A Habitat for Humanity member explains the cause

By BUD RUE

I am a volunteer for HFH here in Wayne County and appreciate the opportunity to explain to you what we in Habitat are trying to do.

Habitat for Humanity is a Christian based ecumenical organization whose purpose is to help people in need buld affordable decent houses.

In 1964 Habitat's founder, Millard Fuller was a millionaire businessman. He and his partner worked hard. He earned all the trappings that our materialistic society sets out as the usual measures of success, a big house, a new Cadillac, the best for this Yuppie family of the sixties. It was at this point in his life that his wife Linda came by the office and announced that she didn't think he loved her anymore. "I feel as if I don't have a husband," she told him. "You're always working."

"She's just out of sorts," he thought, and he promised to spend more time with her and the kids. But he continued working at the same pace and Linda's unhappy state became worse. Finally, she reached a decision.

"I'm going away for a while," she told him. "I don't know if we have a future together or not." The next day, she left for New York to talk with a mutual friend.

To shorten a long story, a complete reevaluation of their priorities was made by both of them. They decided to give everything they owned away and start fresh. Looking for a more shared and meaningful path to follow, Millard & Linda sought out an old friend who lived in a church-community called Koinonia Farm, near Americus, Ga. Their friend invited them over for a visit and they ended up staying for a month. Millard was fascinated by the community's leader, farmer-theologian, Clarence Jordan.

It was through the discussions which Clarence Jordan that the idea of Habitat for Humanity was conceived. Jordan had been thinking about the dilapidated shacks that lined the red-clay roads around Americus. These shanties often lacked both heat and plumbing. The poor families couldn't afford repairs. Banks wouldn't gived them mortgages, so they had to keep on renting. They were trapped.

Jordan said, "These people don't need charity. They need a way to help themselves."

This a greatly shortened and certainly oversimplified of their vision's origin.

HFH's philosophy includes the following major points.

1. It is a Christian housing ministry that is ecumenical in all aspects.

2. It is a partnership between those who need decent housing and thos who have resources to share, material, financial, professional, and so on.

3. It is non-profit. We will build simple decent houses and sell them to families with mortgages that include no interest. We will utilize donations from individuals, foundations, churches, coroporations and small businesses but we will accept no govenrment money.

4. The local chapter must be community based, involving local people in all levels of the chapter's operation.

5. HFH seeks to build community, not just homes. We encourage people to help others as they have been helped.

6. Local affiliates are encouraged to tithe 10% of the monies raised to the international office to support the work of HFH in developing countries. In this way every time a house is built here in Wayne County we are simultaneously funding the construction of a third world house because their cost is about 10 percent of what our houses cost.

7. Families are selected on a non-discriminatory basis. Criteria include the need for a decent house, ability to repay the mortgage, willingness to enter into partnership with HFH and to contribute "sweat equity" toward the construction of their house.

We at the local level are totally volunteer. We have selected our first partner family and are taking applications from other interested families. We are looking for help from all quarters.

The things we need include people with all kinds of skills. We need a piece of land that is buildable. One of my friends laughed when I said it will come.. but it will come. Meanwhile, there is much we can do. We can assist partner-families in need with repairs they can't afford in homes they already own. We need people to help get the word out as to what it is we are trying to do. We need individuals, churches, and otehr organizations to help find the resources required to help our partners in need.

Participation in the local Memorial Day parades.

A demonstration booth in the Wayne County Fair.

A silver elephant auction.

We do need and want your help at whatever level of involvement you can afford. Every one of the committees need additional active members.

The next meeting of the event committee planning thse events will be held April 19 at 7:30 in the Honesdale United Methodist Church. The next general community meeting which is followed by a steering committee meeting, will be held right here in the Presbyterian Chapel in one of the upstairs meeting rooms.

Habitat in Wayne is in need of many things, but the following are a few that seem to have immediate importance:

A suitable building site or a house capable of bieng renovated for use by a partner family.

Use of copy machine services.

Storage space for items contributed for either construction or fund-raising.

A portable outhouse.

Up front here we have some printed materials. We have several excellent books that include:

No More Shacks, by Millard Fuller & Dianne Scott; Love in the Mortar Joints, by the same two authors; Cotton Patch Evidence: The Story of Clarence Jordan and the Koinonia Farm Experiement, by Dallas Lee.

We also have several things that are free. Probably the best summary of what HFH is about is the sheet called "Fact Sheet."

Most important, if you want to personally be involved, please complete the volunteer questionnaire that was placed at your lunch table.

If you read the comics, you may have noticed the strip Winnie The Pooh some time ago. In that strip, the old Knight said to the dragon:

"I think everybody should divide their worldly goods with the other fellow."

"That's an interesting idea," replied the dragon.

"It's the only way," said the Knight. The dragon thought for a bit and then he asked: "If you had a million dollars, would you give me half?"

"Absolutely, answered the knight.

"If you had a dozen doughnuts, would you give me six of 'em?"

"Why certainly."

"And if you had two shirts, would you give me one?"

"NO!"

"Why not?" asked the dragon.

"Cause I've got two shirts!"

I would like to close with a quote from the present U.S. Secretary of HUD, Jack Kemp. Following a meeting with HFH's Millard Fuller, Kemp stated, "The homes that you build with needy people across the country provide more than just shelter; they restore hope, opportunity, pride, and human dignity for those who live in them... I am convinced that if the resources of government at all levels can be joined in partnership with the innovation, creativity, and entrepeneurial spirit of the private sector, we can begin to realize our mutual goal of providing decent, affordable housing for all Americans... I will continue to cite HFH as a successful example of what can be accomplshied when the private sector joins in on The War On Poverty."

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF WAYNE COUNTY