In Our View: Home for Holidays

The last time we checked on the Soria and Jats-kovski families, in early May, they were busy applying sweat equity to the construction of their new homes, hoping to move in by the end of the year. Here’s an update from the local Habitat for Humanity organizers and volunteers: Merry Christmas to the Soria and Jatskovski families!

As Dave Kern reported in Monday’s Columbian, keys to the two newest Habitat for Humanity homes were turned over to the occupants last Sunday at a joyful and tearful ceremony in an Orchards subdivision. Maria Soria and her 3-year-old daughter Angelina Jean Romeo live in one of the new homes just off Northeast 98th Avenue; Aleksandr Jatskovski and his wife and five kids live in the other.

But more than just the “It’s a Wonderful Life” type of holiday story for the two families, what happened last Sunday is a sterling testimony to the continuing success of Evergreen Habitat for Humanity. It’s the local chapter of a national ecumenical Christian ministry that since 1976 has built more than 300,000 for an estimated 1.5 million people in 3,000 communities around the world. The latest efforts here are the 20th and 21st homes built by the volunteers of Evergreen Habitat for Humanity since 1991, all with assistance from the beneficiary families that each contribute 300 hours of work on their new homes. Those statistics are outweighed by the much larger Habitat operation in Portland, but on this side of the Columbia River, Evergreen Habitat has certainly held its own for what next year will become two decades.

There’s something truly amazing about sweat equity. It carries with it a keen combination of appreciation and awareness. So last Sunday, there was no sense of “Surprise! You just won a new home! Take a look!” No, instead, the Soria and Jatskovski families were familiar with every nook and cranny of their new homes; they’ve been on site, performing a multitude of tasks, doing their part as required by Habitat throughout the construction process.

And that’s what makes Habitat for Humanity different from many other charities. An investment — in the form of several months’ labor — is required of every recipient. So when an event like last Sunday’s ceremony rolls around, a double standard is met. Not only do the families need the new homes, they’ve earned the new homes. (Families also buy the homes with no-interest loans).

And there are many other team members. Sponsor businesses — such as Thrivent Financial Services and Wells Fargo in the two most recent local cases — provide the financial foundations. Sponsor families — such Carol and Sam Fenstermacher and Ann Hathaway — also enlist in the team effort. Planners such as those directed by Kristina Aitchison, executive director of Evergreen Habitat, perform all of the organizational work. Builders donate supplies and expertise. Grocery Outlet stocks the new houses with food. And, of course, volunteers (about 800 on these two homes) provide about 75 percent of the work, making sure the structures advance from dreams to realities.

So, these two Christmas gifts didn’t come from Santa; they came from calloused hands, strong backs and relentless dedication.

Evergreen Habitat will continue building in 2011, but after that, the group needs more land. That’s one way you can help out. Another way is to volunteer. Or you might be interested in the donated used and surplus building materials that are sold at the Habitat For Humanity ReStore at 5000 E. Fourth Plain. For details on ways you can help, visit the Evergreen Habitat website: http://www.eHabitat.org.

Habitat for Humanity is just one of many charities that continually showcase the immense generosity of Clark County residents. Merry Christmas to Evergreen Habitat and everyone associated with the organization.