Pikes Peak Habitat Monthly e-News
August 2024
Remembering Paul Johnson
Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity is saddened by the passing of Paul Johnson, who served as the affiliate's executive director from 1997 until his retirement in 2014. Under his leadership, Pikes Peak Habitat launched our first ReStore at 411 S. Wahsatch Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903, 20 years ago. Proceeds from that store, along with a second Pikes Peak Habitat ReStore -- which opened at 6250 Tutt Blvd., Colorado Springs, 80923, in 2022 -- have contributed to the construction of 128 homes in El Paso County. He also spearheaded the development of two neighborhood communities: Woodmen Vistas in Colorado Springs, where Pikes Peak Habitat built 37 homes, and Country Living in Fountain, with 34.
Pikes Peak Habitat opened in 1986 and had built 25 houses when Johnson assumed leadership. The spring he retired, the affiliate dedicated its 125th -- and Johnson's 100th -- home.
Pikes Peak Habitat, and the many El Paso County families who are living in homes of their own thanks to Johnson's enthusiasm and dedication, are grateful for his legacy.
Please join us in remembering and celebrating Paul Johnson.
Ground Blessing Marks Start of Construction on Tonya's Home, While Dedications Celebrate Two Families
Saturday, July 13, was a memorable day in the lives of three families!
First, at 9:30 a.m., Tonya and her family -- four children and one grandchild -- broke ground for the five-bedroom home they will share.
"We came out here today for a groundbreaking, but we also came out here today to break a generational curse," said Tonya. "I'm the first person in my family to be a homeowner!"
Their home is scheduled for completion in April 2025.
After that event, Janice and her daughter Matty celebrated the dedication of their two-bedroom home. The following week, they were spotted in the ReStore purchasing items such as a dining room table for their new place!
Finally, we held the Maverik Build dedication for Alex and Ida, their daughter Sofia, and Ida's aunt Lucia, who lives with the family. We're grateful that Maverik District Supervisor Chris Burton was able to join us in celebrating with this family, whose home was made possible thanks to the company's generosity.
Our next homeowner events take place Sept. 21, when we celebrate the double ground blessing for Tamara's family and Glenda's family, and the dedication of Miranda's home.
Pikes Peak Habitat Team Receives Interfaith Award
In mid-July, Chloe Henry, Pikes Peak Habitat Faith in Action program manager; Kris Lewis, CEO; and Eric Stolp, Board of Directors president, traveled to Washington, D.C., to receive the second-place prize for the 2024 U.N. World Interfaith Harmony Week competition at the Jordanian Embassy.
The award recognizes Pikes Peak Habitat for the "Who Is Your Neighbor?" Interfaith Dialogue, held in partnership with the Pikes Peak Inter Faith Coalition and the Colorado Springs Mayors Office, as well as the rest of our U.N. World Interfaith Harmony Week initiative.
At the Jordanian Embassy, the Pikes Peak Habitat team spoke with the Jordanian Ambassador to the United States, Dina Kawar, and her team before being presented with an official plaque and silver medal.
During the trip, they also met with Melissa Rogers, Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, to discuss the award and Pikes Peak Habitat's Bridgebuilding: An Interfaith Collaboration Video Training series, created as a part of the Team Up national initiative.
New Staff Members Join Pikes Peak Habitat
We're excited to welcome two new staff members to our fundraising team, under the leadership of Iain Probert, CFRE, chief strategy officer.
Abigail Hernandez is the planned giving officer. In this new role, she will build the planned giving program, which seeks to engage donors, volunteers, and other supporters interested in creating a lasting impact. Abigail graduated from Colorado College, serves as a board member at CASA of the Pikes Peak Region, and is an alumna of El Pomar Foundation's Fellowship Program.
Ariana Fernow is our new donor relations specialist. Her work focuses on fostering strong, lasting relationships with donors and maintaining a clean, efficient constituent database. Ariana previously worked as a disaster recovery specialist for the Lincoln County (Oregon) School District following the Echo Mountain Complex Fire of 2020 and as office administrator for Wi-Ne-Ma Christian Camp in Oregon. Check out this month's book club for a recommendation from Ariana!
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 A Fire Story by Brian Fies -- a recommendation from new staff member Ariana Fernow (see "New Staff Members Join Pikes Peak Habitat"), whose previous experience includes serving as a disaster recovery specialist for the Lincoln County School District following the Echo Mountain Complex fire of 2020. As we in El Paso County have experienced air-quality issues and smoke from wildfires raging in Colorado and throughout the American West, this is a timely read for us!
In this graphic memoir, Fies chronicles his experiences, as well as those of several of his neighbors and community members, during and after the Tubbs Fire in Northern California in 2017. Please note that in one scene of emotional crisis, the book features language that some readers may find offensive.
Ariana says the book "was both triggering and cathartic because the author did such a great job writing and illustrating such an out-of-body, strange experience."
Help Us Select Books
We're putting together an ad hoc committee to establish content guidelines and help select titles for our book club. Our hope is to include diverse perspectives and voices that represent El Paso County. If that sounds like you, and you love reading books and discussing ideas, please e-mail us to express your interest!
