“It took us 18 months to build our first house,” recalls Executive
Director Lew Kraus who has been at the helm since 1988 and is incidentally the
longest serving Habitat for Humanity Executive Director in the U.S. “This year,
we will build 14 new houses and complete 30 home repair projects.”
While Asheville Area Habitat remains committed to building
new homes, the organization has expanded its services in recent years to
include the repair of existing homes in the community.
The non-profit has directly served nearly 1,000 adults and
children and indirectly served thousands more thanks to the generational and
societal impact of Habitat homeownership.
The organization grew slowly the first 5-7 years, and then the
ReStore opened in 1990. With sustaining income generated by selling donated
items to the general public, Habitat was able to expand its house building
programs.
The success of the ReStore was instrumental in the continued
growth of Asheville Area Habitat’s programs. In 2003, the ReStore relocated to its
current location, 31 Meadow Road. Increased revenue from the much larger store enabled
the affiliate to double its house production within a few years. “It took 18
years to build the first 100 houses and the second 100 houses were built in
just 9 years,” notes Kraus. Since the relocation and expansion nearly ten years
ago, ReStore sales have increased 600%!
In addition to sustaining income from the ReStore, homeowner
mortgage payments help fund Habitat’s building programs. “Habitat is not a
give-way program. Habitat homeowners and families that have partnered with us
for home repair services pay back 0% interest loans. This year alone, more than
$600,000 in payments from Habitat families will be put towards our building
programs,” notes Kraus.
No comments:
Post a Comment