It Really Was Cold Out There…

When we agreed to host the Coldest Night of the Year event in North Vancouver, we felt that there was a significant possibility that “Coldest Night” would be a misnomer and potentially quite laughable. After all, who can forget the weather during the 2010 Olympics?!?

Mother Nature reminded us that she is in charge and delivered a blast of Arctic air and some (arguably) lovely white flakes on Saturday, February 25. It did little to deter our contingent of walkers and those signing up on the day of the event almost balanced out those who couldn’t make it due to the storm.

We were thrilled with the results for our inaugural year, as 125 walkers hit the streets and raised over $36,000 for the home we are building in the Baden Park project by Anthem on Mount Seymour Parkway.

Buoyed by the tremendous and early support of our Lead Sponsor Neptune Terminals, we set about making this a night to remember for those who joined us. The team at Neptune was ready to assist in every way and truly saved the day with their abundant supply of tents.

Coldest Night of the Year happened in 200+ North American cities this year, benefitting different charities who are serving those facing housing insecurity, hunger, and hurt. BC Housing sponsored 26 walks across the province with grants totaling $56,000 and we were fortunate to be one of the recipients, resulting in BC Housing becoming our Supporting Sponsor.

Anthem, Three Shores Development and TD Bank Group all joined as Rest Stop sponsors and provided a welcome spot to stop and have a donut (thank you Cream Pony), a coffee (thank you Starbucks), a hot chocolate (thank you Tim Horton’s), or a healthy piece of fruit (thank you Save On Foods)! We are so grateful to the teams at Anthem, Three Shores and TD for keeping our walkers safe, fueled, and hydrated.

Our Route & Community sponsors and other GIK donors also deserve a round of thanks. We sincerely appreciate the last minute save from Louis Gervais Fine Foods & Catering and Staples generously gifted our signage.

Despite the weather, we had a strong contingent of volunteers to help us with set up, run of event and tear down. We simply couldn’t have pulled it off without them and feel so fortunate to have many new and returning volunteers so passionately aligned with our cause. We LOVE our volunteers!

The vibe was bumping thanks to DJ FVDEZ who got the party started, but it wouldn’t have been a success without our intrepid walkers. All of them deserve a MASSIVE thanks for fundraising, donating, and just showing up to walk. Their presence speaks to the compassionate and caring communities on the North Shore and helped our team to bring a greater awareness to HFHGV’s work as we look to build more in this region.

With a 2km and a 5km walk on offer, there truly was something for everyone. It was great to see families with young children and strollers, young adults, and seniors too. There were fitness teams, intergenerational teams, business teams, municipal teams, and provincial teams.

Representatives from the City and District of North Vancouver came out to walk and made amazing contributions to our overall fundraising. In fact, the CNV Council Cruisers comprised of Councilors Angela Girard, Jessica McIlroy and Tony Valente slayed it, coming in as our #1 Team, raising $2,350! They were also #16 out of 56 municipal teams on the National Challenge Board. Way to go Councilors!

Valentina Swierczynski, RBC Branch Manager of the Dollarton Branch built a formidable team of 38 walkers. They brought energy and enthusiasm to spare and ranked #6 in our Fundraising Teams. They also ranked #14 out of 48 RBC teams on the National Challenge Board.

Huge kudos to our Top Individual Fundraiser, Chris Crighton from the Windsor Warriors – a team of bootcamp fitness friends. Chris is our only walker to have earned the golden button by raising more than $1,000. Not only does Chris have bragging rights, but coming in at $1,050, she has made a significant contribution to affordable housing in this community. Chris’ phenomenal fundraising was fueled by the fact that the cause is very close to her heart. “I feel this is so important, as homelessness and the challenges that come with it can happen to anybody. I know this from personal experience with someone who was very close to me. I am excited to make an even bigger difference next year,” she said.

Everyone seemed to appreciate the warm bowl of soup at the end and there were lots of requests for recipes. While I don’t know how Louis Gervais makes his amazing tomato bisque, I am happy to share a recipe (of sorts) for the Butternut Squash Ginger soup.

For a lot of people (divide as required)

Butternut Squash Ginger Soup

8 butternut squashes, halved and seeds cleaned out

16 or more sprigs rosemary

5 sweet potatoes sliced in ½” rounds

3 large white onions

1 large purple onion

2-3 heads of garlic

5 or 6 1” sections of ginger, not grated

1 tetra pack vegetable stock

Water as needed to help puree vegetables

Roast all vegetables in 375 degree oven until soft. Put squash flat side down on top of rosemary sprigs on parchment paper to roast.

After roasting, peel and blend /puree all vegetables using a combination of water and veggie stock to help with process. Heat in a large pot with coconut cream (4 cans), curry powder, nutmeg, salt, pepper, cinnamon.

All to taste…I have no idea of measurements, but you will do great!

I recently made a more modest pot (maybe 8 servings) and used 2 squash, 1 giant sweet potato, 1 onion., 1 can coconut cream. Happy cooking. J

Did you miss out on this year’s event or did you not hit your fundraising goal? Donations are gratefully accepted until MARCH 31. Go to www.cnoy.org/donate and select your walker/team to support or choose our official team, Habitat Hop Step and Jumpers – help us reach $40k!!! #EveryDollarCounts #HelpBuildHomes

Save the Date

We’re also pretty confident we’ll be back to do it again next year and would LOVE to see you February 24, 2024.

Have Any Photos to Share from CNOY 2023? Please send them our way to lduke@habitatgv.ca or share them with the team at www.cnoy.org

You may just see your image promoting next year’s event.

Sometimes you happen across a cool company and sometimes they find you. 

When Longboard Architectural Products came to our Mission site for a build day in October 2020, we knew that they were looking for a meaningful team experience and we aimed to deliver.  

Since then, Longboard, an Abbotsford-based company owned by Mike and Karen Heppell, has provided us with over 10,000 linear feet of fencing and privacy screen beams, 5,000 square feet of metal soffit materials, two build days and a very generous Christmas donation.  

That on its own is outstanding…but there’s more.  

In spring of 2022, one of our newly selected Mission partner families started looking for a job closer to what would be his new home. Ahmad applied as a forklift operator for the warehouse at Longboard, knowing only generally that they had volunteered at a build day with Habitat. 

Apparently, Ahmad nailed his interview. According to Cody Klassen, People and Culture Manager at Longboard, a colleague came to Cody immediately after meeting Ahmad and told Cody she had just had “the most incredible interview and thought Ahmad had a great story and a great background.” 

Ahmad got the job but was still unaware of the significant contribution Longboard had made to our housing community in Mission. At the time, staff at Habitat for Humanity weren’t aware Ahmad had even applied for a job at Longboard! 

In June 2022 we were about to host a key dedication ceremony in Mission for our 12 newest families. As a major partner, Longboard was invited to send representatives to help us welcome our families to their new homes. Habitat staff had just learned that Ahmad would be starting his new job a week after moving into his new home.  

For the ceremony, we ensured that Cody Klassen and Graeme Findlay from Longboard would be able to hand Ahmad, his wife Zuhal and their three children their keys and to escort them into their new home. But it was kept secret from Ahmad.  

It wasn’t until the Longboard team was announced at the ceremony that he realized he would be receiving his keys straight from his new employer.  

Four days later, Ahmad started at Longboard. He says it’s a great company to work with because of the care they show their employees. Cody and Graeme visit the plant regularly, asking employees about their needs and concerns. Ahmad had great fun at the 2022 holiday party filled with games, prizes, and amazing wood-fired pizza. He has learned a lot in his job and is optimistic about what is to come. From his perspective, it truly is a “people first” operation.    

Handing Ahmad his keys was a unique and meaningful experience for Cody. “When I handed Ahmad the keys, I could feel this hope and excitement in his family for what the future could now bring. It was a day that I will remember for a long time,” he said. 

Cody came to Longboard about a year after the build day in 2020 and said he wishes he had been there from the start. “To know the work our team had done and the materials we’d donated in some small way made it possible for these families to have a home was a really great feeling,” he said. 

“When you look at what’s happening to housing – rising costs, inflation, lack of stability and security, it’s really important work,” said Cody. “Working with Habitat provides the perfect intersection of the beliefs of our owners and what they can do to give back. It’s much more than just writing the cheque.” 

Jason De Vries, HFHGV Site Superintendent, said it has been a pleasure to work with the team at Longboard. He has run out of product a few of times but makes a call and new material arrives at the site within a couple of days. Longboard’s response time is stellar and “they are just great people to deal with,” said Jason.  

The quality of their extruded aluminum product is second-to-none. Several build groups and our regular volunteers have had the pleasure of working with the Longboard product. “It’s easy to install, is incredibly durable and looks fantastic,” said regular volunteer Audrey Sabiston.  

Audrey has led the charge on getting build groups to complete the privacy screens between homes and the fencing on the west and east sides of the complex. For corporate groups that helped out, it was a great way for them to see their impact after a day of building.   

Longboard’s CSR is strong and will become legendary. Over the lifespan of the homes in Mission, we expect that 150+ families will benefit from our safe and affordable housing community there, surrounded by the safety and beauty of Longboard’s fence materials.  

As if the donation of over $200,000 in material were not enough, in lieu of sending clients gift baskets this year, Longboard chose to use those funds for a community cause. HGHGV is immensely grateful to have been chosen as the recipient of this generous donation of $25,000 that will go towards our next build in Coquitlam. On so many fronts, Longboard is a true change maker – forever impacting the lives of our partner families through helping us build more affordably and sustainably, and forever impacting the life of Ahmad and his family through the provision of a job he loves and feels valued for.   

It sounds as though Ahmad has lived up to his awesome initial interview and has become “a valued addition to the Longboard Team.” Cody shared an example of this claim: “During our last big snowstorm, Ahmad braved the roads and made it to work. After working a full day and as staff were leaving, a few cards got stuck in the snow. Without hesitating, Ahmad was out pushing cars to help people get home safely. I think this speaks volumes about who he is as an individual and why he was so deserving of Habitat’s support.” 

Six months on, Ahmad, his wife Zuhal and their three children have settled in well to their new neighbourhood. The children love playing with all the other children in the new playground and Zuhal secured a job at the daycare less than a block away. They were excited to welcome family and friends to celebrate New Year’s with them in their new home – something they have never been able to do in the past.  

It hasn’t all been easy and 2022 was certainly full of challenges. Completing their service hours with Habitat required lots of careful planning, time management, and organizing care for the children. In the midst of moving, Ahmad was adjusting to his new role at Longboard and the children had their own adjustments to make to new schools in the fall. Zuhal also faced her own challenges as she started a new job. It’s an awful lot in a short span of six months, but Ahmad and his family are both hopeful and grateful.  

“Sometimes I think that all that has happened to me and my family is a miracle,” he said.  

Huge thanks to the Longboard team for being a part of this miracle.  

We were fortunate to join the Vancouver Regional Construction Association at their annual Christmas event with 1700 others from the industry to celebrate this year’s accomplishments. The VRCA has become an incredible community partner and, as an Associate Member, we were chosen as the charity of choice for the live auction. Bidding was fun and feverish for the four fabulous packages including the Whitecaps, Canucks, and Lions, along with a Helijet trip to Victoria for two that we contributed. The auction raised a generous $9,000 to go towards our upcoming build of 42 homes in Coquitlam. The VRCA and their staff have become an incredible Membership Partner, introducing our organization to over 750 of their wonderful members, as an Associate Member. This has included invites to their events, and an opportunity for Stephani Baker, VP of Construction and Mark Mahl, Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships to do a 45 minute presentation to those members.

Thank you so much VRCA for being an amazing partner, and Donna Grant, President, and her team for all of the great work!

One has been working there for 18 years. Another just started this September. None of them really knew about one another, but five of our partner families are now working for Little Willows Preschool at three different locations.  

Tabitha had been a stay-at-home mom when her relationship ended in 2019. She looked into Habitat for Humanity at the time, but realized she didn’t qualify for a home, as she wasn’t working. Her sons were attending Little Willows Preschool at Stave Falls Elementary, and she knew that’s where she wanted to work.  

She put herself through college to become an Early Childhood Educator. During her second practicum at Little Willows, an existing partner family, Tabatha S reignited Tabitha’s interest in applying for housing with Habitat. Ironically, on her graduation day, Tabitha had to be out of her rental property.  

It was a very stressful time, she recalled. She had to move but found that “No one wants someone with three boys,” she said. She found temporary housing, but knew she needed a more stable solution.  

Being hired at Little Willows straight from her practicum gave Tabitha the push she needed to reach out to Habitat Greater Vancouver. She knew they were accepting applications to fill the remaining 12 units at Cedar Valley Connector, and she very much wanted to be one of those families.  

Shelley was also a stay-at-home mom who suddenly found herself a single parent and in need of employment. One of the Little Willows directors is a family friend and gave Shelley a job as an RA (Responsible Adult). She worked hard to get her ECA and is now doing online schooling at night while working full time, to attain her full ECE designation. She has been with Little Willows for three years and her children are in their after-school care program. 

“It’s a wonderful job,” said Shelley.  “It’s creative too. I like being creative; thinking outside the box and teaching young kids important skills for life.” 

While Shelley and Tabitha knew one another in their work life, neither of them realized they were both in the Habitat family until they met at the Abbotsford ReStore for their service hours orientation in the spring of 2021.   

 Jaclyn is an ECE teacher at the Stave Falls location and worked with Tabitha’s boys. Neither one was aware they had applied to Habitat. Little did they know that one day they would be neighbours and their children would become best friends. 

At Habitat, there is a spin the wheel process for deciding who goes into what home, to make it fair for everyone. Lo and behold, the wheel was spun and resulted in Jaclyn and Tabitha being neighbours – not just in the sense that they were in the same community of homes, but the fact they were in townhouses right beside one another! 

Jaclyn has two boys of her own. She has worked for the Little Willows founder, Reaghan Gasparre, for 18 years and loves it. Jaclyn and Tabitha have since been working together in the toddler room with the 2-year-olds, and Tabitha was recently promoted to Supervisor of the Infant Program.   

Tabatha S, who encouraged Tabitha to apply, has been in her Habitat home since July 2021. Prior to moving, Tabatha was doing service hours at the Mission build site and noticed the Little Willows Preschool on the street corner next to the site. She was already working with a daycare in Surrey but was concerned the commute from Mission would be too long. She called Little Willows and secured a position at the Lougheed location, starting four days after she moved into her Mission home.  

A year and a half later, and Tabatha, a mother of three daughters, still loves everything about Little Willows. “I love the babies, I love the people I work with, and I love the Reggio Emilia philosophy they follow,” she said. “The program is play-based, children-led, and uses more natural materials and loose parts.”  

After moving with her husband and three children to their Habitat home in July 2022, Zuhal wanted to first get settled, and then look for a daycare to work at. While exploring their new neighbourhood, Zuhal also noticed the Little Willows Preschool just steps from her home. With her youngest daughter not yet school age, she wanted something that offered flexibility and an opportunity to be with her daughter.  

As an Early Childhood Assistant, Zuhal said to herself, “I wish I could work here. It’s so close to my home.” Following her successful application, she said her dream came true. She started September 2nd.  

At the time she applied, she said she was unaware that other partner families were working for Little Willows. “It was so surprising for me,” she said. 

It wasn’t until the small community of 19 families came together for a neighbourhood BBQ in September that all of the women realized that five of them were working for the same company.  

They know their situation is pretty unique.  

“We all have this connection because we work together doing the same thing, have had struggles and each story intertwines in different ways,” remarked Tabitha. “It’s a bond that I’m so thankful I can share with my neighbours.” 

Still fresh with the excitement of celebrating the 2022 Grade 4 Grand Prize Winner in Vancouver, we are overjoyed to be hearing from more and more teachers about their desire to participate in The Meaning of Home.

For 22 years, Sagen has been the lead sponsor of The Meaning of Home contest that invites Grades 4, 5, and 6 students from across Canada to submit a written poem or essay in English or French, explaining what home means to them. Sagen donates $10 for every submission to local Habitats and awards $30,000 for each Grand Prize winner from every grade and $10,000 for runners up from each grade to their local Habitat affiliate.

In a Burnaby park, under the warm October sun, we celebrated John W. Lam for his heartfelt composition, “My Home is Made with Love.” John was presented with a new iPad, Habitat Greater Vancouver was presented with $30,000 by Sagen representatives Anoop Sihra and Vivi Saddik and John’s classmates enjoyed a pizza party. We were joined by Bryan Tamayo from Home Trust, another sponsor, along with Jack Shaw and Shilo Darling, representatives from Habitat Canada.

John is homeschooled but has a class he attends once a week. His mother found out about the competition and encouraged John to write something.

“Writing my poem was hard at first, but it got more fun,” said John. “I read a book about a man living under a bridge and I also went to an art museum. Those ideas of home and images helped me get ideas too. I think home can be a place, people, or a feeling.”

This contest offers a unique and meaningful way to get children involved in creative writing and to learn about giving back in their community. In the last couple of years, it is interesting to see how the concept of home has taken on several new meanings as for many it became the workspace, the school, and everything in between.

While the 2023 contest officially opens January 9 for submissions, teachers can already download the education module for lesson plans available at www.meaningofhome.ca This site also highlights the important dates – contest closes February 24, with winners announced in May 2023 and allows teachers to register. You can find all the 2022 entries here.

In 2022, a record number of submissions to this contest raised $311,000 nationally for Habitat for Humanity. Over 13,000 students entered, beating last year’s record by more than 1,000 entries.

“We could not be more proud that this contest continues to grow year over year,” said Stuart Levings, President and CEO of Sagen. “Children across Canada are provided the unique opportunity to be a part of something so important on a national scale while helping their local community at the same time, all with a short poem or essay.”

Stephani Baker, Vice President Construction at Habitat for Humanity agrees. “It is heartwarming to witness the incredible engagement from the young people in our community who reflected openly on what home truly means. Their innocent and pure perspective is what we hope for all children in Greater Vancouver. Having John be chosen from amongst so many incredible entries is outstanding and the winning grant will help ensure that we are able to continue our mission to address the affordable housing shortage in our city.”

President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada, Julia Deans wholeheartedly supports this writing exercise. “Having a decent and affordable home is foundational to building a better life. I’m reminded of that when I read the words these young people have written about what home means to them. Words like safe, love, community, heart. and memories – that’s what home should mean to every child in Canada and that’s why we continue building and advocating for more affordable housing and homeownership.”

For John, his win was a pretty big deal. “I was surprised when I won,” he said. “I was happy too because $30,000 is a lot of money to buy more supplies to build more houses.”

As Habitat Greater Vancouver prepares to begin their largest build in Coquitlam, John couldn’t be more accurate.

When asked about entering the contest again, John admitted, “I'm not sure yet if I'll write another poem this year ... but every entry raises money to help even more, so maybe I will.”

Congratulations again, John! We hope all the teachers out there agree that it is a worthwhile cause with meaningful outcomes. Afterall, the opportunity for reflection and creativity is priceless – and has the power to change lives. Learn more at www.meaningofhome.ca or request teacher toolkits at reception@habitatgv.ca

When Amber Love found out she would be moving into a Habitat for Humanity home in Mission, she was overwhelmed with emotion.

“Amber was very keen, committed, and patient throughout the entire process,” said Lynne Stanger, Director of Family Services for Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver. “For her, finding a safe, bright, and secure stable home was exactly what she wanted to provide for her two boys. It is going to be a great new beginning for her family.”

Amber had already completed 25 hours of “sweat equity” prior to getting the call to say she had been accepted as a partner family. In order for us to assess a family’s commitment to our program, they must complete 25 service hours in one of our ReStores. Once accepted, they agree to completing another 500 hours.

Amber worked those first 25 hours in the Langley ReStore, dropping by to volunteer following shifts at work as a fitness trainer at the community centre. No stranger to hard work, she works six days per week with a couple of half days. On those shorter workdays, she put in five hours of volunteer time at the Langley ReStore and served more time on the weekend at the Abbotsford store. She also sacrificed some Saturdays of her paid work to volunteer at the ReStore, enabling her to power through her hours.

Amber says it seemed natural for her to serve her hours swiftly. She is highly organized and disciplined, sets goals, and achieves them. Homeownership has always been a dream, but with a single income, two young sons and skyrocketing prices in the Lower Mainland, she just needed a hand up.

Completing 500 hours may sound daunting, but this can be accomplished with some help and a little creativity.

In addition to shifts at our ReStores and on our build site, there are opportunities to volunteer at events, such as trade shows, and the BMO Marathon. Should a family require a babysitter while they are doing their volunteer hours, those hours also count toward their total hours. Family partners can also have their friends and family help with accumulating volunteer hours. Amber has a strong core of girlfriends in Mission who started a FB messaging group and eagerly completed over 150 friend hours on Amber’s behalf. As a single mom, she can receive up to 200 hours from her friends.

In September, some of the Mission families dedicated some of their hours to organizing a community BBQ. Given there were already seven families who had been living there for a year, it was a great opportunity to bring them all together. They created a FB group which continues to allow them to stay in touch and on top of local happenings. For the BBQ, some helped with organizing, some were on food prep and set up, one of the Dads is a photographer who captured the special moments, and Amber, also a former Early Childhood Educator, organized and ran the kids’ games.

Amber had 40 hours of sweat equity logged before even moving into her home!

Store Managers and our Build Site Supervisor are unanimous in saying that Amber’s work ethic is stellar. Senior ReStore Manager, Andrea Bachman says Amber is one of the best volunteers she has ever worked with. “She can literally do anything. From hanging mirrors, to building lights, to building furniture, and merchandising, she can do anything. And she’s fast.”

“She’s not afraid of hard work,” says Jason DeVries, the Site Supervisor in Mission. “It seems the heavier the work, the more enthusiastic she is. She’s done everything from moving dirt by wheelbarrow, to picking out rocks in the backyard and all the heavy lifting in between.”

In turn, Amber has a genuine love for connecting with others. “It’s been very positive, and I really like everyone I work with: Jason, Lynne, the volunteer crew on Thursdays and everyone at the ReStores,” says Amber. “It’s been a great experience.”

Through her volunteer hours, Amber was quick to point out that she has learned how to properly use a drill, follow instructions, assemble a variety of items and landscape. She is grateful for these and many more transferable skills.

Amber’s motivation was clear from the start. “For me it’s about building equity,” she says. She knew that as soon as she completed her 500 hours, she would start accumulating funds that will come back to her for a down payment on a home in the open market once she is ready to take that step.

She likes the partnership model that Habitat has established. “I think it’s a really good way to show your dedication; being proud of where you live, to appreciate and be grateful for this chance we’re given,” she says.

Driven, dedicated, and determined – Amber is a powerhouse. She completed her hours in record time. In just under four months, Amber reached her 500 hours while helping at our booth at the West Coast Women’s Show in October. Despite being finished, she continues to emulate the values of Habitat and has started offering fitness classes to the families in her complex.

Does she ever relax? Amber likes to take her sons, aged 9 and 11 camping and enjoyed a couple of excursions with them over the summer. She admits the transition of moving into a new community and changing schools was somewhat challenging, but her boys love the other kids in the complex and there “is a great sense of community”.

We’re confident Amber is going to continue putting in the sweat – she is a trainer after all, and we sincerely hope that happy tears and memories fill her days ahead.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver is grateful to the organizers of this year’s West Coast Women’s Show for inviting us to participate in their annual event at Tradex in Abbotsford on October 14-16. The “Ultimate Girls Day Out” event was an opportunity for us to showcase who we are, what we do and the impact we make in our communities every day.

When visitors stopped by our booth, they were greeted by a Habitat team of volunteers, staff and partner families. They learned about what donations we accept and what items we sell at our Restores. By showcasing how a door can be repurposed and used as wainscotting on a living-room wall, we demonstrated how easy it is to use old items in new ways and keep them out of the landfills. We were also excited to talk about our many volunteer opportunities available at our Restores and on our building sites. One opportunity that was of interest to many of the guests was Women Build, where individual or groups of women friends or colleagues, can sign-up for a Build Day. Kicking off on International Women’s Day, this is an amazing way for women to raise funds, gain construction skills and support women and their children by providing access to safe and affordable housing.

Our Partner Families from Mission and Richmond talked about how they became a partner family, what it’s like to live in a Habitat community and what the application process is like.

Fetiya and her son Bilal moved into their Richmond home in June and they enjoyed being at the show,  meeting people from all over Vancouver and spending some time with long time Habitat volunteer Wanda.

Nadia, our Senior Restore Manager in Abbotsford, joined forces with Mission family partners Niki, Naomi and Nicky to encourage everyone to get into the holiday spirit by purchasing a Christmas tree. What makes these trees unique is they are built out of repurposed pallet wood by a team of volunteers. These trees were created by a team from Gowlings and Modern Niagara, who signed up for a Build Day in October. Available in 3 different sizes, our trees sold out at the event, but more are available at our Abbotsford Restore so be sure to check them out – Check it out here

We also talked about our next project, where we will be building 42 homes in the Burke Mountain area of Coquitlam. Anyone who donated at the show were able to write a greeting and sign their name on a piece of wood that will go into the construction of a home for a new family. Visitors were invited to enjoy a cookie baked by one of our volunteers and decorated by our partner families. To encourage guests to visit our Restores and thank them for their interest, we also provided a 30% coupon for guests to use at one of our 6 Restores throughout the Lower Mainland.

We hope everyone left the West Coast Women’s Show with an appreciation of what Habitat for Humanity does in their own community and encouraged them to join us in fulfilling our mission to provide safe and affordable housing. To learn more about participating in Women Build, donating to Habitat for Humanity or applying to become a Partner Family, visit our website at www.habitatgv.ca.

On the afternoon of Saturday, September 17, Habitat Mission families came together for a community potluck BBQ. What a day it turned out to be – warm sunshine, delicious food, fun games and constant conversation between our families, their children and Habitat staff.

In July 2021, 7 families moved into Phase 1 of our Mission homes and in July 2022, an additional 12 families moved in once Phase 2 was completed. With summer, school starts and back to work busyness, many families had yet to connect.

Our new partner family Denice took the lead in organizing the event, with the assistance of Amber who organized ‘get to know you’ games for everyone to enjoy.  All the families brought drinks, food, and treats to share… including many special traditional foods from around the world.

Families enjoyed an afternoon together at their first BBQ… it certainly won’t be their last! Recipes were exchanged, school ride sharing plans made, and babysitting arrangements set-up. What a wonderful community our families are creating in their new home, new neighbourhood and new community.

 In addition, we are grateful to DoorDash for their generous partnership that enabled us to supply the families with some must-have BBQ items.

One little project is making a BIG difference in the lives of families living in our Richmond community. 

Together, our partner families planted their communal garden and watching it grow has become a great fascination for all the children.  

Kelley is one of our partner families and has been the driving force behind the garden initiative. She says it was exciting to work with a clean slate and happily rallied the other families through their FB group. The large garden box was completed in June 2021, but the garden remained unused that summer. While maintaining her own backyard garden plot, Kelley was initially reluctant to take over more space in the communal garden.  However, as new families moved in, she quickly realized that taking care of a garden was unfamiliar to them.  

Inspiration and knowledge required, and Kelley delivered! 

More than a dozen people showed up for the first day of planting, and the garden continues to be a gathering place. The children seem to be the most eager to learn. Together they made labels for all the herbs and vegetables and Kelley painted a sign to decorate their green space.  Everyone is welcome to contribute, with some who prefer weeding, and others who tend to the watering. 

All the yards back onto a communal space where the garden is located. It gets a lot of sunshine and now has some very attentive gardeners. Kelley says she gets regular updates from the children - they come running to tell her when something has sprouted or when they think something is ready for harvest. “It’s really great,” says Kelley. “It’s important for them to see where their food comes from and how it grows.”  

People can help themselves and Kelley says there has been great respect shown about sharing. When she harvests, she will often reach out to the other families through their group chat to make sure everyone gets something. Kelley had started some tomato seedlings and donated 10 of hers to the garden. Everything else was started from seed and has mostly been thriving. She has enjoyed watching people trying radishes for the first time and the rapini never made it to a plate, with children eating it right off the stalks! They recently harvested “a lot” of kale, which many are freezing, and they will be drying sage and rosemary. The tomatoes are thriving and will be the next item to be gobbled up. The initially slow growing asparagus may produce for next year. While the plant is a slow starter, once it matures, it can provide harvests for 20 plus years! 

Kelley appreciates that it is bringing their small enclave of families together and says they hope to have a pot-luck in the fall where they can enjoy some of the garden’s bounty.  

The families are expecting new trees for planting in the fall and will benefit from a recent donation of shovels and rakes and other yard tools that will be made available to everyone.  

She can tell there is a new sense of pride around the garden. “It has brought us together and has become a conversation point,” says Kelley.  

It’s looking like all this greenery is helping to grow a very vibrant little community. 

Welcome Home Mission Families!

It might have rained on our parade, but that didn’t take away from the celebratory mood as we handed 12 families the keys to their new homes in Mission. June 9th will be forever etched in their memories. It is the day they were given a pathway to an affordable and sustainable future.

Over 120 members of the community, including volunteers, staff, donors, trades people, family friends, and dignitaries braved the driving rain to welcome these families home. The event represented the culmination of thousands of volunteer hours, thousands of dollars in donated product and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash donations and grant monies to make this project truly affordable.

Phil Sherwood and Cameille Laslo, Councillors from the Leq’á:mel Nation opened the event with a traditional prayer and song, followed by a warm welcome from MLA Pam Alexis who helped launch this project into development in February 2020 back when she was the Mayor in Mission. She, along with current Mayor Paul Horn and a strong contingent from Mission City Council, were presented with a golden hammer to signify the completion of the 19 homes at Cedar Valley Connector. In turn, they returned the green hammer to Steph Baker, VP Construction, who then presented it to Councillor Terri Towner from the City of Coquitlam, signifying the transition to the next project for Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver in Coquitlam.

While families were being presented with their keys, their stories of living in overcrowded, overpriced, and unhealthy living environments were shared. Now these families can rest easy knowing that this summer, they will be living in a safe, clean, and bright new home.

Their stories were inspirational and coloured the day with emotion. Ahmad Sadeqi, who spent years in a refugee camp before moving to Canada in 2016 shared, “My life has been full of darkness. My hope is for my children to experience the brightness of life.”

That brightness was evident through the smiles and the tears of joy expressed by families as they entered their homes for the first time. Their journey to this day has been challenging but “definitely worth it,” according to single Mom Amber Love.

To be considered as a Partner Family, each family starts by completing an online Pre-Screening Form to determine if they meet three main criteria: 1) need for housing 2) the ability to pay and 3) the interest and willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity. If a family meets these criteria, they attend an Information Session, receive an application package, and apply. Selected families are invited to a Family Interview with our Family Partner Committee, a group of dedicated volunteers, committed to selecting families that fully support the mission and values of Habitat for Humanity. “I am just so excited to be a part of this special day,” said Julie Knisley, a long-time committee member.

It was certainly a special day for Tristan MacLeod, who was so excited to see his room that he didn’t want to leave. Neil, Thamar and their 2 boys Brodee and Lynknn were thrilled and visibly moved as they toured their new home. Joined by their extended family, Thamar said, “I can’t believe this is happening to us. I can’t believe we get to live here.” Thamar and all our families are deeply grateful for the opportunity to live in safety and security, allowing them to plan their lives without worry of eviction, and to build equity for their future. All Habitat families pay a monthly housing payment no more than 30% of their total income. When they are ready to move on, they will take a portion of the amount they have contributed and can put it towards a down payment on a home in the open market.

For now, our families are busy getting ready to move into their new homes on July 1. They will also be busy volunteering at our ReStores, working towards completing 500 volunteer hours with Habitat.

We made some wonderful connections during our time building in Mission, and we are humbled by the generous and warm support shown by the local community. It comforts us to know these families will join the seven families already living in this project and together create their own supportive community within the greater community of Mission. Be sure to read the Key Dedication story in the Mission City Record, and additionally, on Global News. Click here to watch our highlight video on YouTube

Congratulations to our families as they take this next step in their journey – our hearts are full for you!!

That’s a wrap for Women Build 2022 and we’re still riding the high! With 180 participants stretched over 14 Women Build Days, we had some extraordinary experiences with some exceptional and selfless people.

Presented by Turner Construction, this event has come to be a cornerstone in our fundraising efforts, thanks to our very keen participants, and wonderfully generous sponsors and individual donors. With a goal to raise $75,000, we are thrilled to say we came out at $88,319!

We handed out 17 pink hard hats to individuals who raised $1,000 or more for their first time. Those who raised $1,000+ last year and raised it again this year will be honoured with an engraved paver that will be embedded into the communal playground area to live at the Mission complex in perpetuity. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to these six individuals: It’s a wrap for Women Build 2023 and we’re still riding the high! With 180 participants stretched over 14 Women Build Days, we had some extraordinary experiences with some exceptional and selfless people.

Presented by Turner Construction, this event has come to be a cornerstone in our fundraising efforts, thanks to our very keen participants, and wonderfully generous sponsors and individual donors. With a goal to raise $75,000, we are thrilled to say we came out at $88,319!

We handed out 17 pink hard hats to individuals who raised $1,000 or more for their first time. Those who raised $1,000+ last year and raised it again this year will be honoured with an engraved paver that will be embedded into the communal playground area to live at the Mission complex in perpetuity. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to these six individuals: Lisa Janzen, Charlene Baumgartner, Kirsty Baker, Yael Zachs, Skyler Edstrand, and Kendra Edstrand.

Fundraising was fierce and often buoyed by friendly competition. We are thrilled to announce our prize winners. Our top individual fundraiser was Michele Laurent who collected $3,628 in donations. Her team, “Women of Stillhavn” came out on top with a combined raise of $13,130. Over half this dynamic team of eight women from Stillhavn Real Estate Services earned their pink hard hats. Way to go Dana Propp, Laurie Gillis, Michele Laurent, Jessica Lowes, Chandra Levac, Maria Senajova, Bridget Ross, and Zora Huculak!

It was a pleasure to host seven corporate teams during Women Build, including Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, CBRE, Mott Electric, Wesco Distribution, Benefit Cosmetics, Turner Construction, and Schneider Electric.

Generous swag donors made each Women Build Day extra special – huge thanks to k’pure Naturals, Só Luxury, Louna Rose Candle Co, Meridian Farm Market, and Benefit Cosmetics, plus Three Sisters Winery for supplying our daily wine draw.

All monies raised have gone directly toward helping to complete our final 11 of 19 homes in Mission, BC. Once this project is finished in June, we plan to start on a 40-home complex in Coquitlam in early 2023.

Women Build is an initiative that is championed by many Habitat affiliates across North America. While it is not exclusive to women, it is about celebrating and empowering them and showcasing that women can be equal participants in construction and the trades.

So many elements contribute to making Women Build special; new connections, new skills, lots of AHA moments, and cool swag. We witnessed miles of smiles, friendships forged, and magnificent memories made. Tons of great questions were asked, and partnerships strengthened. It is truly remarkable to see what can happen when groups of dedicated women (and men!) rally for a cause.

THANK YOU ALL for helping us transform families’ lives through safe, secure, and affordable housing. Hundreds of individuals will become strong, independent, and self-reliant members of our community as a result. You have ALL made a difference!

Much appreciation goes to our sponsors:

Prizes:

1) Top Individual Fundraiser – Michele Laurent $3,638.32

Pair of Vessi Shoes – choice of style/colour

Bottle of Three Sisters Rose

2) Top Fundraising Team – Women of Stillhavn $13,130

Michele Laurent, Dana Propp, Maria Senajova, Chandra Levac, Jessica Lowes, Laurie Gillis, Zora Huculak, Bridget Ross

Bottle of Three Sisters “Rebecca” each

Potted African Violet from Stong’s

3) This year’s Omnipresent Fundraiser – raising, donating, and participating for both Women Build AND BMO Marathon –– Colleen Fish

Saje Wellness – diffuser & blend set

4) First person to raise $1K – Danelle Pope

HFH mug with succulent & stone

5) Wild Card Draw – random draw of all who raise $250 or more – Kaelynn Johnson

Benefit Cosmetics - gift pack

Financial literacy is not something that comes naturally and is often not something that is taught to us. Fundamentally, it is a set of skills and knowledge that allows us to make informed and effective decisions with all of our financial resources. Knowledge is power, and we could all benefit from the power of understanding and managing our financial worlds.

Huge thanks to the Richmond Community Foundation for their grant to support courses through the Credit Counselling Society offered to our partner families in Richmond. Aimed at basic financial management, education, and will and estate planning, this training helps our partner families to build wealth for their future.

“Transformative,” was how Kelley, one of our partner families, described the training sessions. Kelley first learned about the Credit Counselling Society in 2014 when she was looking for alternatives to bankruptcy. With the Society’s support and her hard work, she paid off her debts, changed her spending habits and developed a greater awareness of her finances.

When she became a Habitat partner, Kelley was excited to learn that Habitat worked with the Credit Counselling Society and saw it as an opportunity to ‘refresh’ her financial habits and implement new ideas. One takeaway so far is the importance of ‘pay yourself first’ and she is excited to see her savings start to grow. She is also looking forward to an upcoming session on will and estate planning – next on her ‘to do’ list.

Kelley highly recommends the training sessions claiming they give her peace of mind and relieve the stress and anxiety around credit card debt and debt in general. Tedros, another Richmond partner family, couldn’t agree more.

Tedros has attended the past three sessions hosted by the Credit Counselling Society and is looking forward to more over the next three months. He has found the information shared during and after the sessions very informative and has liked the way the facilitator has delivered and communicated the advice and tips. His greatest takeaway so far has been the importance of being consistent and focused on the management of his finances. Tedros thinks the sessions are critical for his learning and thinks that these courses can help families build their future by controlling expenses and increasing savings. Tedros is grateful for the learning opportunity and support. “Thank you to Habitat for arranging consecutive workshops and thank you to the Credit Counselling Society for providing these workshops,” he said.

Habitat families are selected based on a number of criteria, coming from overcrowded, over-priced, unhealthy, and unsafe environments. Stability is a challenge as many landlords are evicting with little notice so they can renovate, move in themselves, or sell given the current sky-rocketing prices. Families are reluctant to complain about deficiencies or safety concerns for fear of being asked to leave instead. With Habitat, a family’s monthly housing payment is no more than 30% of their total household income, which leaves money for nutritious food, education savings, and a healthier lifestyle.

“With the security and stability of an affordable place to live, our Habitat families can begin to focus on their family and preparing for their future” says Lynne Stanger, HFHGV Director of Family Services. “The financial literacy courses provided by the Credit Counselling Society provide our families with the knowledge, skills, and resources to build a strong financial foundation and be able to move into the open housing market sooner.”

On average, a Habitat partner family is ready to move into the open market within eleven years of having the stability of a Habitat home. When the family is ready to move on, they receive a portion of their equity back to use as a down payment on a home. This financial training is important in helping them to save and plan, contributing to breaking the cycle of poverty and setting them up for future success. When this family moves on, a new family moves in and begins their journey to stability.

Habitat’s 12-units of housing in Richmond has become its own little community, with families sharing a children’s playground and a communal garden. They have fostered friendships and have bonded through volunteering and dialogue sparked by events such as the financial training courses, bringing strength and resilience to this tight-knit group.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver relies on support from the community in the form of cash donations, gift in kind product, and volunteerism to build homes. THANK YOU to the Richmond Community Foundation for championing a better future for our families through the provision of this important financial training. Our organization and the families we serve are stronger because of you!

Funding will help to create a safe and healthy community through play, helping over 500 families and thousands of children across generations.

Mission, BC – TELUS Friendly Future Foundation™ has generously donated $15,000 to contribute towards Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver’s effort in supporting our community’s physical and mental wellness.

“We know from our previous housing developments, that having a communal play area increases physical activity amongst our partner family members, builds a sense of community and forges strong bonds,” says Steph Baker, Interim CEO at Habitat. “Many of the Habitat children have never been able to play outside due to the unsafe neighborhoods where they have previously lived. Having this communal space as a focal point, not only encourages children to gain independence through play and social interactions, but it provides parents with respite as their children play within the safety of their neighbourhood”.

This donation will positively contribute to the atmosphere of the Habitat homes being built in Mission and help to build a diverse and vibrant community and allow Habitat Partner Families to focus on thriving. The community space, supported by TELUS Friendly Future Foundation™, will include a playground, communal garden, butterfly garden, benches and amenity space with a BBQ. It will serve to bring the local residents together and support overall personal wellness.

“We’ve heard from our charity partners about the challenges that low-income working families in their community are facing,” says Shanan Spencer-Brown, Executive Director of TELUS Friendly Future Foundation™. “We are proud to provide Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver with a TELUS community board grant of $15,000 to help parents and children enjoy the freedom and benefits of a safe and healthy environment.” For more information on the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation visit www.friendlyfuture.com.

About Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver

Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver’s mission is to break the poverty rental cycle for hardworking families in our community through the provision of safe and affordable housing. We move low-to-middle income families out of substandard living conditions (unhealthy, unsafe, overcrowded, and overprices) and into a home that will propel them forward.

Contact:

Steph Baker, Interim CEO sbaker@habitatgv.ca 604-681-5618

Over the last month, we’ve been sharing holiday traditions from some of our partner families. Now it’s time to hear about favourite traditions held by some of our amazing staff and volunteers.

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From all of us at Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver, we hope that your holidays are filled with good health, an abundance of love, and the joy of traditions old and new!

We are so humbled by the incredibly generous gifts from so many individuals and organizations who help us build futures! National Philanthropy Day is a chance for us to celebrate everyone and showcase a new major partner. With their generous donation of $100,000, Quantum Properties epitomizes the importance of working together for the common good. Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver is embarking on its most ambitious build project to date, building 40 new townhomes at 1358 Coast Meridian Road on Burke Mountain, in Coquitlam. This gift propels our fundraising campaign forward and allows Quantum Properties to name the street, located within this development, and enables us to provide exponentially more affordable homes to working families.  

Image courtesy of City of Coquitlam Archives, C6-S01-C6.514

Current Burke Mountain MLSⓇ stats indicate an average house price of $1.5M, with the median days on the market for a home being 17 days. To say that the Burke Mountain area is a desirable place to live is an understatement. Through the foresight of Wesbild (who sold the land to the City of Coquitlam at a deep discount) and the City of Coquitlam, this block of land on Coast Meridian Road was dedicated for affordable housing. 

We went back in time to explore the history of this parcel of land, discovering the uniqueness of the area. We searched through the Coquitlam City Archives and interviewed families who have lived in the area for up to 60 years, along with politicians and advocates involved in advancing a plan to tackle the shortage of affordable housing. 

This is Habitat’s first time building in the City of Coquitlam and we want the community to know we are coming, to know we plan on addressing affordability, and that we will be relying on that community and others to bring this project to life and to completion by 2024.  

Through our application process, families will be selected based on our stated criteria, with an affordable monthly payment capped at 30% of their total household income. Much of this is returned to them when they are ready to purchase in the open market. Once they move on, a new family moves into the home and starts their journey toward stability. “These will be families with children, whose lives will be transformed for generations to come through stable and secure housing,” said Steph Baker, VP Construction. 

“We see many great examples of philanthropy at work in our organization,” said Lyn Duke, Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver’s Community Events Manager. “Many individuals, or companies choose to donate to Habitat because they know how critical affordable housing is to family success and good health. We have recognition benefits for different levels of donations, but some also choose to give anonymously.” 

All donations, no matter how big or small make a huge difference. Without the collective generosity of our community, we simply could not build. On National Philanthropy Day, we hope that everyone considers whether they are able to donate. It could be a one-off donation, setting up a monthly donation, or even considering leaving a gift in their will. 

For more information on some of the opportunities to donate visit www.habitatgv.ca/getinvolved or contact us to discuss what works best for you. 

Image citations and references for the video are found HERE.

Watch for Lyle Litzenberger’s “Burke & Widgeon: A History, Volume Two” due for release in 2022. Shop online or at Western Sky Books in Port Coquitlam. 

What a week!

Sustainability Build Week was action-packed and included special build days at our Mission build site, an online webinar with an amazing panel of speakers and lots of in-store activities.

Build site volunteers started working on a cool mudroom bench project for our homes in Mission. We secured 30 pieces of beautiful reclaimed lumber from our partners at Heritage Lumber. This vintage wood was salvaged by Unbuilders from a 1960s house in Tsawwassen on English Bluff Road. After delivery to Mission, the volunteers planed it and future volunteer groups will round it, sand it and clear coat it to eventually build it into a functional and durable bench and coat rack.

Fully recycled, these benches will serve a lot of families donning running shoes and boots while getting ready for school and family activities. Backpacks and coats will hang from the rack, providing easy access for our families on the go.

Thank you to Vancity for sponsoring Sustainability Build Week. Be sure to check out Vancity’s Planet-Wise Teardown Financing program that can be used to employ contractors to deconstruct your building.

Circular Economy & Sustainability at Home Webinar

Thanks to everyone who signed up and attended our webinar and additional thanks to Tru Earth for providing our highly useful and sustainable door prize.

For those of you who missed the webinar you can catch the recording here or on our YouTube channel.

Upcycle Challenge!

Congratulations to @barefootwandererr who was the winner of our upcycle challenge with their amazing salvage and refurbishment of this toy truck.

If you want to learn more about the circular economy at home or at work, or to find out about what green building tips and practices we use on our build sites, check out our Sustainability Build Week blog posts below:

Circular Economy at Work

Circular Economy at Work

Saving Money and the Planet is a Win Win Win

Saving Money and the Planet is a Win Win Win

Circular Economy at Home

Circular Economy at Home

Just because it’s the end of Sustainability Build Week doesn’t mean we forget about our responsibilities to the environment. We are continuing to make internal improvements and actions to reduce our own impact on the environment and we will share our goals and plans as they evolve.

Lastly don’t forget when you shop at our ReStores or Online you are helping to keep valuable materials out of landfill and giving them a new and extended life.

Thank you for helping to protect our planet.

During Sustainability Build Week we’ve talked a lot about different theories, actions and tips that you can do to make your next project more environmentally friendly.

But what does this all really look like in practice? Fortunately the sustainability and circular economy is filled with inspirational individuals who practice what they preach.

One such individual is Sheila Molloy, Executive Director of the Coast Waste Management Association (CWMA) who shares the story of her kitchen and bathroom renovation starting with the question:

“How do I divert as much as much waste from my renovation away from the landfill and into better uses?”

Renovation Diversion: Casa Molloy

Here are some key take-aways:

Have fun and be creative!

Who said renovation shouldn’t be fun?

“It was fun to try. We got creative and it enlightened me on how difficult it can be but also how simple it can be with some changes”

Invite your contractors and trades to be part of the journey

“We worked with Unbuilders who did a partial deconstruction of the bathroom and kitchen and helped us to find homes for many of the materials that came out of the process.”

“We were really careful of the new materials we bought and spoke to the traders to be part of this journey. They were all on board and were careful with their cuts and usage.”

Work with what you already have and make it better

Updating & repainting cabinets instead of pulling them out and replacing them not only prevents waste but it also saves you a lot of time and money.

“Find pieces that work with it”, circling back to the first point about having a little creativity.

Ask yourself what you can do to avoid creating extra work and extra waste.

The counter tops from the kitchen were eventually reused in the laundry room, again saving time and money.

So what went where?

Habitat for Humanity Vancouver Island took:

• Pedestal sink

• Cabinet mirror & light sconces

• Bathtub faucet

• Towel rack

• Kenmore washer dryer stack (picked up)

• Bathroom sink and faucet

• Kitchen sink

Baseboards and casings went to a woman named Brit who was building a tiny home. Steel shelving and a white MDF shelf unit were given away to a lucky individual on craigslist, and a neighbor took the clean wood scraps

Re-used in the house:

Deconstructed wood was used to build an outdoor recycle center, the bathroom floor concrete was re-used as fill and clean drywall cuts were used in the garden.

Whatever couldn’t be reused, repaired or upcycled was taken to the Hartland Recycle Centre including:

• All packaging cardboard

• Styrofoam

• Light bulbs

• Electrical waste

• All metal

And the End result?

After all the work was completed and everything possible had found a new home what was left to go to landfill was…

One 55 gallon bag of waste for the demolition stage and four 55L bags for the renovation!

This consisted of:

• Plastic wrap

• Damaged plastic/metal electrical items

• Wrecked insulation

• Damaged/gluey scrap wood

• Painted, damaged or wet drywall

• Taping mud gone wild

• Icky glue & window caulk

• Tile scraps

• 43 self levelling concrete bags

What a difference a bit of creativity, teamwork and initiative takes. Bravo Sheila!

To understand what a full deconstruction looks like, the City of Vancouver has some great examples explaining the process and highlighting where the different materials ended up, including the deconstruction of this 1910 home in Riley Park.

With all this knowledge and inspiration of how well it can be done, what are you going to do differently in your next project to make a difference?

The Rebuild Hub from Habitat for Humanity can accept many forms of salvaged materials from deconstruction and renovation projects. Don’t forget to check out your local ReStore or shop online to find all that you need while supporting our affordable home building projects for working families.

There are many components that go into building a home.  Different features can work together to lower energy consumption, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and shrink a homes’ carbon footprint. We all can play our part, so we’re sharing what goes into a Habitat home and what you can do to improve yours.

HABITAT HOMES

Habitat homes are 30% more energy-efficient than a standard Canadian home. But what does this mean, and what goes into building a Habitat home in order to increase sustainability?

Building Design

In British Columbia, all new construction, building renovations and demolitions must follow the BC Building Code. This code sets minimum requirements for safety, health, accessibility, fire and structural protection of buildings as well as energy and water efficiency.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver’s new homes are all built to step code 3, meaning they are built with increased energy efficiency. Key elements such as insulation, windows, heating, water heaters, lighting, and other equipment must meet or exceed set standards. Habitat uses a ‘performative’ approach, meaning that rather than looking at each element individually, we use energy software modeling and onsite testing to design and demonstrate that our materials perform better together to further increase efficiency.

These are some key design elements in the homes in Mission:

Heat recovery ventilation design

A heat recovery ventilation system (HRV) provides continuous, balanced, and energy-efficient year-round ventilation to houses. It stabilizes heat and humidity in the homes, reducing the need to open doors and windows which can create extremes in both heat and moisture entering and leaving the home environment. During the winter months, an HRV preheats incoming outdoor air, and in the summer months, this is reversed, with the HRV cooling the air before it enters the home. This process helps with both the energy efficiency and the durability of the building, resulting in long-lasting Habitat homes.

Insulation

Properly insulated homes improve energy efficiency by reducing the amount of energy needed to heat and cool a home. This in turn reduces the number of pollutants such as carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, and other harmful emissions that warm our planet.

All Habitat homes are thoroughly insulated. The insulation we use comes from recycled materials reducing the need for natural resources. The interior of the homes in Richmond and Mission have fiberglass insulation. The exterior of the homes are insulated with almost 2” mineral woo, both insulations contain a high % of recycled materials.

Windows

Windows can act as an insulator, helping to keep heat inside a building. At the Habitat homes in Richmond and Mission, the windows are double glazed making it difficult for heat to escape with windows or for cold to penetrate into the building. On the busy road-side, the windows have an extra component built in to reduce noise pollution.

Hot water recovery units

These specialized pipes use drained warm household water to preheat the pipes bringing in the external water going into the hot water tanks, reducing the amount of energy required to heat a tank of fresh hot water.

Building seals

The perimeter of Habitat homes are sealed with a membrane to eliminate drafts and create a moisture barrier at critical areas around the exterior.

Sunlight

Habitat homes are designed to maximize sunlight, minimizing the need for electrical lighting and diminishes the need for heating in winter.

No natural gas

Habitat homes in Greater Vancouver do not use natural gas, reducing emissions and the use of non-renewable energy sources.

Location, Location!

Greater Vancouver Habitat homes are built next to transit and are within walking distance to schools and shops. Many Habitat children walk to school together or take the school bus. With close transit links for parents, there is less need for the family car, which can remove 4 tons of pollutants each year. That’s the equivalent of over 15 acres of forest needed to offset the carbon emissions every year!

Quality Choices

Habitat uses quality materials that last longer and reduce the need for maintenance and replacement. This also helps to reduce energy consumption, which benefits our environment and keeps energy costs low for our Partner Families. Here are just some examples of the quality products in a Habitat home:

- All appliances have the Energy Star Appliance rating, meaning families save money on operating costs by reducing the energy consumption without sacrificing performance.

- All are fitted with LED lightbulbs throughout.

- High-quality materials such as Longboard for the soffits, privacy screens and fencing. Longboard is made of aluminum, is 100% recyclable, has net-zero water consumption during manufacturing, and is 100% VOC free meaning there are zero emissions when being produced.

- Hardi plank siding is used on the exterior of the buildings. These planks have a longer lifespan than wood or vinyl siding. This reduces maintenance and the need to replace materials.

- Vinyl plank floors are easily maintained, are extremely durable and have an extremely long life-span and can be replaced in patches if needed versus redoing an entire floor if there is damage.

A greener space

At the Habitat homes in Burnaby, Mission and Richmond, a play area and communal garden are at the center of the community. This provides both a children’s play area and a space for families to grow vegetables together, reducing the need to travel, improving overall mental and physical health and teaching children the value of clean air, water and soil.

All our Habitat homes are surrounded by green landscaping including trees, hedges, and flowers. These provide important homes and food for insects and birds and help to moderate the water flow to prevent flooding and erosion. There are many other environmental and social advantages of green spaces, but a key benefit of trees is their ability to absorb C02, reduce urban heat, and improve the air quality that we breathe.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

It starts with design

If you are building your own home, hire an energy consultant to maximize efficiency at the design stage. Clean BC has several rebates available to help lower your costs.

Grants to Upgrade Your Home

Not many of us will build our own homes, but we can upgrade them to improve performance. There are several government retrofit grants available to help with finances for insulation, air-sealing, heat pumps, solar panels, appliances, draft proofing and more!

• The new federal Canada Greener Homes Grants could help with up to $5,600 in rebates

• The BC Government has grants available to help from $25 to $14,000! Click here to find out what is available in your area

• BC Hydro provides free energy saving kits for eligible low and moderate income households along with offers on new appliances

Here are some small things that we can all do today:

- Check your furnace! If you can’t upgrade your furnace yet, servicing it once a year will make sure filters are replaced and essential parts are cleaned to increase efficiency.

- If you have an electric hot water tank that heats on demand, wrap it in an insulating blanket to reduce heat loss.

- Seal the gaps! Hot air can escape through joints in the ductwork, fill in visible joints in gaps with heating-vent tape.

- Test your windows and doors to ensure they have an airtight seal. Check for drafts by holding a lit incense stick or a candle around window frames and doors. If it flickers, you have a draft. Use caulking around frames, install or replace weatherstripping, and add a door sweep. In colder months, applying exterior window film will increase efficiency even further.

- Use a ceiling fan. In summer months set your fan to turn counterclockwise, this pushes air down to create a breeze. In winter you can switch the direction and set it to a low speed which helps to push the warm air down, heating the room and keep the hot air away from the ceiling where heat escapes.

- Upgrade to a smart thermostat- this can reduce your heating and cooling costs by up to 15%!

- Clean your large appliances! Vacuum the vent at the back of the refrigerator and clothes dryer exhaust a couple of times a year to remove dust which makes the motors work harder, using more energy.

- Upgrade your lightbulbs to LED.

- Remove chargers from the wall once charging is complete, they keep drawing energy if you don’t!

- Switch your shower head to a high-efficiency product.

- Use a power bar to plug your countertop appliance devices into and switch it off at night, it’s easier this way if they are all at one source. Just think your TV, cable boxes, and game consoles can go to sleep at night!

- Use a clothes rack instead of a dryer. If you must use a dryer add a dry bath towel with your garments, and remove after 5 minutes, the towel will help to absorb some of the moisture so clothes dry quicker.

- Recycle! Check with your local municipality and understand what they can recycle. All municipalities have different recycling abilities so it’s important we all check and help to sort our waste to reduce what ends up in landfills. Landfills release harmful gases to the atmosphere that warm our planet.

- Shop at a ReStore! Save other items from landfills by checking out our new and lightly used furniture, building materials, and décor.

Community and Economic Sustainability

Across our ReStores, Rebuild Hub and Habitat Homes, we aim to consistently reduce our impact on the planet, whilst also strengthening our communities. We are building a better future through environmental, economic and social sustainability.

Habitat Partner Families will only ever pay 30% of their total monthly income towards their shelter cost. We provide families with financial literacy training on debt management, RRSP, savings and home ownership helping to secure economic sustainability. When a family is ready to move into the open market, they receive a % of their monthly payments back as equity to use as a down payment. Habitat retains the homes as an asset meaning more families benefit from each home and we can continue to build healthy, happy and vibrant communities.

We are grateful to all of our supporters who donate quality products in kind to our builds, cash donors, and Restore shoppers. To find out more about how you can support click here.

It seems Habitat for Humanity was designed with circularity and sustainability in mind. Donations of construction materials, tools, fixtures, appliances, furniture, and décor keep these items out of the landfill, and allows them to be purchased and to live another life. Purchasing previously loved items also reduces greenhouse gas emissions that would be emitted during the extraction of materials and resources that go into newly manufactured items. Re-using and re-purposing is integral in a circular economy, whereas the traditional linear economy adheres to single use items and the process of extract, make, use discard. Today’s society is well aware that this linear approach is not sustainable.

Circular Economy is not simply the latest buzzword for recycling. As it sounds, it is a completely interconnected circle or loop, acting as an alternative to drawing on raw resources and materials and the manufacture process. This can be achieved by reimagining new uses for already manufactured/used items, designing against waste and pollution, and allowing for regeneration of natural environments.

Since 2000, we have experienced countless examples of the circular economy at work. One such example was receiving hundreds of clothes hangers from Lululemon. Many were sold to the public, but another highly ethical company, tentree, came in and bought the remainder. Circular economy at work.

Our sustainability efforts begin at our procurement stage. We don’t accept donations that we feel will be unsaleable, reducing our waste through selectivity and better handling of goods. This ensures we are not spending time, money and burning fossil fuels to pick up items that will go straight to landfill. We have a robust recycling program in our ReStores, which separates metal, wood, plastic, cardboard and paper, foam, light bulbs, small appliances, and electronics. Our waste management is contracted to Recycle Smart to ensure reputable waste management.

One of our major donors is Dulux Paints. If they weren’t able to donate to Habitat, their paint would likely go in the landfill. By selling through our ReStores, the paint is actually utilized for its intended purpose and doesn’t require any upcycling.

During the height of the pandemic, many buildings downtown boarded up their windows. Justin Elton, president of 10 Star Agency started putting up posters on the plywood to recommend the stores donate it to Habitat when they were finished with it. Eventually, 50+ sheets of plywood were donated through this organic partnership, and we are so grateful for 10 Star’s recommendation. It is amazing partnerships like these that are the foundation of our operations and enable us to be circular.

We re-use within our own environment, having created office walls using reclaimed lumber. Our desks and file cabinets are all second hand. Parts of the ReStores are created using salvaged materials, such as cash desks built with recycled 2x4s. Our Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Enterprise ReStores were all leased with LED lighting in place, but we paid to install LED lights in our Langley, North Vancouver, and Douglas stores, with our Langley landlord kindly splitting the cost.

Paving stones and pavers are often crushed and thrown away. HFH happily finds a new life for them, selling them to contractors and DIY homeowners. Our relationships with movie sets are inherently circular. They buy it, use it, donate it and we sell it again. This can happen multiple times before an item reaches its end of life.

One of the largest items salvaged is kitchens, which often include the appliances and all the cabinets. Where else can someone buy what was originally a $40,000 kitchen for $3,000? Market demand for these recovered items varies, but on average, a salvaged kitchen will sell through our online shop or at a ReStore within one day to two months.

At the ReStores, every $1 of sales translates to 1.3 pounds of “waste” diverted from landfill. Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver’s latest initiative is The Rebuild Hub, which aims to divert thousands more tonnes of building material from landfill through their network of deconstruction and salvage. This effort is proudly supported by The City of Vancouver, Vancouver Foundation, Real Estate Foundation of BC, Vancity and The McLean Foundation and promotes deconstruction (circular) over demolition (linear). Materials salvaged from deconstruction projects include lumber, appliances, fixtures, flooring, doors, windows, kitchens that would otherwise be demolished and dumped in the landfill. Not only does this have obvious environmental benefits, but it also serves to retain a piece of our history – old growth timber was used liberally through commercial and residential builds in Vancouver and if thrown away, is lost forever. Our partnership with Unbuilders and other deconstructors is vital to ensuring the continuation of the loop.

The circular steps of this deconstruction network are:

1) Contact HFHGV to request a salvage audit of a project

2) Deconstruction – building is taken apart and material collected

3) Resale – salvaged materials are sold through The Rebuild Hub

4) Proceeds – sale proceeds are directed to affordable housing

5) Implementation – reused materials are incorporated into new builds/renovations/artistic creations

Furthermore, Habitat’s entire purpose revolves around creating sustainability for families, such that we provide a hand up for working families struggling through unsafe, unhealthy, overcrowded, and unaffordable conditions and move them into a home that will propel them forward. Revenues from the sale of salvaged and saved materials flows back into our build projects, creating more homes for more families and setting them on a new safe and sustainable life trajectory. It’s a win all the way around.

We are so grateful to have you in our circle – thank you for helping us to close the loop.

WELCOME HOME

There are very few things more exciting than moving into a new home, especially when you haven’t had a safe or healthy place to call home in a long time.

June started out with our super bowl event for everyone at Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver, as we presented 11 partner families with the keys to their new safe and stable havens.

Against a backdrop of anticipation, sunny skies, and a whole lot of smiles, we welcomed four families into their homes in Richmond and seven into their homes in Mission. This is the pinnacle of our work and why we do what we do.

Sadly due to pandemic protocols, our Key Dedication ceremonies looked vastly different in 2021 than in the past. The nature of a live, yet virtual broadcast had it’s challenges as staff were secretly praying that internet connections wouldn’t be interrupted, and batteries would remain charged. Green x’s marked the spot our families could stand on and be safely socially distanced in their family bubble. Masks only partially hid the joy and excitement, for it could be seen in everyone’s eyes, and in the children’s dancing antics, especially in Richmond, where several children were under the age of five.

Richmond

After five years, our 12-home project in Richmond is now complete and houses families in their own little community. These two-unit homes back against one another with a play area and community garden in between. This will be the start of something special for all as they meet their neighbours, and the children connect with others their own age in a safe and caring environment.

After our CEO, Dennis Coutts presented the families with their keys and the ribbon was cut, each family waited anxiously outside their door while messages from donors, government officials, volunteers and staff played to our online audience. Photos were snapped and video was shot, ensuring the moment was captured for the families to relive together later.

Reactions upon opening the doors were varied – there were squeals of delight, there were tears, and for some, there was silence. Awe…relief…and an overwhelming sense that their lives had changed in that very instant. Many just described it as a dream.

MLA Henry Yao, Richmond South Centre is pleased to see this project completed with provincial support. He firmly believes every British Columbian deserves a safe and affordable home. “The reality we are facing here is housing affordability has become so challenging that even the median income families are struggling with this.”

Citing the richness of its cultural diversity, MLA Yao said in a recent interview, “Richmond is a lovely place to call home, but its housing affordability has become difficult for many families. We want to welcome all the families coming in and making their home in Richmond.”

Tedros and his family are so grateful for the hand up that Habitat for Humanity provides and are relieved to finally be building some equity that will be able to one day help fund a larger home in the open market. Noorullah and Maryam are excited to plant a garden and lay down some roots.

While they come from different backgrounds and experiences, all our families agreed this is an opportunity to build a community, to start a new chapter, and a chance to build a better foundation for themselves and their children.

Mission

As our families began arriving onsite in Mission to prepare for the day, you could hear the hum of exuberant chatter as neighbours began getting to know one another. The tweens and teens quickly figured out who they would be attending school with in the Fall, hopefully secure in the knowledge they wouldn’t be the only “new kids”. While the cameras rolled, keys were handed out, the ribbon was cut, and all the families huddled outside their doors, anxious to take the first peek.

We broke ground on the first of eight three-bedroom townhomes in Mission in February 2020. Despite the pandemic and a seven-week shut down of our build site, our Site Supervisor Jason de Vries, kept us on track, enabling these families to move in to enjoy the summer of 2021.

Once selected for a Habitat home, our families become partners. As part of their partnership, they are required to do 500 hours of sweat equity. These hours can be earned on the build site, in our ReStores, or helping with special events (when we are able again). Five hundred hours may seem like a lot, but it can add up quickly. Family Partners can have their extended family and friends earn volunteer hours on their behalf. While parents are volunteering, whoever is child-minding is also earning hours to reach the total. We have even had other volunteers come onsite and donate their hours to a partner family.

On average, families earn their sweat equity hours in 12 months.

While some families in Mission have long completed their 500 hours (and continue to volunteer!), others will have the opportunity to literally roll out their door and onto the site to fulfill their hours, as Jason and his trades and army of volunteers will be working on the next 11 homes.

Paying it forward is a big part of the Habitat model, and Naomi, one of our partner families, is right on track. “I am so happy to be a part of Habitat and look forward to helping more families like mine in the future,” she said after spending a day working on the build site.

Naomi and her daughter were thrilled to finally be receiving the keys to their home. But the emotion of the day can be really overwhelming. Her young son loves going to school and chose school over the ceremony. We get it. Life has not been easy for these families, but a Habitat home represents freedom and security of living without crushing housing costs or the unthinkable choices of putting food on the table versus a roof over their heads. It represents hope and provides the ability to dare to chase their dreams.

Moving from Surrey, Tabatha has already secured a job in her new community, and her three daughters were overjoyed as they checked out their new home for the first time. Tabatha originally thought she would let two of her daughters share the master bedroom. But when she walked into it for the first time and saw the walk-in closet, everything changed. “It’s mine now,” she said with a laugh. As long as the girls get to use the closet for hide-and-seek, they say they are good with that plan.

Roman who is nearly 3, hid in the security of his father’s arms for most of the ceremony. But once he was let loose, it was a whole different Roman who spun in circles over and over in his new room. “It’s what he does when he is excited,” explained his father, Samuel.

Imagine what he will do when the playground gets installed on the property! The families didn’t realize it was in the plans. Even Rachel with her teenage children was excited, noting that she loves the sound of kids on a playground. Similar to Richmond, there will also be a community vegetable garden and benches. Michael, Yergalem, and their four children are optimistic about their future in Mission.

A community in the making, a support system of neighbours, and a safe and healthy place to call home. It’s what they have been waiting for since being told in March they had been selected by our hard-working Family Services Committee.

Fighting back tears, Nicole acknowledged the countless groups and people involved in making her dream a reality. While the families explored their homes, the warm welcome messages played online, waiting to be heard and appreciated by the families in a future private moment. We could have provided a full day of footage. Meaningful and heartfelt, these messages will become a treasured part of our families’ journey. Everyone plays a role in bringing us to this point, and it is a collective win to bring these families home.

Moving day brings so many emotions, and any uncertainty will quickly be transformed into optimism, hope, and a swelling confidence that much can be achieved and their family will flourish.

WELCOME HOME FAMILIES!!

To watch the key dedication ceremonies, go to:

Richmond, June 8th, Key Dedication Ceremony

Mission, June 11th, Key Dedication Ceremony