Local News
Peter
Posted on: 29 September 2011
Stop Press: Habitat to offer volunteer support in Christchurch quake aftermath.
Posted on: 7 September 2010
Habitat will be doing what we do best – mobilising skilled and unskilled volunteers to work alongside local experts, to assist those with damaged houses not covered by insurance.
We are currently in talks with local authorities in Christchurch as to how we can best serve the people of Christchurch. The task will be immense and will require your prayers, support, and donor funding far above and beyond our upcoming “Love Your Neighbour” Annual Appeal (Sept 19-25) target of $100,000. In the light of this situation, please do consider making an early and generous gift towards this appeal. If you would like to donate now click here.
With your help, we will be doing everything we can to love our Christchurch Neighbours by ensuring their homes are once again safe and decent places to live.
Visit here for regular response updates and click here to register your interest in volunteering for the rebuild work in Christchurch.
New House being bulit at Canterbury University
Posted on: 22 February 2010
Habitat for Humanity house to be built at UC
A Kaiapoi family of six will soon have a new home thanks to a building project that gets underway at the University of Canterbury next week.
The Canterbury chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society and Habitat for Humanity Christchurch have joined forces to build a house for the Evans family on the University’s Ilam Rd frontage.
The build will begin on 22 February and is expected to take two weeks to complete. Once finished, the house will be relocated to a site in Kaiapoi where three other Habitat for Humanity houses will be built.
The Evans family – Trish and Keith and their four children Daniel (19), Joshua (18), and twins Roisin and Kelly (14) – are excited by the project and said they were grateful for the opportunity that had been given to them. Members of the family will work on the house during the build.
“My wife is so happy she has a huge grin,” said Mr Evans. “It has been a dream of hers to own her own home, but we never thought it would be a reality for us. This is just amazing.”
Mr Evans said the family, which currently lives in rented accommodation, decided to apply for the Habitat for Humanity project after it was suggested to them by their pastor at the Kaiapoi Baptist Church.
“We applied never thinking we’d qualify let along be chosen,” he said.
“I can’t believe how quickly it has all happened and we’ve been surprised by all the generosity of all the people involved. It’s just incredible.”
Unable to work fulltime due to poor health, Mr Evans is a volunteer ambulance driver for St John Ambulance and is a regular helper at his church’s community lunch. He and Trish, a radiographer, also volunteer their time to the local school PTAs, the Kaiapoi Art Expo and the River Carnival.
This is not the first time Habitat for Humanity and the Canterbury Golden Key chapter have worked together. In 2006 another house was built on the University’s Ilam Rd frontage and subsequently moved to a site in Rangiora.
Habitat for Humanity Board Chair, Margaret Cook said, “ The Board is thrilled to be associated with the University again. Habitat houses are built by volunteers under expert supervision. Having students willing to participate is heart-warming to the local affiliate. We anticipate another successful partnership, culminating in a new home for the Evans family.”
Habitat for Humanity is a Christian not for profit organisation that works in partnership with people of goodwill and families in housing need, to eliminate sub-standard housing by building, renovating and selling simple decent homes on an affordable basis.
The Golden Key International Honor Society is a student-run organisation that develops leadership through community service, promotes teamwork and recognises academic achievement.
A New House Dedicated in Christchurch.
Posted on: 6 December 2009
It was a lovely sunny Canterbury day on Sunday, 20th September. A great day for a Dedication!
An enthusiastic group of Habitat supporters, local dignitaries and board members gathered at the entrance to the new sections in Fuller Street, Kaiapoi where four new homes will be built early next year. The Dedication was performed by Paul Askin a local Pastor.
Both Hon Clayton Cosgrove MP and Kate Wilkinson MP were invited to speak and gave informative talks on Habitat and gave their continued support for the work worldwide as well as local. We all then ventured onto the site and Clayton and Kate ‘turned the first sod’. A new sign was then erected at the front of the site, and our last Habitat family, Mr & Mrs Kevin Ching and their son loved helping with this.
Our grateful thanks to the Canterbury Community Trust who made the purchasing of this large piece of land possible with a $250,000 grant.
We all enjoyed a cup of tea and lovely afternoon tea provided by the Board, chatting in the last of the winter sunshine.
We are heading into a new building project in the new year and in the meantime are busy working closely with the local council to subdivide the land and get plans drawn for the new homes. The selection of families is also in process.
