Pikes Peak Habitat Monthly e-News
March 2024
Help Us Welcome Gilas Home
If you attended our interfaith dialogue in February, you had the chance to hear from future Pikes Peak Habitat homeowner Gilas. Now you're invited to celebrate with us as we welcome Gilas and her son to their new home on Saturday, March 23, at 10:30 a.m. in the Woodmen Vistas subdivision!
Gilas' new residence is a recycled home. This means it was built by Pikes Peak Habitat, occupied by the original homebuyer for several years, then returned to our stock of affordable homes. Our construction staff and volunteers have thoroughly renovated the residence for Gilas and her son, replacing flooring, cabinets, trim, and interior, exterior, and garage doors. They also primed and painted the walls. In addition, the crew installed the same energy-efficient features found in Pikes Peak Habitat's newly constructed homes. These include a hybrid water heater, a mini-split heating and cooling system, a radon detection system, and Energy Star-rated appliances.
In accordance with Pikes Peak Habitat policy, we aren't publicly sharing Gilas' new address. If you would like to join the celebration, please head to the eastern intersection (there are two!) of Crestone Peak Trail and Sopresa Lane, and look down Crestone Peak Trail for our flags.
After the ceremony, you are welcome to meet Gilas and tour the one-story, two-bedroom home.
George Hammond Award Nomination Window Is Open!
We are now accepting nominations for the George Hammond Award, which honors a volunteer who truly is noteworthy for their constant contributions to the mission of Pikes Peak Habitat -- a constant supporter, a constant advocate and, most importantly, a constant leader.
A Pikes Peak Habitat volunteer and staff member, who are both currently volunteering or employed in good standing, may jointly nominate a fellow volunteer who is also current and in good standing with the affiliate for consideration for the George Hammond Award.
We are accepting nominations (PDF) through March 22.
Attend Our Apostles Build Kickoff Event!
Has your church been involved in Pikes Peak Habitat's Apostles Build in the past? Would you like to get involved? If you answered "Yes" to either of these questions, please join our 2024 Apostles Build Kickoff on Thursday, March 21, from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Peel House at First Lutheran, 1515 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80907.
The Apostles Build brings churches from around El Paso County together to raise walls, funds, and prayers. At the event, you'll have the chance to sign up for church volunteer days, meet representatives from other local congregations, and hear from our 2024 Apostles Build future homeowner, Bernadette. We'd love for you to join us!
Back-to-Back Events Celebrate Homeownership Journeys
On Saturday, Feb. 24, we celebrated with four families marking important milestones on their path to affordable homeownership!
First, we held a joint ground blessing for three families who are starting construction on their new homes:
- Bernadette, our 2024 Apostles Build homeowner
- Damian and Trinady, our 5th Veterans Build future homeowners
- Miranda, a Fund for Humanity future homeowner
Then we dedicated our 3rd Interfaith Build for Unity (IBU) home for Jessica and her son! The celebration featured blessings offered by representatives of diverse faith traditions, who came together to help build the home. Several of these faith communities also decorated a bench with art, prayers, and scriptures from their traditions, and the bench was presented to Jessica and her son at the dedication.
Application Cycle for Prospective Homebuyers to Open May 6-17
Pikes Peak Habitat will be accepting applications for our next group of future homebuyers from May 6-17! If you or someone you know is in need of an affordable homeownership opportunity in El Paso County, check out our program qualifications, and if you're eligible, download the application now!
Pikes Peak Habitat Reps Meet with Legislators at Coffee at the Capitol
Kris Lewis, Pikes Peak Habitat CEO, and Karla Probert, executive assistant to the CEO and affiliate advocacy ambassador, traveled to Denver Feb. 22 for Coffee at the Capitol. They met with state legislators to talk about how "Affordable homeownership IS affordable housing."
Pikes Peak Habitat builds homes in partnership with El Paso County workforce families every year, but the need is much greater than we can meet. That's why we engage in advocacy efforts, meeting with legislators and asking them to support policies and practices that can bring about systemic change and make homeownership affordable for more people in our community.
Above left, Karla Probert (left) and Kris Lewis (right) meet with State Sen. Tony Exum during Coffee at the Capitol. Above right, Lewis speaks with State Rep. Don Wilson.
Join Our Team!
Do you want a rewarding career working in partnership with local workforce families? Do you yearn to know that what you do every day makes a tangible difference in El Paso County? Do you value environmentally responsible practices, from low-water landscaping to innovative recycling programs through our ReStores? Do you want to work with a team of kind, dedicated, passionate people who share those values?
If the answer is YES, then apply today! We're currently looking for people for these positions:
Read with Us!
This month, we're reading The Cotton Patch Evidence: The Story of Clarence Jordan and the Koinonia Farm Experiment (1942-1970) by Dallas Lee.
Koinonia Farm, a community near Americus, Georgia, was founded by biblical scholar and farmer Jordan, who envisioned a place where people could live and work together regardless of racial differences. In the 1970s, Jordan and Millard and Linda Fuller developed the concept of “partnership housing” that eventually grew into Habitat for Humanity.
