Pikes Peak Habitat Monthly e-News
May 2024
Pikes Peak Habitat Honors Volunteers at Annual Event
Pikes Peak Habitat held our annual Volunteer Appreciation event on Thursday, April 18, at The Pinery on the Hill. We welcomed more than 150 key volunteers and their guests for dinner, conversation, and recognition of the crucial role they play in helping us fulfill our mission. Once again, GE Johnson sponsored the event, and we thank them for their support!
We recognized winners of our annual volunteer awards:
Millard Fuller Award: Maggie Dover
Linda Fuller Award: Connie Dorff
Construction Group of the Year: Colorado Springs Utilities
ReStore Northeast Group of the Year: North Colorado Springs Rotary Club
ReStore South Group of the Year: Foundation for Successful Living
Journeyman Award: Mike Gallagher
Chris Brownlow Golden Hammer Award: Bobby Ingels
This year, we also had the honor of presenting the fourth George Hammond Award to Art and Laurel Thorstensen! Congratulations, and thank you both for your years of dedicated service!
Isxel's Family Breaks Ground, and Maria's Family Celebrates Home Dedication
Despite a mixture of rain and snow, Pikes Peak Habitat celebrated homeownership milestones with two families on April 27 at The Ridge at Sand Creek.
First we held a ground blessing for Isxel's family. Isxel's three-bedroom home will be built as the 4th Interfaith Build for Unity (IBU). The ceremony took place inside one of our homes currently under construction. Afterward, Isxel and her family, along with Pikes Peak Habitat CEO Kris Lewis and board member Tim Trowbridge, headed outside to shovel dirt, signifying the start of construction.
Then the festivities moved next door to Maria's new home. Maria is a single mom of two teenagers, who live with her, and an adult son. The family's home was built through the Fund for Humanity.
Homeownership Program Applications Being Accepted Now
Pikes Peak Habitat is accepting applications for our homeownership program from May 6-17. Qualified applicants can drop off their applications in person at the business office, 2802 N. Prospect St., Colorado Springs, CO 80907, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Evening drop-off hours are also available May 9 and 16 from 5:30-7 p.m.
Attend the 4th IBU Kickoff
The start of the 4th Interfaith Build for Unity (IBU) is right around the corner! On Thursday, May 16, you're invited to join Pikes Peak Habitat from 5:15-6:30 p.m. at The Ridge at Sand Creek Neighborhood (5303 Beauport Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80915) for the 4th IBU kickoff.
Learn about the IBU and our 4th IBU partner homeowner Isxel, and sign up your faith community for an IBU volunteer date. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP by e-mailing Chloe@PikesPeakHabitat.org.
Participate in Our First Post up for Veterans Fundraiser!
If you want to support Pikes Peak Habitat's Veterans Build, we're offering a fun new way you can do that: our Post up for Veterans fundraiser! Sponsor a stud or block and create a message of hope, encouragement, or inspiration for Army veteran family Damian and Trinady.
Make a donation of $35 per block or $50 per stud by Saturday, May 11. After completing your purchase, you will receive an e-mail with details on picking up your wood at one of our ReStore locations (Northeast at 6250 Tutt Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80923, or South at 411 S. Wahsatch Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903).
Then let your creativity shine! Decorate the wood with a heartfelt message from your family, your company logo, or some artwork. Please return the completed piece to one our ReStore locations by Saturday, June 1.
Finally, join us for an Open House on our construction site, 5303 Beauport Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80915, on Saturday, July 13, from 12 - 2 p.m. to see where your stud or block ends up in the framework of the home!
Questions? Contact Emma Price, Assistant Donor Relations Manager, at 719-475-7800 ext. 113 or e-mail Emma@PikesPeakHabitat.org.
Attend a Free Homebuying Workshop
Are you looking to purchase a home in the next couple of years but don’t know where to begin?
Join Thrivent and Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity for the Balanced Homebuying Workshop on Tuesday, May 14, 5:30 - 7 p.m., at Peak City Church, 1710 Dublin Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80918.
During this free community event, learn about the state of housing in El Paso County and gain insights about the housing market. The workshop will also provide information about a five-step SMART plan to prepare for homeownership and cover topics including creating a budget, improving your credit score, potential questions to ask lenders, and more.
Heavy hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be provided.
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 Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It by M. Nolan Gray. Gray worked in the city planning department in New York City and is now a Ph.D. student in urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles.
In the book, he discusses the relationship between zoning and the housing crisis, urban innovation and economic development, racial segregation, and the environment. He also looks at an example of a city without zoning. You might not agree with all of his conclusions, but he encourages readers to think deeply about how zoning functions in American cities.
