Two years after Haiti’s devastating earthquake, more than a half-million people remain homeless.

But thanks to an outpouring of volunteers, including four dedicated Habitat-NYC Board Members, there are 100 new homes in Leogane, a town that lost 90 percent of its buildings to the quake.

Christine McGuinness, Rodneyse Bichotte, Shauna Long and Martha Parrish of Habitat-NYC recently traveled to Haiti with Habitat International and former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter to build Habitat homes in Leogane.

“We saw people living in shanties, covered only by piece of cloth – the frayed remains of tarps that were sent to Haiti after the earthquake,” said Martha, who was saddened

W I N T E R 2 0 1 2

Habitat-NYC TIMES

>>Inside

Continued on page 6

Board Members Rodneyse Bichotte, Martha Parrish, Christine McGuinness and Shauna Long

1 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r g

Pho

to b

y A

ntho

ny C

ollin

s2012 LegislativePlatform

Page 5

Builder Awards Photo Album

Page 4

Halsey Street Homes Host Volunteers

Page 5

Elizabeth Alvarez kisses her infant son, Eduardo, as they dedicate their new, green, Habitat-NYC home in the South Bronx

Rebuilding Haiti

V O L . 3 0 N O . 1

Habitat-NYC Board Members offer support, sweat to Haiti

WelcomeHome!

Story on Page 3

Pho

to b

y R

odne

yse

Bic

hott

e

by the conditions she witnessed.Among the family partners who worked with

them to build small two-room homes was a mother and her children, who lost their entire

From the Executive Director

2 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r g

Habitat-NYC Board of DirectorsPeter Knitzer, ChairE*TRADE Bank

Karim Hutson, Vice ChairGenesis Companies

David A. Terveen, Vice ChairDK Display Corp.

Zali Win, TreasurerCredit Agricole

Christine A. McGuinness, SecretarySchiff Hardin LLP

Jennifer ArmstrongCIT Inc.

Neil BaderGuaranteed Home Mortgage Company, Inc.

Evan BauerDealerTrack, Inc.

Rodneyse BichotteAmerican Express

Alatia Bradley

Robert L. BurchA.W. Jones Company

Ron DarlingSportsNet New York

Dr. Michael Dean

Timothy EdwardsWell Fargo

Charisse FordThe Estée Lauder Companies, Inc.

Carmen GellineauJPMorgan

Candace GeorgeHabitat-NYC Family Partner

Aileen GribbinForsyth Street Advisors, LLC

Jeff InfusinoOliver Wyman Financial Services

John IsaacsCB Richard Ellis

Rabbi Bob KaplanCAUSE-NY / JCRC

Peter MurrayC&C Affordable Management LLC

Lee OleskyTradeweb

Martha Parrish

Douglas L. PaulCredit Suisse

Douglas Renfield-Miller

Nia RockSovereign Bank

Shauna Long

The Rev. Thomas SynanChurch of the Heavenly Rest

Judy TeevenAmerican Express

Rev. Johnny Ray YoungbloodMt. Pisgah Baptist Church

Josh LockwoodExecutive Director

I recently received an inspiring message from one of our homeowners, Brena Bracy-Seals, who chairs the

condominium board at our Atlantic Avenue complex in Ocean Hill-Brownsville, Brooklyn.

She penned these words right after reading a dispiriting New York Times article on her neighborhood.

“Habitat-NYC has empowered many families as homeowners,” Brena wrote. “We are going to be the beacon in the community of Brownsville and help our neighbors strive for a safe, prosperous and clean environment.

“We will have an impact on the improvement of the quality of life in the place we call home.”

Brena’s pledge underscores some of the most powerful attributes of the Habitat mission. We provide not just the tools to build homes – our model also equips our family partners with the knowledge, education and skills to become successful homeowners and neighborhood activists. In Brena’s words, we empower our families and prepare them to be leaders in the areas where they live.

Habitat homeowners pour their “sweat equity” into literally building their own homes – and they pour their hearts into building their communities. Meet a Habitat-NYC homeowner and you will meet a committed New Yorker who is active on his or her community board, block association, neighborhood school and faith institution.

As a Habitat-NYC supporter, you know that every new home we create together transforms the life of a hardworking New York City family. As important, every Habitat-NYC family who puts down roots in a neighborhood helps strengthen their community – home by home and block by block.

Thanks to your generosity, Brena and her 40 neighbors at Atlantic Avenue will remain beacons for positive change in Brownsville. And many more future Habitat homeowners will become agents of change and transformation in struggling communities throughout our city.

111 John Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10038Tel: (212) 991-4000 www.habitatnyc.org

Habitat for Humanity - New York City transforms lives and our city by building quality homes for families in need and by uniting all New Yorkers around the cause of affordable housing.

Santa left his sled at home when he delivered toys to children at P.S. 308 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn in December – arriving instead in a

Habitat-NYC van. The holiday gifts were collected in a toy drive

sponsored by the organization A Friend of New York Real Estate and Habitat-NYC. Volunteers helped wrap more than 300 presents for the children.

Our elves report that Principal Renata Clement, Parent Coordinator Charles Thomas and kindergartners through eighth grade students were “ecstatic and overwhelmed.”

Toys for Bed-Stuy Tots

3 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r g

Music to their ears

The sound of hammers turned into a symphony of joy when the future residents of The Melody gathered

for their home dedication in the South Bronx.

Named in honor of this historic area renowned for legendary musicians from the jazz to the hip hop era, The Melody is the second partnership between Habitat-NYC and Blue Sea Development Company to create affordable, LEED Platinum, co-op buildings in the area.

The Melody also is the city’s first residential building to meet new guidelines incorporating “active living” in its design, including a gym, playground and exercise yard and music

Pho

tos

by

Ant

hony

Col

lins

The Melody Dedication: A Symphony of Joy

Meet the Alvarez Family

and art in the stairwells to encourage climbing.

Family partner Carole Eady summed up the emotion of the day. “We are so grateful and happy to be New York City homeowners,” she said.

Elizabeth Alvarez has no fear of construction.

Faced with sharing a small one-bedroom apartment with four people, she simply added a wall in the living room to create a makeshift “bedroom” for her mother, Juventina Altegracia. Meanwhile, Elizabeth tripled up in the original bedroom with her two small sons.

The severe lack of space and privacy — coupled with a sky-high rent bill — made life challenging for this family.

“I always dreamed of owning my own home,” says Elizabeth. “But I never thought it would be possible.”

But when Elizabeth learned about Habitat-NYC, she knew she could make it work.

That meant picking up a hammer and spending all of her free time on a Habitat construction site until her “sweat equity” was completed and financial and homeownership courses were done.

Alejandro, 3, and year-and-a-half-old Eduardo joined their mother and grandmother in a celebration to bless their new home.

They loved exploring their new home, and the boys were most excited

to discover the outdoor playground in The Melody’s back yard.

The Alvarez family with Congressman Jose Serrano (left) and Habitat-NYC Executive Director Josh Lockwood

Pictured here, top right: families and community members cut the ribbon at The Melody. Bottom left: Habitat-NYC family partner Daina Allen receives her certificate and keys. Bottom center: the Singh family blesses their new home. Bottom right: the Eady family is all smiles in their new home.

4 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r gFounded by Millard and Linda Fuller in 1976, Habitat for Humanity is a Christian organization that welcomes people of all beliefs to join in its mission.

12th Annual Builder Awards

Pho

tos

by

Ant

hony

Col

lins

Mets star Ron Darling, actress Emily Bergl and supermodel Selita Ebanks were special

guests at Habitat-NYC’s 12th Annual Builder Awards gala in November, which raised more than $1 million. Honorees included:

• Credit Suisse, Corporate Partner of the Year Award. Douglas L. Paul, Vice Chair of the Investment Banking

Division, accepted the award.• Les Bluestone, Millard Fuller

Social Justice Award. He is Co-Founder of Blue Sea Development Company.

• Collegiate Church Corporation, Richard Wong Faith-in-Action Award. Rev. Charles D. Morris, Senior Minister of the Fort Washington Collegiate Church, accepted the award.

• The Smith Family, Family Partner of the Year Award.

Juliet Smith and her children, Valina, VeAnnah, Jada and SeArah, personify the strong work ethic of Habitat-NYC family partners. A city EMT, Juliet often worked her overnight shift before going directly to the Habitat-NYC construction sites to help build homes.

Emily Bergl with David Bach & Alatia Bradley

Doug Paul & Maureen McPhilmy O’ReillyDavid Terveen & Karim Hutson

Les Bluestone (right) with family Rev. Charles Morris

The crew from Delta Air LinesCandace George & Ron Darling

A tearful Juliet Smith accepts the Family Partner of the Year AwardFa

mily

Par

tner

of t

he Y

ear

Julie

t Sm

ith &

Fam

ily

5 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r g

100 Homes Update

Habitat-NYC has launched its 2012 Housing Covenant, our annual housing advocacy platform. Priorities for this year include:

New York City• Ensure that affordable homeownership remains an

essential and central public policy issue as a solution to our city’s affordable housing crisis

• Call for 2013 Mayoral Candidates to produce comprehensive affordable housing plans that address the full housing continuum, from ownership and rental to supportive and emergency housing

New York State• Increase New York State’s capital investment in

affordable housing• Fully restore $25 million in funding for the Foreclosure

Prevention Services ProgramUnited States• Invest in stabilizing communities and maintain federal

resources that support the work of Habitat affiliates nationwide

• Foster land tenure security internationally — ensuring

2012 Advocacy Agenda

Volunteers and family partners are hard at work renovating our six-unit building at 849 Halsey Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

This historic Romanesque Revival building, constructed in 1910, contains many interesting details, such as corbels on the street-side exterior and lion heads carved into the brownstone of the stoop. Habitat-NYC is preserving the unique facade.

Volunteers have already installed Sheetrock, and are currently laying wooden floors and bathroom tiles.

The Halsey homes overlook Saratoga Square Park, the second-largest park in Bed-Stuy. Future homeowners will share a private backyard. These affordable homes will meet green-building standards and will be energy-efficient.

These six homes will be part of Habitat-NYC’s 100 Homes in Brooklyn. We are seeking homeowners for this initiative. Information is available at www.habitatnyc.org.

Hard at work on Halsey Street

Romanesque Revival: Facade details include corbels (bottom left) and a carved stoop (middle). Volunteers are laying floors.

Pho

tos

by

Deb

orah

Sch

war

tz

In Memory of Betty Brummett

It was nearly 3:30 pm on Fri., Aug. 19. I had spent the day as a volunteer, hanging drywall at Habitat-NYC’s St. John’s Place site in Brooklyn. I had told no one that I was dedicating

my day of service to the memory of my wife, Betty Brummett, who died 10 days earlier.

Suddenly, I could not continue working. I vividly recalled that April 2008 day when Betty, recently retired as Associate Dean and Registrar of The Juilliard School, learned the devastating news: She had lung cancer.

During days of radiation and years of chemotherapy, Betty maintained a strong, positive attitude, never expressing anger about her situation, only a determination to live her life the way she always had, enjoying friends, seeking new adventures. Betty remained the same feisty, confident, independent woman she always was.

We had talked frequently about the service work we would do together in retirement, including volunteering with Habitat-NYC. We’d supported Habitat financially for years, but wanted to be actively involved in providing decent homes for people.

Betty’s treatments made our joint effort impossible; she did not have the stamina. She did, however, manage to serve at the weekly Supper Center at our church. I was filled with admiration for her. She knew many of the homeless or hungry people she served and everyone adored her — she was cheerful, pretty, and treated everyone with dignity and respect.

Betty encouraged me to volunteer with Habitat, and I have had three opportunities to do so.

Toward the end of that August day, I was overcome with emotion. I choked back tears and took a deep breath. I was unable to finish that day, but I hope to continue to serve, in Betty’s memory.

— Albert Watson

families the right to live in a place without fear of eviction.

As part of the 2012 advocacy campaign, we have created 3-D “paper house” postcards. They are made to look like our Monroe St. building in Bed-Stuy, and maintain an appropriately urban look. The call to action on the sides is directed to Governor Cuomo and the state legislature.

New, more-NYC look

6 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r g

Habitat-NYC Leaders Build Homes in Haiti

Pho

tos

by

Rod

neys

e B

icho

tte

and

Mar

tha

Par

rish

Financial Sector Raises Awareness, Support for Habitat-NYCTradeweb, CB Richard Ellis host event to promote Habitat mission

Continued from page 1

family and all their possessions.“One of our future homeowners is

a man whose family is sheltered only by a tarp,” Shauna said. “When it rains, he stays up all night holding down the corners of the tarp. If he lets go, even for a moment, everything gets soaked.”

Stories like these inspired our Board Members to work hard, despite 90-degree temperatures. Potable water and food was brought in from the Dominican Republic, and volunteers slept in tents, under mosquito netting.

Shauna, who has participated in nine international Carter Builds, said construction in Haiti was especially challenging for volunteers because the homes are being built to U.S. earthquake codes. “It was hard and time-consuming to install the hurricane clamps that will secure roofs in high winds,” Shauna said.

Rodneyse, a native of Haiti, helped translate the stories of the Habitat families. “You’re working alongside these (future) homeowners, people who haven’t a home . . . and they’re excited to have been selected to be a homeowner,” she said.

Pho

tos

by

Ant

hony

Col

lins

More than 250 financial industry leaders joined Habitat-NYC in November at the Harmonie

Club for lessons in cigar-rolling – and affordable housing.

Co-hosted by Tradeweb and CB Richard Ellis, the evening was designed to build awareness about Habitat-NYC’s mission and strengthen support from the city’s financial sector. Lee Olesky, CEO and Founder of Tradeweb, recently joined Habitat-NYC’s Board of Directors.

Emceed by Mets alum (and Habitat-NYC Board Member) Ron Darling, the program included Scotch-tasting, cigar-rolling, bagpipers and a live auction of a donated bottle of Scotch, a yacht experience and a Mets game with Ron Darling.

Actress and Habitat supporter Emily Bergl joined the festivities and future Habitat-NYC homeowner Ricardo Vasquez talked about the impact that a Habitat home will have for his family.

Board Chair Peter Knitzer with Lee Olesky & Josh Lockwood John Isaacs & Emily Bergl

Emcee Ron Darling with auctioneer, C K Swett

Rodneyse Bichotte with children from the town

Shauna Long is no stranger to constructionChristine McGuinness installing drywall

Leogane, Haiti