Let's have fun outside the house!

OK, the sun is out and things are starting to heat up in the 'fundraising' department. Now If you're like me, 'fundraising' is not your favorite way to spend your time. But, fear not! There is a terrific group working on fundraising for the Green Bean Habitat House and all YOU have to do is show up at an event. This group is putting the 'fun' in fundraising!

Coming up this week and into the fall, here are ways you can particpate in fundraising without having to knock on doors or call people you don't know:

• Wine & cheese tasting event (see, I told you it would be fun!)- Stop by at Wilbur's Chocolates on August 3rd from 5 PM- 7 PM to sample wine & cheese from Freeport Cheese & Wine (located in the same complex). To add to the fun, 10% of sales during that time will be donated to the building of the Green Bean Habitat House. That's 10% from Wilbur's, Simply Divine Brownies and Freeport Cheese & Wine.
• Stop in and visit at the Farmer's Market on July 31. The Farmer's Market is held each Friday afternoon from 2 PM - 6 PM in the Freeport Town Hall parking lot. Info will be on hand about the house and there will be items to purchase to help with building the house.
  
• All around town...many Freeport merchants will soon start displaying chocolates and other candies (like chocolate hammers and lobster pops) for sale at their check-outs to help support the build. Everyone has a sweet tooth, so when you see the Habitat candy box at a favorite store, please pitch in!
• Save the Date for the Raise the Roof Bluegrass & Barbecue 'friendraiser' on Sept 13. Held at Thompson's Orchard in New Gloucester, this yearly Habitat event features a great barbecue and the music of Jerks of Grass. For more info and to purchase tickets, check the Portland Habitat for Humanity website. This event benefits all Habitat builds in Maine.
• Please check our list of ways to help out for more ideas!
  

Grubby day.

When a house is moved from one location to another, it oftentimes comes with parts that are no longer doing their job or living up to their potential. Such was the case with the insulation in the Green Bean Habitat House. Removing old insulation is a grubby, sweaty, itchy job. And when the insulation is old, it just falls apart so it doesn't lend itself to easy removal!

What's inside?

It's easy to see what the house looks like on the outside, just drive by! But what does the insdie look like? Well, not much just yet! But, here's a look at the stripped down inside that will eventually be a charming Cape-style home.


This is the view looking down from upstairs to the front door. Yes, it got a little wet inside, which shows the importance of the roof being done!


Hard to believe this will soon be 2 bedrooms and a bathroom!


Also hard to picture these stacks of roofing insulation moved and in their place a charming Energy Star rated kitchen.

We have a roof!

What with all the rain in June it took awhile to get the roof on. And then it took me awhile to post the photos! But here's a look at the roof in progress...


Slowly but surely the roof goes on. And then, before the day is done...voila!


A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Getting the roof on is a big part of getting the house closed up. Even though it's summer (well, it's Summer on the calendar) we all know how quickly that changes in Maine!

Meeting Schedule

To participate in the Steering Committee meetings, held every 2 weeks, check out the schedule below and RSVP to George Ellis (this way we have a head count in case we need a larger meeting space).

george at habitatme.org (please replace 'at' with the @ sign, no spaces when emailing)

August meeting schedule:

August 10, 2009 5:15 PM Hilton Garden Inn, Park St, Freeport all are invited to attend

July meeting schedule:

July 13, 2009 5:15 PM Sasanoa Room at the Harraseeket Inn on Main St
July 27, 2009 5:15 PM Hilton Garden Inn on Park St (room TBD)

November meeting schedule:

Nov 2, 2009 5:15 PM Hilton Garden Inn on Park St
Nov 16, 2009 5:15 PM Freeport Cafe (Rt 1 at the Best Western)

February meeting schedule:

February 22, 2010 5:30 PM (Hilton Garden on Park St)

March meeting schedule:

March 8, 2010 5:30 PM (Hampton Inn Lower Main St, near Shaws)
March 29, 2010 6 PM (Hilton Garden Inn, Park St- Monhegan Room)

How you can help

What are the ways an individual or a corporation can help build the Habitat house?

Here's a quick list of how to help, no matter what your strengths are (or aren't!)

1. Volunteer your time to swing a hammer.
2. Volunteer your professional expertise (electrical, plumbing, etc).
   
3. Volunteer your time to fund raise.
4. Attend the bi-weekly Steering Committee meetings and help with the brainstorming.
5. Donate building supplies (large quantities needed).
6. Donate appliances for the kitchen and bathroom (must be new and Energy Star rated).
7. Donate cabinets for the kitchen & bathroom (must be new).
   
8. Shop at the ReStore in Portland or Bath to support all Habitat houses in Maine.
9. Donate your used building supplies (kitchen cabinets, hardware, lighting supplies, etc) to the ReStore to provide funds for Habitat builds.
10. Write a check to fund Habitat houses in Maine through the Portland Habitat for Humanity office. Or donate online through FirstGiving. (FirstGiving charges only a small processing fee to Habitat, the remainder of your donation goes to Habitat of Portland Maine.)
    
11. Participate in the Hospitality for Habitat event in May of every year where you get 50% off your room rate at participating lodging properties for a donation of $35 to Habitat.
12. Look for the Habitat candy sales around Freeport and buy a chocolate 'paintbrush' or a lollipop 'hammer' to help fund the Freeport build.
    

To volunteer your time or to make a donation of any kind, please contact the Portland Habitat for Humanity office: 207-772-2151 and check out their website for more information.

All donated building materials for this house must be cleared through the Habitat office first. Please do not drop materials off at the site.

For construction material questions, please contact Dan at Habitat for Humanity: dan at habitatme.org (replace 'at' with @ and remove all spaces)

The house itself

The cape style house that is being renovated (after being rebuilt in its new location on West Street) will be a truly 'green' house when it is completed. Starting with the simple fact of its being a 'recycled' house, moved from one location to the other, it is also being reconstructed to LEED standards meaning it will be very energy efficient when completed and best practices will be used in the construction phase.

These photos, taken a month ago show the building getting ready for the roofing to be put on. Given the uncooperative weather, this has been a long process. The new roof is on at this point, the pix just haven't been taken yet!

A Habitat House Gets Built

How does a Habitat house get built?

The best way to describe how a Habitat house gets built is through community involvement. Some houses start off very quietly with barely anyone knowing there is a Habitat house being built. Other houses start off with a full crew ready to go on day one. The Freeport Habitat house is somewhere in between.

Many Freeporters may have noticed the reconstruction of a house on West Street last summer. The house came in many parts and was slowly reassembled over the course of several months. It was, in a way, a mystery house, shrouded in a blue plastic tarp. The house sat over the winter with nary a nail being struck and no indication who owned the building or when (or if) it would be completed!

Then, back in April, the mystery started to lift- the house on West Street was a Habitat house. The property had been donated by the town and the building itself was given to Habitat for Humanity by LL Bean after it was disassembled and removed from its former location on Cross Street.

Over last summer the building was moved into place after the foundation was poured by the construction crew putting in the new Freeport Village Station.

And this is how a Habitat house is built- with donations of time and resources by neighbors and corporations and towns.