Growing in Style!

May 23, 2013

If you are looking for some great finds at great prices for your furniture and décor collection, then mark your calendar for Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis’ Growing in Style Event. This once in a lifetime auction will be in Des Peres on June 6th including some exquisite pieces from from Currey & Company, Elizabeth Marshall, Frederick Cooper, Global Views, John Richard, La Barge, Maitland-Smith, and more. The event will be held in the soon-to-open ReStore Des Peres, which is located behind Sam’s Club on Manchester at 2117 Sams Drive, Des Peres, MO 63108.

Admission is free, but if you want to get a jump on the bidding competition there is a special VIP hour where attendees can have the first chance to purchase items from the unique collection with “buy-it-now” prices. Visit our Growing in Style page for more information and to RSVP for this special event!

Volunteers Needed to Collect Donations

May 22, 2013

At least 20 volunteers are needed on May 28 from 9:00am-3:00pm. Volunteers will be assisting in collecting donations for the ReStore from the Bellerive Country Club from the recent PGA Senior Tournament. Tasks will include cutting and removing large pieces of carpet as well as dismantling a large set of stairs to salvage the lumber. For more information on this opportunity please visit our Volunteer Connect page.

Thank You, Supporters!

May 21, 2013

We would like give a big shout out to all who have helped during the recent break-ins and say THANK YOU!

All of the donations, tweets, Facebook posts, and support have shown that commitment to the Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis mission runs deep within the community. As well as the gracious gifts from individuals, we received substantial donations from Home Depot, Ridgid, and Makita to help replace the stolen tools.

The need for affordable housing is steadily increasing. Your continued support is essential, in order for HFHSL to serve more families. With more than 80 percent of all HFHSL homes built through volunteer labor, we continue to work to increase our efficiencies as we work on multiple projects simultaneously. With that said, there is always a need, a need for more friends, a need for more tools, or a need for more funds. YOU make the difference.

Our partner families and future homebuyers greatly appreciate all that has been done, and are ever grateful for all support that can be provided. Once again, for past and future donations and assistance, thank you!

Thurman LoopFest

May 20, 2013

There’s a weekend of fun coming up on Friday May 31st and Saturday June 1st. Games, art vendors, musicians, storytellers, and BBQ contest hopefuls will line the intersection of Thurman and Shenandoah Avenues in the historic Shaw Neighborhood of St. Louis City for this year’s Thurman LoopFest. Admission is free for all guests at this family-friendly event held in support of Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis. And if you think you have the best BBQ in town, then you can enter the competition too! Just visit Thurman LoopFest’s website for more information and details on how to enter. The event begins at 5pm on Friday and 10am on Saturday.

Stories to Inspire: Maurice

May 15, 2013

Having a stable home is key to helping children reach their full potential. With the hard work and support of our volunteers and donors we can work together to end substandard housing in Saint Louis. Through your assistance, families can worry less about the hazards that can hinder child development, and focus instead on helping their children succeed. Meet Maurice, a 17-year-old student who moved with his family into their Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis home in 2007. He is on track to graduate from St. Louis University High School this spring. He has skillfully juggled responsibilities during his time in high school; working part time at White Castle for the past couple years, finishing two hours of homework every night, and completing work grant hours after school. On top of that he helps teach a break dance class and is on the track team. He has taken several college courses, including macro and micro-economics, African History, psychology, and Shakespeare. His dream job is to be a mechanical engineer, and he pursued his passion early by taking a college course in Engineering Graphics while still in high school. He was recently accepted to SLU and UMSL, but his college of choice is Missouri University of Science and Technology (MO S&T). He wowed some of the professors with his knowledge of the field when he visited the MO S&T campus recently, and to his and his mother’s excitement was recently accepted there as well. His first day will be in August, 2013. Maurice was very proud of his Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis Home. According to his mom, Tesha, “When we first got our home, Maurice wanted to cut the grass every day just to make sure our house was the best looking house on the street.” With that sort of dedication, and a safe home to study in, we know Maurice will go on to do great things.

We Need Volunteers!

May 14, 2013

Volunteers are needed from 10am-3pm on Tuesday, May 21 at ReStore Des Peres to assist with dismantling pallets. Salvaged wood from the pallets will be used in the lobby design at the entrance to the store. Those interested can register here.

Electronics Recycling Drive

May 10, 2013

On Saturday, May 18^th Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis will be hosting their second Electronics Recycling Drive in 2013. If you were wondering what to do with that old keyboard that has a bunch of letters missing, then come down to the new ReStore Des Peres, located at 2117 Sam's Drive (behind Sam’s Club), where you can recycle it responsibly. The event will be hosted in conjuction with SpectrumEcycle, a St. Louis based recycling company. A few of the items they can take are listed below, and a full list of items is available on their website. The event will begin at 8:00am and go until 12:00pm.

• CPUs, towers
• Camcorders
• TVs
• DVDs
• CDs
• Cell Phones
• Pagers
• Printers

Break-in on Build Site

May 08, 2013

Habitat partner families would not experience the joy and excitment of building and purchasing a new home without many things. One of those things is the tools to build their home. In two separate incidences, thieves broke into both a trailer and a metal roll-off on our build site in Carondelet. Over $13,000 worth of tools, including power tools, was stolen. We suspect the thieves had knowledge of what they taking, as they targeted high-dollar items.

All tools are permanently labeled with either black or silver paint "HFHSL" or "HFHSTL" and "Not for Sale." Because the tools were to be used to build 5 houses, there were multiples of some of the items.

We ask that if neighbors or the public see or hear anything suspicious, or have any information, please call Crimestoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).

Update On the New ReStore Des Peres

May 07, 2013

We’ve received our initial occupancy permit! It’s an exciting step in getting the new Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis ReStore Des Peres up and running, because now we can begin to set up shelves and start stocking all those great materials you are able to find at ReStore Forest Park. Our staff will be busy these next few weeks painting, installing, and cleaning in preparation for our final occupancy permit. Please note, ReStore Des Peres won’t be able to take donations from the public quite yet, so please continue to take those to ReStore Forest Park.

Mother's Day Women Build Is Near

May 04, 2013

It’s National Women Build Week (May 4-10), which means the HFHSL Mother’s Day Women Build Event is coming up soon! Each year mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives come out to help build homes with families who are in need of a decent place to live. This year more than 10,000 volunteers across the U.S. will help create simple, decent and affordable housing. In this short video, Steve Thomas, host of PBS’ “This Old House” and now spokesperson for Women Build, can give you glimpse of what it means to families to have support such as the Women Build program. If you have any stories you’d like to share from previous Women Build experiences we’d love to hear them! And if you are interested in signing up, visit our Mother’s Day Build page.