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• Love In the Name of Christ Donates Building to GFA Habitat for Humanity

Love In the Name of Christ Donates Building to GFA Habitat for Humanity

PRESS RELEASE

Contacts:
Grant Shimanek at 452-3876 x.115, [ email ]
Judy Dellinger at 452-1685, [ email ]

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." – Winston Churchill

Two local groups have found a unique way to give people a better life and enhance our community through sharing resources.

In the true spirit of Christian goodwill, Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC) will donate their building on Pioneer road, formerly the old Quality Meats building, to the Greater Fairbanks Area Habitat for Humanity. The transfer will occur on May 1, 2006.

Love INC plans to build a new facility on land gifted by Habitat for Humanity at 26th Avenue and Mercier Street. Groundbreaking ceremonies are scheduled for Monday, May 8, 2006.

Love INC is celebrating 20 years of successfully engaging volunteers to fill the gap in social services for the hungry, the hurting, and the helpless. In addition to material goods, individual mentoring and special events empower people to deal with addictions, overcome debt, restore relationships, and become better parents. Churches, non-profits, native entities, and social service agencies work as a resource network through the Love INC Clearinghouse.

“Our mission is to mobilize the Church to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ," says Grant Shimanek, Executive Director of Love INC. “Sharing our resources with Habitat for Humanity will have a good return for our work, since it benefits families we both serve."

Habitat is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that brings together community volunteers to build decent, affordable housing for people in need. Houses are constructed primarily with volunteer labor and sold to qualifying families at cost with a zero interest loan. Partner families invest hundreds of hours of “sweat equity" in building their homes. Habitat seeks to build lives, families and communities as well as houses.

Habitat for Humanity will use the building for a ReStore to recycle overstocked, discontinued, new and used building materials donated by manufacturers, stores, contractors and individuals. These donated items will be sold to the public or used in the construction of Habitat houses. The building will also house the Habitat offices and provide a space to pre-frame walls in the winter months.

“It has been a dream of Habitat to start a Restore since our affiliate began," said Judy Dellinger, Habitat’s executive director. “It’s sad when over forty families apply for homes and we can only select two or three. A Restore will bring in revenue that will help us build more houses. More than that, it will give Habitat the daily public exposure we need to tell the Habitat story to everyone who walks in our door."

Both Love INC and Habitat have made a significant impact in peoples’ lives through strategies that intend to alleviate cycles of poverty throughout Interior Alaska.

For more information visit the Love INC website at www.loveincfairbanks.org.