The Green Bean Habitat House

The Locals at Gritty's!

2010-06-02T13:09:00.002-04:00

The Locals (interestingly enough, a 'local' band from Freeport) will be playing outside at Gritty's on June 18 as a benefit for the Green Bean House in Freeport.

Come on out for some of your favorite 'oldies' from the 60's and 70's. All are welcome to this family-friendly event. 7 PM - 10 PM. Tickets are $10 in advance (Gritty's, Habitat for Humanity Office in Portland) and $12 at the door.

Get a jump on the summer concert-going season with a fun night with The Locals!

The house in winter

2010-02-24T13:18:00.000-05:00

Just walked by the house yesterday (of course, no camera!) and it is looking really nice! I'll have to stop by sometime when the doors are open and get some inside pix.

Looks like great strides are being made!

Winter Happenings at the House

2010-02-10T12:33:00.000-05:00

Since we last met, we have made some great progress with the Green Bean structure. If you have not driven by it lately you should, just to see how it looks nearly finished on the outside, with all the windows in and siding up, and a front porch roof added. It is going to be a really cute house for Eli and Mikki. Inside we have completed the framing, and have the rough wiring completed. The rough plumbing and heating is being done very soon as well. Then we make a final push with volunteers to put up the sheetrock walls, finish trim and floors. Although our plan is to get Mikki and Eli in by the end of June, Mikki has been working hard to keep the house moving along so that we can deliver it even sooner if possible.

On the fundraising side, we have also made some great progress. In addition to the funds raised by the Rotary event in November, we have been successful in receiving some grant money since November, and we also got some Green Bean funds in from the annual appeal efforts that we conducted in December and January.

(Thanks to George for this update!)

Freeport Habitat House Fundraiser and Informational Gathering

2009-10-29T16:44:00.002-04:00

November 11, 5-7 PM, Freeport Community Center. $10 suggested donation.

KICK OFF CELEBRATION FOR HABITAT BUILD IN FREEPORT

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland and Freeport Rotary invite you to join them for a kickoff celebration for the “Green Bean” building which is now underway on West Street in Freeport. The event is taking place on Wednesday November 11th from 5 – 7 pm at the Freeport Community Center. Come and learn about the newest building effort and how you can get involved in Habitat’s efforts to build another affordable home in Freeport. The event will include an array of appetizers and beer and wine, along with a silent auction of goods and services donated by area businesses and individuals. Children are welcome with activities planned.

Keynote speaker Craig John, world class climber, will present his inspirational stories of scaling Mount Everest and several of the world’s tallest peaks.

The Green Bean house is the frame of a house that was donated to Habitat by LL Bean and then moved to the West Street site onto a piece of land donated by the Town of Freeport. In a true green fashion, the house is being recycled and will be rebuilt to green standards that will make it highly energy efficient. Habitat has recently started work on the home and welcomes the support of the community in the effort.

For more information please go to www.habitatportlandme.org or call Nicole at Habitat at 207-772-2151. A suggested donation of $10 is requested. For planning purposes you are asked to RSVP to Nicole no later than Monday 11/9/09.

How is a Habitat family chosen?

2009-10-29T16:23:00.002-04:00

The family selection process for a Habitat House involves a lot of effort and hands on work from the family.

The selection process starts with a list of names of possible families. To be eligible the family must first attend an orientation meeting for new families which explains how Habitat works, what the requirements are to be considered, how the process works and more details on what is involved.

Once prospective families have been identified, they are invited to a more in depth informational meeting where the nuts and bolts of home ownership and working on a Habitat house are reviewed.

There is a selection process which involves a financial review to determine if the family is eligible, can they maintain the home, can they afford the utilities, etc. The family's need will be assessed as well. The family must be willing to pay the closing costs for the house, work on the house itself and donate their time to other Habitat homes and events. A family desiring a house through the Portland Maine Habitat organization must live or work in Cumberland County.

The Family Selection Committee makes visits to the family in their present home to determine eligibility.

The family must be willing to put in 250 hours of sweat equity into their home or a combination of their home and other Habitat homes. As the Habitat Organization states it, 'This is a hand up, not a hand out.'

Families must attend financial literacy classes to ensure they understand what is involved in maintaining a home, paying for a home, budgeting for payments and more. They are also required to attend home maintenance classes so they can make small home repairs on their own.

For more information on how the process works, please visit the Portland Maine Habitat website.

Meet the family!

2009-10-29T16:11:00.002-04:00

Mikki and Eli are the mother and son who are working on their Habitat House in Freeport! They have been living in Freeport for 2 years now.

Mikki is a manager at a fitness club and Eli is in school.

When asked how she got involved in Habitat for Humanity, Mikki responded that she wanted to volunteer to help build houses for families and after getting the information she realized she and Eli might be good prospects for getting their own Habitat house. She filled out the paperwork and attended the classes required (see post about how the family selection process works) and started to dream about owning her own home.

Not content to sit and wait to see if they would be the family chosen for the house in Freeport, Mikki started going to the house site and doing some small jobs on the site...raking and other outside chores.

Once they were notified they were the family chosen for this house, Mikki and Eli picked up the pace and started doing more work on the house with the teams.

Mikki is excited about owning a home and Eli is thinking about getting a dog.

Good luck to Mikki and Eli during the construction phase and after they move in!

Let's have fun outside the house!

2009-07-29T14:22:00.007-04:00

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.

2009-07-29T14:15:00.003-04:00

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?

2009-07-29T14:01:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-07-29T13:42:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-08T13:36:00.007-04:00

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

2009-07-08T13:22:00.005-04:00

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!)

Volunteer your time to swing a hammer.
Volunteer your professional expertise (electrical, plumbing, etc).
Volunteer your time to fund raise.
Attend the bi-weekly Steering Committee meetings and help with the brainstorming.
Donate building supplies (large quantities needed).
Donate appliances for the kitchen and bathroom (must be new and Energy Star rated).
Donate cabinets for the kitchen & bathroom (must be new).
Shop at the ReStore in Portland or Bath to support all Habitat houses in Maine.
Donate your used building supplies (kitchen cabinets, hardware, lighting supplies, etc) to the ReStore to provide funds for Habitat builds.
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.)
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.
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

2009-07-08T13:06:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-08T12:52:00.004-04:00

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.