Welcome to Habitat for Humanity

PO Box 487, Lake City, FL 32056

386-755-6683

www.hfhlakecity.org

Email - info@hfhlakecity.org

Board of Directors Meeting Tuesday evening - December 6 - 7:00 p.m.

Lake City Medical Center (Class Room), 340 NW Commerce Drive

Columbia County Fair Booth Winners

Fair Birdhouse and Quilt Winner

HFH Board Member and Treasurer, Sally Huggins with Betty Russell of Lake City (left)

winner of Bird House and Jim Tompkins of Jasper (right) winner of Quilt

donated by Lady of the Lake Quilt Guild.

Thanks to James Montgomery

Habitat for Humanity Board Member

James Montogomery

Mr. James H. Montgomery is one of our newest Habitat for Humanity board members. However, he has been a friend to our affiliate since its inception. He helped to build our very first house in July of 2004, but decided he could make a contribution a lot easier. And contribute, he has done! He has been one of our biggest financial contributors to date and is now chairing our Public Relations Committee.

Mr. Montgomery is currently an adjunct professor at Florida Gateway College where he has been teaching American History since 2003. He taught American History, Economics, Government and Bible at Columbia High School for 40 years.

He is very busy serving our community in many others areas. He is Chairman of Suwannee Valley Community Foundation, Vice-president of Friends of the Library, Chairman of Friends of Alligator Lake, been a Chamber of Commerce member for 50 years and serves on many boards and committees such as: Lake City/Columbia County Beautification Committee, Columbia County Historical Society, Gateway Wildlife Habitat Organization, North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Florida Gateway College Foundation, Alligator Community Theater, and Humane Society Advisory Board, and Blake School Advisory Committee. He awarded twenty $500.00 scholarships to C.H.S. students attending Florida Gateway College, is a frequent speaker at civic clubs and is a Community Concert and Lyceum Member.

Mr. Montgomery has been involved for many years in our community sponsoring such things as the Ichetucknee Mural in Downtown and helped fund the softball Field House at Southside Complex. He landscaped entrance to Columbia High School, football field, tennis courts, baseball and softball fields at Columbia High School.

Mr. Montgomery also served as parade Chairman for Olustee Festival for 7 years where he was awarded Commanding General in 1992. Among other distinguished awards he has received includes: Rotary Citizen of Year in 1991, Rotary Community Service Award , American Cancer Society Courage Award in 2001, Columbia County Teacher of the Year in 2004, North Florida Family Values Award in 2006, Florida Gateway College Friends of the Foundation Award in 2007. He also served as Columbia County Commissioner for 28 years. Mr. Montgomery was Christmas Parade Marshall in 2010 and is very active at First Presbyterian Church of Lake City.

Thanks Mr. Montgomery for all your contributions to our

Habitat for Humanity affiliate and to our community!

HFH of Florida SSO Board of Directors Strategic Planning Meeting

Orlando - November 28-29, 2011

SSO Board

Back Row (L-R) Rosemary Walker - SSO Treasurer & Volusia County ED, Dr. Ken Bensen, Michigan SSO, Joe Monroe - New Florida HFH SSO ED, George Burnham, Columbia County Board Chairman, Mike Campbell, SSO Secretary & South Palm Beach ED

Front Row (L-R) Tyler Turkle, Big Bend ED, Sheree Monroe, Volunteer, Mrs. Ken Bensen, Barbara Inman - SSO President and Pinellas County ED, Mary Kay O'Roarke -

Jacksonville ED, Natalie Stolfi - Pensacola Director of Development & Communications, Jane Breylinger - DeSoto County ED, Dee Danmeyer, SSO Vice President & Orlando ED, Sheila Burnham - Volunteer

Habitat for Humanity of Florida (HFH of FL) is a statewide association that provides support to the 60 plus Florida affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International through training, advocacy, resource development and disaster preparedness.

Our vision is for all Florida affiliates to be healthy-organizationally, financially and spiritually-with the ability and capacity to eliminate poverty housing from their communities.

The collective of Florida affiliates have successfully provided over 11,000 families with affordable homes in the state of Florida, has contributed to over 6,000 families with affordable housing globally, and continues to lead in the methodologies and innovations that sets the pace for Habitat for Humanity in the United States.

A Message from your Chairman

I feel confident in saying that almost everyone who contributes to the ministry of Habitat for Humanity is eager to make a difference in the lives of others. We know that a stable home affects health, education, earning potential and so much more. The ability to contribute to a positive outcome is exciting. Thanks to all our local donors and volunteers!

Thanks to our 25 volunteers and board members who manned our fair booth for a total of 93 hours. I would also like to thank Lady of the Lake Quilt Guild for donation of the beautiful home made quilt given to us to give away at the fair and for also agreeing to give each of our partner families a quilt as well. We raised $235 on ticket sales for quilt and bird house.

I would also like to thank Lynn Causey and Bill Cobb of TD Bank for coming to our last board meeting and sharing how their bank can offer assistance to our affiliate.

Sheila and I attended a strategic planning meeting with the Florida SSO board members and new Executive Director in November. Looking forward to working with the new ED and new officers and directors!

With our fourth house completed, it is time to think about the fifth house. For it to become a reality, before we can start the house, we have to have at least two qualified partner families and 80 percent of construction funding in place. Please pray for these needs. I would also like to have more groups ready to volunteer for workdays/projects before starting.

Thanks for all you're doing. Please consider sharing this newsletter with a friend or neighbor and ask them to get involved in this worthwhile organization. Even though we are not presently building a house, we have lots going on. Hope you will continue to help and support our endeavor!

Habitat for Humanity doesn't just build affordable housing for those in need; we build homes,...home where dreams are realized and seeds of optimism are planted. Our local community is striving to do our part for our partner families.

George L. Burnham, Jr.

Board Meeting - Tuesday, December 6, 7:00 p.m.

Board of Directors' meetings are held at 7:00 PM on the first Tuesday of each month at

The Lake City Medical Center (Class Room), 340 NW Commerce Drive Lake City, FL.

All individuals interested in helping Habitat for Humanity are invited to attend.

Agenda

Devotion - Gary King

Approval of Minutes and Treasurer's Report

Operating Committee Reports (5 min limits)

       Building Committee (James Geibeig)

       Family Nurture Committee (Rachelle Lilly)

       Family Selection Committee (Mary Melum)

Fundraising Committee (Still need a chair)

Public Relations Committee (James Montgomery)

Site Selection Committee (Robert Jordan)

Volunteer Committee (Jay Larick)

Old Business:

Columbia County Fair - October 28 - November 5

New Business:

Approve Policies - Family Nurturing Report

Establish a date to start Fifth House

Comments from Other Volunteers

Funding Needed for Next Habitat House

We are currently looking for individuals, groups and businesses that might be interested in making donations of money, building materials, land, or labor to our local affiliate to help fund Habitat homes in the Lake City/Columbia County area.

The State of Florida, in 1980, initiated the Community Contribution Tax Credit Program (CCTCP). This program provides Florida businesses, which make contributions to an approved project, an opportunity to apply for a tax credit or sales tax refund equal to 50% of the value of their contribution against their Florida Corporate income Tax, Florida insurance Premium Tax or Sales and Use Tax. As an approved sponsor for this program, we are seeking partner businesses that are interested in making donations to our local affiliate to help build our next Habitat home.

If you know of any businesses, individuals, or groups that might be interested in making a donation, please contact George Burnham, Chairman of the Fundraising Committee, at musicladylo@windstream.net or 386-590-0800 with their contact information (phone #, email, etc.).

Cars for Homes

Here's your chance to do "Ultimate Spring Cleaning" and benefit Lake City/Columbia County Habitat for Humanity at the same time. Forget the house - look in your garage and yard (and your neighbors' yards) for the treasures.

Habitat for Humanity's Cars for Homes^TMis a national program that recycles used cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, construction equipment or other vehicles to raise funds for HFH home construction. Running or not, your old treasures can be put to good use through this program.

Donors simply call the Cars for Homes^TMnumber (877)277-HFHI (4344) or visit www.carsforhomes.org to donate vehicles. Accepted vehicles are sold through wholesale auctions, salvage yards, and automotive recyclers. Donors are sent an acknowledgement from HFHI and all the forms required by the IRS regulations. Net proceeds and donor contact information generated by the donations are disbursed to HFH affiliates, based on the zip code of the donor. These are unrestricted funds to help build homes in partnership with local families in need of decent affordable shelter.

Do You Know Anyone Interested in Owning a Habitat Home?

We are looking for families who are interested in becoming owners of Habitat homes in the Lake City/Columbia County area. Successful candidates for Habitat homes need to be residents of Columbia County and satisfy three criteria: 1) a need for Habitat housing, 2) an ability to repay a no-interest mortgage, and 3) a willingness to partner with Habitat.

HFH Newsletter - December 2011