| CNHFH declares 2010 as the start of the Decade of Building Houses, Building Character! |
| August 21, 2010, released by CNHFH home office |
| At her first meeting with
the Central Nebraska Habitat for Humanity affiliate Board of Directors,
Director-elect Kathleen Burke outlined a series of benchmarks for the
first 100 days in her new position. Included in these benchmarks was
the initiation of a program which she believed will strengthen rural
communities through the alleviation of substandard housing as well as
character development for community members. Burke's work history with at-risk youths, compounded by the self-reflection of her own character growth following international community service, led her to insist that the new direction of CNHFH's programming include a focus on character development in addition to the community development that has been the goal of Habitat for Humanity since its creation. This focus will include a youth based component of all programing, including youth-only builds and youth representation on the Board of Directors. Furthermore, development of all community members will be encouraged through the volunteer opportunities and holistic programming that is the foundation of Habitat for Humanity work. Additionally, Burke is excited to announce the largest benefit to the individuals involved; where Central Nebraska will begin creating teams to particpate in Habitat for Humanity International's Global Village builds. The Global Village is a program through HFHI which sees team of US based affiliate members traveling to any of the 90+ countries around the world where Habitat for Humanity works. The experiences that these travels and global services can offer Nebraskans is something Burke feels will greatly improve quality of character, thereby improving quality of communities. "When we discuss the issue of sustainability in rural communities the most important resource we can discuss is human resource," Burke explains. "Sustaining these communities is dependent on sustaining population. There is not a huge draw to rural America, so maintaining the population base is key." Doing this requires safe, affordable housing to maintain and inspire thriving communities. Furthermore, by allowing opportunities of personal growth for youth and all community members through the Global Village builds, Burke hopes to inspire community members to take pride in their hometowns, see the blessings they have and teach them compassion and skills to return to their communities with. "It really makes one take stock on their own lives and appreciate what they have. It develops pride and inspires one to invest themselves in the future of their communities." Before jumping into the global areana however, Burke sees a large need to revitalize the interest of the Central Nebraska service area with the work of Habitat for Humanity. By shifting focus from building new homes to a program that emphasizes repair and rehab work within existing neighborhoods, Burke hopes the revitalization of CNHFH will be a rather painless one. These low cost projects will generate a good deal of public attention and engage volunteers with an "instant gratification" from the short-term project completion. Burke hopes to launch the repair program phase in the coming spring. |