Celebrating 150: Partnership
This post is an installment in our Celebrating 150 series. Learn more here.
Partnership is the foundation of what we do. In fact, “partnership housing” is how our founders described Habitat for Humanity’s model— neighbors offering neighbors a “hand up.”
Habitat homebuyers partner with Habitat, so we can help them build and purchase a safe, affordable home. Homebuyers work alongside volunteers and other homebuyers on the build site. In between jobs and raising families and being community members, they are participate in homebuyer education and lots of paperwork for their mortgage process. It’s a lot of work, and it’s all worth it in the end. We are proud to be an opportunity for neighbors to partner with neighbors.
But you may be wondering— who else partners with Habitat to make it all work? Today, our definition of “neighbor” includes a whole range of partners that have helped us reach 150 homes in 33 years. We are grateful for our entire Habitat family — volunteers, donors, sponsors, and community partners.
Together we,
Help families build strength & stability
A decent and affordable home can remove barriers to opportunities for financial stability, health, and more that families may have faced for years, if not generations.
Invest in neighborhoods
Decades of racist practices have caused many of our downtown neighborhoods to face housing discrimination, food apartheid, unsafe streets, and more. We work with our communities to revitalize the neighborhood because we believe every neighborhood should be a great place to call home.
Transfer property back to community control
Instead of absentee landlords or property investors making decisions about a neighborhood, power is transferred back to actual residents every time a Habitat home is sold to a local family.
Partnership highlight
We’d like to take a minute to highlight just a few of the many partners who have stuck by our side over several years. We value each and every organization that has helped build in the past 33 years, so, when you have a minute, please take a look through our annual reports to see the full list of Habitat supporters.
Volunteers
There are two teams of volunteers who have been instrumental on the build site over the past couple decades. Yes, decades. These folks have been in involved in one way or another with nearly all local Habitat homes! We call them our “regulars” and they are a fixture on our build sites, always ready to lend a hand to our construction crew and provide history on some of the homes we’ve built. These folks are the hearts and hands of Habitat.
Albany Regulars
Past
Matthew Sparks
Dick Karis
Jim Mahanna
Dennis Moran
Brain Carr
Barry Greene
Karen Greene
Steve Bylsma
Brian Carr
Current
Sandra Chrisholm
Ralph Marino
John Staats
Dennis Fitzgerald
Barbara Brown
Rick Platt
Robert Fleury
Jim Read
Paul Spofford
Paul Greg
Jon Ollendorf
Mark Silo
Kevin Conley
Steve Moran
Dave LaFleur
Troy Regulars
Past
Andy Carlson
Betty Dykstra
Don Schlegal
Ed Brown
Harold Howe
Seigwalt Ludke
Current
Peter Bakal
Don Berryann
Randy Harris
Bill Hughes
Ron Karpien
Dick King
Bert Pine
Charlie Town
Darrell Welch
Corporate partners highlight - Aflac and Bank of America
We are so grateful to have sponsors like these, who commit to supporting our mission and rolling with us through all the unpredictability that comes with home construction!
Foundation partner highlight - Touhey Foundation
The Touhey Foundation is another partner we can count on to support new strategies in serving more families through homeownership here in the Capital District.
Faith partner highlight - Victorious Life Christian Church
This Troy church is a powerhouse champion of our mission. We are so grateful for every effort Victorious Life makes to raise awareness and support of our work.