HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit ecumenical Christian housing ministry. Habitat for Humanity seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness throughout the world by making decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. HFH International was founded in 1976 by the late Millard Fuller and his wife Linda. Thanks to the dedicated and generous supporters and volunteers, the organization has built over 200,000 homes providing shelter to more than 1 million people around the world and locally.

Habitat for Humanity of Prairie Lakes, Inc. serves both Pope and Stevens’s counties. The Prairie Lakes affiliate was formed in the spring of 2004 serving only Pope County. In 2006, the affiliate expanded to include Stevens County in its geographical boundaries.  Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and/or renovates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (Partner Family). Habitat houses are than sold to the family at a no profit, no interest loan. Habitat is not a “hand-out” but a “hand-up”.  Families meet certain income and  sub-standard housing guidelines in order to apply. Both the Pope and Stevens county chapters build approximately one house a year. Each 2-3 bedroom home costs Habitat about $75,000 with most of the funding coming from local individuals and businesses. We also tithe (10 percent of all unrestricted donations) to the Honduras affiliate which builds additional 3-4 houses each year with our funding. We are very thankful to all who have helped us in our mission “so that there are decent houses in decent communities in which every person can experience God’s love and can live and grow into all that God intends.”  See our website www.habitatprairielakes.org for more details and forms for volunteering or applying for a house