Fauquier Habitat for Humanity and Oak View National Bank have joined forces to help three local families make critical home repairs as part of a Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Grant.

The grant, offered by Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, provided funds to assist qualified homeowners with energy efficient upgrades, weatherization, and safety and accessibility improvements. Grants were provided in the amount of up to $15,000 each to eligible owner-occupied homes. As long as the owners stay in their home for the next five years, the grant will be forgiven. This means the homeowner will only have to repay the grant if they sell their home within the five years.

“The grant program became available during the fall as long as the funds last. We are excited that we were able to help three local families this year,” said Fauquier Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Brenda Drerenberger.

The grant required Fauquier Habitat for Humanity to work with a local bank to assist homeowners with the application process.  Oak View National Bank stepped forward, offering its expertise and guidance at no cost.

“We are extremely grateful to Oak View National Bank for supporting this grant initiative,” said Drerenberger.  “Caren Eastham, Executive Vice President of Oak View National Bank, spent many hours navigating the required paperwork of this grant.  Helping local families improve their living conditions by providing a hand-up is a core part of our mission, one that Oak View National Bank believes in also. One of the families we helped is a single grandmother raising her grandchildren. The repairs will help cut her electric bills in half, leaving her with a few more dollars each month to feed and clothe her family.”

Critical repairs funded by the grant included roof replacement in all three homes, HVAC replacement in two of the homes and five new windows in one of the homes. Gracious contractors throughout the region supported the repair initiative by providing at-cost or close-to-cost services.

Fauquier Habitat For Humanity’s 2012 Board of Directors has been announced, with seven new board members joining the organization. Newly elected to the board are Craig Andrews,  a long time volunteer and former board member; Dana Pappas, CFO of Plow and Hearth; Sheri Thorpe, CPA; Kim Forsten , owner of Old Town Athletic Club; Michelle Winner, partner, McKinsey Development, Inc.;  Cris Mitchell, Community Sales Associate, Richmond American Homes; Mark Williams, Attorney at Law; and Chris Headly, VP and Controller at The Fauquier Bank. Each new director will serve a three-year term.

The new board members join Kim Cybulski, Rosanne Gorkowski, Jim Hricko, John Suter,  and Bob Towle as directors, as well as Kettle Run High School student Carly Anderson, who serves as a junior board member. Carly also works as a marketing assistant/intern with McKinsey Development.

“The new board members bring a wide range of key skills and business experience to our organization,” said Fauquier Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Brenda Drerenberger. “Combined with our continuing board members, we are well-positioned to enter our third decade of helping rid our community of substandard housing, one deserving family at a time.”

Fauquier Habitat dedicated four homes in 2011. After two straight years of building, the organization’s dedicated volunteers have put the tools down for a few months to focus on fundraising. Building in the organization’s current development, Warrenton’s Sterling Court, will resume in the spring.

As part of its 20th anniversary celebration finale, the organization launched an online Restore website at www.fauquierhabitatrestore.com. The online ReStore accepts donations of new or gently used home improvement items and sells them to the public at a fraction of the retail price. Besides offering products to the public at unbeatable prices, the ReStore also offers local builders and others an easy way to recycle products and materials. ReStore proceeds will cover Fauquier Habitat’s minimal administrative costs and help support building projects throughout Fauquier and Rappahannock counties.

Fauquier Habitat For Humanity is combining Black Friday with community support, unveiling its online ReStore. The ReStore opened for business this morning at www.fauquierhabitatrestore.com.

A Habitat ReStore accepts donations of new or gently used home improvement items and sells them to the public at a fraction of the retail price. Besides offering products to the public at unbeatable prices, the ReStore also offers local builders and others an easy way to recycle products and materials. The launch of the Online ReStore will provide an opportunity for the public to purchase items immediately via the shopping site and then pick them up on a by-appointment basis.

“ReStore programs are staples of local Habitat For Humanity chapters around the country,” said Fauquier Habitat For Humanity Executive Director Brenda Drerenberger. “We’re excited to launch the online store as a way to get the program going here in our area while we continue to move towards opening a traditional, walk-in retail location.”

The ReStore’s proceeds will support Fauquier Habitat’s building projects throughout Fauquier County, as well as cover the minimal administrative costs of the affiliate.

For information on Fauquier Habitat For Humanity and/or the ReStore, visit www.fauquierhabitat.org or call (540) 341-4952.

Fauquier County resident Jon Pieja is once again taking pledges for Run for a Roof, his campaign to raise money Fauquier Habitat for Humanity as part of his participation in the Marine Corps Marathon.

Donations are per miles completed in 26.2 mile event, which takes place October 30 in Washington, D.C. All proceeds raised by Pieja’s campaign will be donated to Fauquier Habitat for Humanity and applied to its next building project, which is slated to start in Spring 2012.

“Knowing that my participation in the Marine Corps Marathon will benefit somebody in need in my own community gives me tremendous motivation,” said Pieja. “I’m honored to run for both my community and Fauquier Habitat.”

The 2011 Run for a Roof effort is Pieja’s second on behalf of Fauquier Habitat For Humanity. In 2008, his Marine Corps Marathon participation raised more than $3,000.

Support for Fauquier Habitat For Humanity usually comes via direct donations of money, materials, or volunteer time. When Pieja approached Fauquier Habitat Executive Director Brenda Drerenberger with his idea to hold a second Run for a Roof campaign, she didn’t hesitate before accepting his offer.

“Fauquier Habitat relies on volunteers and donations to accomplish its goal of eliminating substandard housing from our community,” Drerenberger said. “We’re gratified that Jon has taken this unique, proactive approach to help support Fauquier Habitat.”

Pledges can be made right on the Fauquier Habitat website. Pledges can be made in a lump sum or on a per-mile basis based on the distance Pieja completes.

Dozens of Fauquier Habitat for Humanity volunteers, board members and community members attended the dedication of the Lacy family’s new home in Fauquier Habitat’s Sterling Court development in a public ceremony held Saturday morning.

The Lacy family went to settlement and purchased the home on Friday, and moved in immediately following Saturday’s dedication. The homeowners, who passed an extensive qualification process, attended required classes and put more than 400 volunteer hours into building their home, began paying their 30-year mortgage and local real estate taxes this month.

“I want to thank everyone who helped with the building of our home and supported us during the entire process,” Pattie Lacy told those who gathered for the dedication. “You have no idea how much this means to our family.”

Pattie, who has volunteered with Fauquier Habitat For Humanity for more than six years, will live in the house with husband Todd and two young daughters.

The seven-duplex subdivision in Sterling Court is the largest and most ambitious project undertaken in Fauquier Habitat’s 20-year history. Once completed, 14 low-income families will have purchased decent, affordable housing.

With the Lacy family home complete, construction will pause until next spring, but the organization’s work will continue uninterrupted, primarily in the form of fundraising. Besides traditional fundraising through corporate and private donors as well as events, Fauquier Habitat For Humanity plans to open a ReStore in the county by yearend. The ReStore will sell gently used furniture and home improvement supplies donated to the organization.

“We’ve dedicated six homes in 2011, meaning six area families have been freed from having to live in substandard housing,” said Fauquier Habitat For Humanity Executive Director Brenda Drerenberger. “We’re very pleased with our progress, but at the same time, we have a lot more work to do. After two straight years of building, we will put the tools down for a few months and focus on fundraising before getting back to building again come spring.”

The Lacy home is the 44^th built by Fauquier Habitat for Humanity. The organization also has renovated several other homes in its two-decade history.

Fauquier Habitat For Humanity is always looking for volunteers and materials donations. For information on how you can support the organization’s efforts, visit this page or call 540-341-4952.

Fauquier Habitat for Humanity has been selected once again to participate in a national green-building initiative of The Home Depot Foundation and Habitat for Humanity International, called Partners in Sustainable Building (PSB).

Fauquier Habitat for Humanity is one of 125 Habitat affiliates across 38 states and the District of Columbia that was selected to participate in this year’s program. Habitat affiliates will be granted $3,000 for each home built to standards that address energy efficiency and water conservation and up to $5,000 for each home built to a program that also incorporates indoor air quality standards, durability and bulk moisture management.

Fauquier Habitat builds homes to the EarthCraft Standard, which qualifies each certified home for a  $5,000 grant. Fauquier Habitat plans to have two homes qualify for grants, meaning the organization will receive $10,000 in funding.

“The generosity of The Home Depot Foundation will help Habitat for Humanity expand its green-building practices,” said Brenda Drerenberger, Executive Director of Fauquier Habitat for Humanity. “We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue participating in the Partners in Sustainable Building program.  Since 2009, we have built seven homes that have been certified to the EarthCraft Standard.  The last four homes qualified for the Partners in Sustainable Building program.”

Since its creation in 2008, the Partners in Sustainable Building program has demonstrated that the initial costs of building to a green standard are modest and can be recovered by the home buyers through savings on utility, repair and replacement costs over the course of a home’s mortgage.

“The Home Depot Foundation has long believed that green building is smart building,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. “In today’s economic climate, energy efficient building practices, including sealing windows and doors, insulating walls and ceilings, and installing ENERGY STAR appliances and systems, are more important than ever, because they can actually put money back into homeowners’ wallets.  Our partnership with Habitat for Humanity International demonstrates that smart building ensures the long term financial and physical health of families.

PSB is the first partnership between The Home Depot Foundation and Habitat for Humanity at the national level in the United States.

“The Partners in Sustainable Building program has created excitement about the benefits of building to a recognized green standard within Habitat for Humanity,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “With the support of The Home Depot Foundation, we have a great opportunity to bring the economic benefits of sustainable building to our homeowners.”

Click here for a fact sheet on the PSB program (.pdf).

The 22^nd annual Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA) Golf Tournament, benefiting Fauquier Habitat For Humanity and Fauquier Family Shelter, will take place on Monday, September 26 at Fauquier Springs Country Club.

Registration for the tournament will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the tournament gets underway with a “shotgun start” at 11:00 a.m.

“This event is both a long-standing tradition and a key part of the annual fundraising efforts for both the Fauquier Family Shelter and Fauquier Habitat,” said Fauquier Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Brenda Drerenberger. “We are thankful for the support we get from our host and sponsors, and encourage golfers of all skill levels to come out and support two wonderful local causes.”

All tournament proceeds will benefit Fauquier Habitat for Humanity and the Fauquier Family Shelter. This annual fundraiser provides both organizations with crucially necessary funding for their respective missions. Ben Gravett Enterprises has once again signed on as the tournament’s title sponsor. Additional sponsorships are available.

Various contests and raffles will be held throughout the event, which will conclude with a celebratory reception at Fauquier Springs.

Golfers are encouraged to sign up as individuals or in foursomes. Register to participate online at www.fauquierhabitat.org or call (540) 341-4952.

Fauquier Habitat for Humanity dedicated three new homes in its Sterling Court development in a public ceremony held this morning.

The Habitat families honored in the dedications went to settlement and purchased their homes on April 27th, are now able to move in. The homeowners, which passed an extensive qualification process, assisted with the actual building of their home, and attended required classes, will begin paying their 30-year mortgage and local real estate taxes in June.

The seven-duplex subdivision in Sterling Court is the largest and most ambitious project undertaken in Fauquier Habitat’s 20-year history. Once completed, 14 low-income families will have purchased decent, affordable housing.

The three new homes bring the total number of homes built by Fauquier Habitat for Humanity to 43.

Fauquier Habitat for Humanity’s work to provide affordable housing in the community has helped Habitat for Humanity International rank as the sixth largest homebuilder on Builder magazine’s top 100 list. With 6,032 closings in 2010, this is the second time Habitat for Humanity has placed in the top 10.

“Our placement on the Builder 100 list is a testament to what can be accomplished when people work together,” said Larry Gluth, senior vice president of U.S. and Canada for Habitat for Humanity International. “So many families in the United States and around the world face an incredible need for affordable housing, and this need only increases during challenging economic times. Habitat works every day to help these families, and we are grateful for the generosity of our donors, volunteers and advocates who have joined our efforts to help families obtain safe, decent and affordable homes and to strengthen communities.”

In 2010, Fauquier Habitat helped three families obtain affordable housing and is scheduled to sell six homes to qualified Habitat families in 2011. Since 1991, the affiliate has built more than 43 homes.

“We are thrilled that our work to provide affordable housing here in Fauquier and Rappahannock counties has contributed to Habitat’s ranking as the sixth largest builder in the United States,” said Brenda Drerenberger, Executive Director at Fauquier Habitat.  “We are proud to help families obtain affordable housing, and we thank our supporters, and especially our volunteers, for their commitment to helping families in need.”

The Builder 100 list is an annual compilation of the largest homebuilders in the country. In 2009, Habitat for Humanity ranked eighth on the list with 5,294 closings, marking the first time the organization made it to the top 10.

Fauquier Women Build is recognizing National Women Build Week at Fauquier Habitat for Humanity’s Sterling Court location in Warrenton with “Plant Your Garden Day” on May 7^th from 9:00 – 11:00.

With three of the complex’s homes close to completion, Women Build will put the final landscaping touches in place for the soon-to-be new homeowners. Local vendors will be donating plants, flowers and mulch as part of the effort.

National Women Build Week, sponsored by Lowe’s, challenges U.S. women to devote at least one day to the effort to eliminate poverty housing.  Women make a difference in their communities by building homes and raising awareness of local housing needs.

The event is typically held the week leading up to Mother’s Day. These dates are significant to many volunteers, as families with children make up a staggering number of those in need of adequate housing.

“The Women Build volunteers are an integral part of Fauquier Habitat for Humanity, bringing a vast array of talents and experience to the organization,” said Fauquier Habitat for Humanity’s Executive Director Brenda Drerenberger. “More importantly, Women Build offers women the opportunity to learn new skills in a non-intimidating environment, as well as an avenue to make new friends while making a lasting contribution to the community.”

Fauquier Women Build Co-chair Krista Coyner said the support between the two organizations is mutual. “The support that Women Build gets from the general volunteers at Fauquier Habitat for Humanity is instrumental in keeping this a very active committee,” she said. “They nurture us, guide us and show us how to build, rather than just getting the job done in our presence. Through their patience, I’ve learned how to be a better Habitat volunteer”

Kim Cybulski, also a co-chair of Fauquier Women Build, said the organization’s power is in the bonds it creates and the confidence it builds among the volunteers. “At first I saw Women Build as an opportunity to volunteer and learn new skills,” she explained. “As time went on, the bond of our goal and the depth of conviction in the Women Build members has enriched my life with new, caring friends, new skills taught by talented, patient men, and the joy of helping folks achieve their dream of home ownership.

“I love to watch a new Women Builder use a power saw for the first time and gain a new confidence in an area,” she continued. “It’s just plain fun to be on the build site working on something so wonderful and being surrounded by friends.”

Several sponsors already have signed up to support Fauquier Women Build during National Women Build week. Travis Lane of Marshall, Va.-based LANEscapes pledged 6.5 yards of mulch to the Sterling Court “Plant Your Garden Day” effort, while Rankin’s True Value Hardware has donated flowers.  Old Town Athletic Club Owner Kim Forsten is holding a raffle for a $100 gift certificate to a local nursery, with all proceeds going to Women Build.

If you are interested in getting involved with Fauquier Women Build or would like to attend the “Plant Your Garden Day” event please contact us at info@fauquierhabitat.org or (540) 341-4952.