let go from her position. Shortly after, both her mother and aunt died within one year of each other. It only seemed to get worse, as her home began falling apart. She quickly fell into a deep depression and her physical health began to fail. Brenda had lived with health issues for decades (she was hit by a drunk driver in her

Meet: Brenda2020-10-15T17:12:31-05:00

July 2020

Meet: Mr. McClendon

2020-07-14T21:13:54-05:00

Veteran Background Mr. McClendon is a US Naval Veteran of the First Gulf War. He has lived in Richardson, Texas since he was 4 years old and only ever left to serve in the military. He has been in his current home for over 50 years! Mr. McClendon is both a Texas Veteran and a Veteran of Foreign War. In 1989 Mr. McClendon enlisted into the United States Navy and worked his way to become an Electronic Technician on the NATO Seasparrow Surface Missile, attaining a rank of FC2. During his service in the First Gulf War, he earned: the National Defense Service Medal, 2 Battle “E” Ribbons, the Good Conduct Award, a Sea Service Deployment with a bronze star, and a Southwest Asia Service Medal with a bronze star. Mr. McClendon served on the USS Ranger maintaining, operating, and repairing the Short Range Defensive Missile System.

Meet: Mr. McClendon2020-07-14T21:13:54-05:00

June 2020

Welcome to our blog!

2020-07-01T18:09:36-05:00

Welcome to our blog! We are Habitat for Humanity of Greater Garland (HFHGG). We serve in Garland, Sachse, and Rowlett, Texas. Our mission is to put God's love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. How do we do this? We build new homes, repair existing homes, and sell lightly used home and construction products within our community in order to serve those who need it the most. What is Habitat for Humanity? Since the nonprofit’s founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has been partnering with families and communities to build homes for those who could otherwise not afford it. In 1993, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Garland became one of the 1,400 affiliates worldwide that share in HFH’s common vision: a world where everyone has a safe, affordable, and decent place to live. In the last 26 years, HFHGG has worked

Welcome to our blog!2020-07-01T18:09:36-05:00
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