Habitat MidOhio Monthly Musing
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CEO Corner
On Friday, September 20, we closed our two-week window of distributing homeowner applications for Fiscal Year 2026, which begins July 1, 2025. In those two weeks we handed out 727 applications in our office. 727. This number does not account for individuals who printed off applications at home. For comparison purposes, we handed out 341 applications in 2023 and 180 in 2022. This growing number represents the dramatic increase in demand for affordable housing and affordable homeownership, in particular. This week, our Board will be considering a strategic framework to guide Habitat’s efforts to become a leader in helping solve the affordable housing crisis.
We’ll be courageously seeking out opportunities to partner, to tell our story, to engage new donors, volunteers, and ReStore customers. Habitat for Humanity has a unique model, which we aim to grow in service to the cities, counties, and the region we serve.
Do you have an idea to engage Habitat in service to the communities we serve? Let us know – we want to be a courageous collaborator with you.
Brandi Braun AL-Issa
President & CEO
Homeowner Services
Commencement of Ahmed & Ibrahim Family Home, August 13
We are proud to once again partner with the Northside Partnership, a coalition of 14 churches in central Ohio. They gathered this mid-August and raised the walls of the future home of the Ahmed & Ibrahim family! When completed, this will be the 33rd home the Northside Partnership has built with Habitat MidOhio!
Wall-Raising of Hensinger Family Home, August 13
There was a sea of folks from Nationwide in their blue shirts for a wall-raising ceremony in Linden last month! We were honored to have Chad Jester, VP of Corporate Citizenship and President of the Nationwide Foundation, as well as Habitat Board Member and Sr. VP, Chief Compliance Officer of Nationwide, Rae Ann Dankovic join us to celebrate the start of the Hensinger Family’s home! This is the 11th home being sponsored by the Nationwide Foundation and we are thankful for their continued dedication!
Construction
Bringing Out the Best of America
The Habitat MidOhio Construction Department wants to give a big shout out to Sìleas Morton this month! Sìleas has dedicated the past ten months to serving families through AmeriCorps where she has been a Construction Crew Lead. Through her service, she has impacted 39 families though her involvement with 27 repair projects and 12 new builds.
Sìleas came to HFHMO shortly after graduating from Kenyon College with a degree in Anthropology and a minor in Art History. It was there that she volunteered through the university on a home renovation project with us and felt passionate about the housing issues she learned about and encountered. Fortunately, for the many families touched through her service she decided to put that new found passion into action!
As Sìleas completes her service year with HFHMO she is considering different options as her next career steps. Some include getting her teaching licensure to be able to teach History and English. Whatever next steps are taken, we hope that the skills and experiences gained with Habitat have helped to prepare her for continuing to make positive changes to the community!
We are thankful for Sìleas’ dedication to service and making peoples lives better with your presence!
ReStore
Autumn Decluttering?
Have a fall project and getting rid of “stuff”? Downsizing your home? Remodeling parts of your house? You can donate items to any of our three locations. We will also come to your house and pickup large items….for free! Exciting new merchandise is arriving daily. Stop in soon. All sales from donated items go towards of mission of providing a decent place for everyone to live.
Can’t make it into the store? Check out all the cool stuff at our eBay Store!
Desconstruction
Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio offers deconstruction services for your home!
The Habitat ReStore Deconstruction Team provides removal of salvageable materials from your home or business. As a locally recognized and respected organization, we offer efficient service and experienced personnel to complete your job on time.
Volunteer Services
Volunteer Spotlight
Each month, we spotlight 2 volunteers who have gone above and beyond to support Habitat’s mission. Check out our website to view all of our recently spotlighted volunteers, including Brian Wilkerson and Steve Tippett for the month of August!
Rock the Block
In August, our Habitat Young Professionals chapter sponsored a Rock the Block on the east side of Minnesota Ave, where Habitat will be building 3 new homes in the coming year. Volunteers and neighbors joined together to do landscaping projects and litter clean up, as well as enjoy a community cook out. Thank you for your commitment to building community, HYP!
9/11 & AmeriCorps Day of Service
Honoring Heroes and Giving Back
Reflection written by Lis McCuiston, AmeriCorps VISTA serving in our Resource Development Department
In the spirit of honoring heroes and giving back September 11th resonates with profound significance where we find ourselves at a crossroads of flooded memories, trying to think back to exactly where we were when we saw the first news clip of this tragic event happening live on our TV. Our first thoughts were most likely extreme sadness for the loss of life and total disbelief that this was really happening. And then we immediately start thinking about gratitude for life and as any good person would we find ourselves wanting to help through some act of kindness. This day, marked by its somber history, also stands as a testament to hope, unity, and the spirit of service that defines us as humans. This day will always be etched in our minds as a day of extreme loss and sacrifice and as a time to reflect on the heroes who laid down their lives in the face of unimaginable tragedy. This day also extends our gratitude to the countless rescue workers and builders who dedicated themselves to the daunting task of rebuilding in the aftermath. During the hours while the attack was in progress many of us may have specifically wondered about our own safety and what this attack would mean for our own future. This is when we can then take a moment to remember and thank those who have served in the military in the past, and for those who are currently sacrificing their lives to serve right now to ensure our freedom.
In tribute to heroes everywhere and from all time periods, many of us engage in volunteer efforts, continuing the legacy of helping others. This year, Habitat for Humanity-Mid Ohio AmeriCorps members along with staff participated in a Day of Service, contributing to a home repair project for a family who needed new siding installed. On September 11th, a group of us gathered together and installed siding, transforming a home and, symbolically, providing a renewed sense of security and hope. This act of service is one of the many ways Habitat strives to give back to our community through neighborhood revitalization and in an effort to honor the spirit of those who came together to rebuild after 9/11.
Combining the remembrance of fallen heroes and actively serving on this day creates a powerful sense of respect and thankfulness for those who served before us. As we pay homage to those who sacrificed everything, we also channel our energy into making a tangible difference in the lives of someone in need. The Day of Service provides an opportunity not just to remember but to actively contribute to the ongoing work of healing and restoration. In celebrating life, we honor the past by actively shaping a better future. By participating in community service, we embody the spirit that rose from the ashes of tragedy. Our collective efforts, whether through ceremonies of remembrance or acts of service, reflect the strength and unity that define us as a nation. Every year on 9/11 there are service projects and events happening nationwide that need us to come together for the greater good, our hope is that you are inspired to find a place to give back in the future!
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Intergeneration Month!
The Intergenerational Foundation launched Intergeneration Month, held each September, to connect generations and to prompt folks from varying age groups to befriend and learn from each other. At Habitat MidOhio build sites, events and ReStores you can see firsthand how different generations can come together for a common cause and have fun doing it!
For more information on Intergeneration Month click below!
Hispanic Heritage Month
We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success. For over 50 years, Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated in the United States from September 15 - October 15. Check out more information here.
Local involvement: The Columbus Library is celebrating all month long with programs, activities and, of course, lots of great reads. Stop by the location nearest you and ask for a Discovery Quest, plus mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 12 when they will host a Spanish Book Fair at the Main Library.
Resource Development
Hope Builders
Looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful, long-term impact in your community? We recently re-launched our monthly giving program, Hope Builders, and would love you to join this special group of people. You can conveniently setup your monthly gift on our website for any amount that fits your budget.
Cars for Homes
We are excited to announce that Habitat MidOhio was in the top two affiliates in Ohio in Fiscal year 2024 for the Cars for Homes program! We received more than $55,000 from the sale of donated cars. To date, we have received over $240,000 from this program that goes directly to building homes and empowering families in central Ohio. Thank you to everyone who has donated a vehicle and who has shared about this unique giving opportunity!!
Meet the Team
Please welcome our newest AmeriCorps member, Johnni!
Johnni is serving as our AmeriCorps Volunteer & Community Outreach Coordinator, which will be a hybrid position between Volunteer Services and Homeowner Services departments. This is Johnni’s second AmeriCorps service term. The first was with Homes on the Hill. Johnni chose to serve a year with Habitat MidOhio because they love serving their community and helping to strengthen families!
Join us in welcoming Carl to Habitat MidOhio! He joins our affiliate as Operations Lead for our Newark ReStore!
Carl applied to work at Habitat because he wanted a new challenge where he could use his experience while also learning a different style of work. He is most excited about the opportunity to be part of a new company and is eager to learn the operation, understand the flow of merchandise into the store, and become a great team member!
