Experience Works , providing senior workforce solutions, partners with Saginaw Habitat for Humanity through its Senior Community Service Employment Program. Job-ready seniors are placed directly into employment with businesses and organizations including SHFH. SCSEP participants gain valuable new skills and experience that help them secure meaningful employment and provide valuable services to their host agencies and communities. Experience Works is a national, nonprofit organization that offers training, employment and community service opportunities for mature workers. A similar program exists through the Region 7 Area Agency on Aging.
SHFH continually seeks new partnerships with churches, businesses, government, and other organizations. The following groups partnered in 2006.
SHFH was invited to the Cathedral District neighborhood in 2006 after successful five-house blitz builds in 1998 and 1999 near Longfellow Elementary School. Besides serving on the blitz steering committee, CDNA representatives made a formal request to City officials to demolish specific dangerous buildings in the blitz neighborhood. This year, the annual Cathedral District Picnic and Talent Show was combined with the Habitation celebration, Habitat’s commemoration of its volunteers’ achievements. Over 500 people attended this event.
The City has provided many services for SHFH, such as waiving fees of building permits, acquiring property from the DNR for SHFH’s use, assisting with property and tax matters such as establishing Neighborhood Enterprise Zones, and providing a number of other services during annual blitz builds. The Saginaw Police Department helps provide site security throughout the blitz events. The City is now working closely with Habitat in the Cathedral District neighborhood to address blight and plans to eliminate all DBOs (dangerous buildings) in the area by July 2007.
SHFH participates in the city council-appointed Housing Task Force and has taken an active role in shaping the city’s Consolidated Plan and Master Housing Plan.
The HBAS partners with SHFH on its ReStore acquisitions and recycling. The HBAS also completed its fifth Habitat house by taking on its third three-day build, October 27-29, 2005.
SHFH is proud to be a Vision Partner with Vision 2020. Members of the staff served on the effort’s Task Force, and the board of directors is developing action steps and benchmarks to address the Housing strategy under the section on Infrastructure.
SHFH and Rebuilding Together, another volunteer-based housing ministry, are exploring a partnership or merger. The collaboration has led to sharing volunteers, resources and office space. At one time, SHFH’s Office Coordinator acted as liaison to Rebuilding Together.
The ReDistribution Program is a collaboration among Saginaw Habitat for Humanity, United Way of Saginaw County, House to Home, Gleaning for Jesus, Partnership Center, and Emmaus House whose common purpose in this enterprise is to utilize and enhance existing opportunities for donations of personal, household, and home improvement items in good condition and their re-distribution through its member agencies to homeless and low-income persons. SHFH, in its new location, is the point of contact for pick-ups and main drop-off site for these materials.
SHFH has joined several human service providers (including the Community Action Committee, Career Paths, and Child-Care Network), National City Bank and Citizens Bank to establish a collection of programs providing Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) to low-income families in Saginaw County. The Collaboration offers participants matched savings accounts, financial training, peer and staff support, and individual counseling toward homeownership, post-secondary education, and small-business start-up opportunities. Guided by Sr. Lois Ann Sheaffer, Saginaw has the most successful IDA collaborative in the state of Michigan.
SCMS members raised over $30,000 to sponsor and help build a house to be completed by Delta College building trades students.
SHFH works with SCCHAP members to identify potential homebuyer candidates, and begin the process of a transition from homelessness to homeownership. SHFH Development Manager Cameron Brady is chair of the consortium for the third consecutive year. Recently, the group submitted a 10-year Plan to eliminate homelessness in Saginaw County. Mr. Brady served as lead contact for the plan.
SHFH’s Development Manager now serves on this committee and has made it a goal under the Collaborative’s housing priorities to help establish a ReDistribution Center (see item 5.i.), utilizing existing community resources to divert furniture, appliances and other household items from landfills and get them to families in need.
SHFH is working with the Salvation Army on an initiative called Partners in Christ. SHFH will help recruit volunteers to assist with the annual ‘bell-ringing’ kettle donation campaign to maximize its net proceeds. The Salvation Army’s director of development and marketing, Ann Bierman, worked extensively with SHFH volunteers and staff to ensure a successful annual auction in October which benefits SHFH’s building trades program (Item 5.e.).
SHFH has begun to work with this arts organization, sharing volunteers and other resources to create additional awareness in the community for each group. SHFH has offered its volunteers opportunities for set-building, listed opportunities and P&B performance dates on its website and in its newsletter and Pit & Balcony provided performance tickets for auction this year and last and performers entertained auction attendees in October 2005.
St. Mary’s of Michigan has again pledged its support of Habitat construction in the Cathedral District and has already committed more than $50,000 to future projects.