Hang Time was looking for a way to make a bigger impact for a family in the community. Monty and Mike decided to go big and build a home with Habitat. Hear more from Hang Time founder, owner & CEO, Monty Ramadan and Marketing Director, Mike Gillies, as they describe why giving back is important to them and Hang Time Indy!
Hang Time Builds Home with Habitat: From the Desk of Jim
As a healthcare provider and recent nursing school graduate, the impact of a safe, quality home on the health of her family is not lost on Brandy. This past year has shown all of us just how important a secure and safe home is.
In April Jim Morris, president & CEO, celebrated with Brandy at a small home dedication. Watch the video below to hear what home means to Brandy and her son, Adrian!
Brandy’s story is one of resilience and dedication.
“Everyone always dreams at some point in their lives about the ‘perfect home’ with the so called white picket
fence,” wrote Brandy. “Sitting on the porch with the children running and playing in the huge yard. For the longest time having a simple roof over my head that I could simply call home was my dream. Growing up I was bounced around from school to school being forced to meet new people and start a new life until we would become evicted again and forced once again to move to another location. Just when I started to make friends we would have to pack up and move to the next temporary home.”
Brandy also played the mother role often for her siblings. “Doing laundry, cooking and cleaning became more of a responsibility to me than my homework and studying. I remember cooking outside on a handmade fire pit because our gas would be shut off most of the time. Microwaving water to wash dishes and bathe in quickly before it got too cold in the unheated home. Using candles and tons of blankets for lights and warmth when the electricity was shut off on us. Getting up at six in the morning to bath in cold water without heat or lights. Taking a long walk to school in the cold winter mornings. I always told told myself as soon as I could get my own home I would make sure I at least could afford my utilities no matter the inside of the home. At ten years-old my dream home was just a home with working utilities.”
As a young, single mom, Brandy worked multiple jobs to make ends meet and eventually found a house to rent on the corner of a busy road. But, it was her own place. “My name, my bills and my little house on the comer. I was never more proud of myself. Over the next couple of years I started college to achieve my all-time goal of becoming a registered nurse.”
“One year into the home of my dreams I began to realize it was not so much a dream,” shared Brandy. “I ran into major plumbing problems that put me without water for days. I had to use multiple space heaters due to my furnace not being sufficient enough for the size and layout of my home, which increased my utilities bills so much that I could not afford them. The landlord did not give me many options to help fix these issues so I dealt with them as best as I could. About two years into this home I received emergency custody of my niece.”
“Giving up on college for the time being was my only option. My house became very crowded at this time. After two years living with us and becoming just like a sibling to my son, my niece was able to go back home to her mother on a temporary basis. I hope she is able to stay with her mother for good, however if she ever needs me I will be there for her immediately…I am a firm believer in God and I have truly been blessed to have made it this far in my life. I believe God has big plans for my family and me. I started college again and I landed a great job where I use my college education and can help continue my education.”
Brandy wanted a home to provide a safe and healthy place for her son and niece to grow up. That’s when she explored homeownership with Habitat for Humanity. After applying to the program and completing 300 hours of sweat equity, including homeownership classes and volunteering to help build her home and other Habitat homes, Brandy finally signed the paperwork to become a first-time homeowner in April!
“I am ready to finally be able to secure a home for me and my family. One that we can call ‘Ours.’ A place we can safely lay our head down at night. Many memories are built within a home. I am very excited and eager to build memories within my Habitat home. It is a fresh new start for my family that is much needed. A place for my son to grow up and enjoy. A place for my niece to know she can always come and can have a space of her own when it is needed the most…Owning a home from Habitat for Humanity will truly be a huge blessing to me and my family.”
Before the pandemic, 1 in 7 U.S. households were paying 50% or more of their income on housing. Gaps in homeownership by race have also not changed since 1968 (see graphic below). COVID-19 and its economic impact have only worsened the home affordability crisis as supply has greatly decreased while demand remains high.
In greater Indianapolis, access to attainable homeownership is a considerable and growing challenge. According to the most recent MIBOR data on home prices, median home prices in Indianapolis soared by 18.6% from the start of 2020 to the start of 2021. The current median sales price is $185,000. In Hamilton County, the median sales price is $335,750.
This is good for those who already own a home and are seeing their assets increasing. It is not only the traditional American dream, owning a home has been the number one means for households to build generational wealth in the U.S., especially amongst lower income households.
We are entering our 34th year of providing equitable access to the opportunity of homeownership. While the pandemic slowed us down in 2020, it has not deterred our resolve to provide and preserve workforce housing in the four counties of Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks and Marion counties. The heartbeat of our mission is bringing people together, so thank you for coming alongside the individuals and families in 2021 who are going to purchase their home to start building a future of wealth.
Jim Morris
President & CEO
Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity
In a year when a safe, affordable home is as important as ever, we want to thank you for helping make the dream of homeownership possible for our families. Though challenges abounded in 2020, our homebuyers, sponsors, volunteers, donors, and partners pulled together to find solutions, offer each other grace, and return to the imperative work of our mission.
Whether you wielded a paintbrush, offered words of encouragement, or shared a gift to support our work, we are grateful for your partnership and the belief that everyone deserves a decent place to call home. Through the generous support of our community, we:
- Completed 16 homes for first-time homeowners (view their photos below!)
- Built homes and hope in El Salvador during our 6th Global Village trip in February
- Celebrated 15 homeowners who paid off their mortgage for a total of 129 families
- Finished two Women Build homes for the first time ever
- Opened our fifth ReStore location on West Washington Street (follow their page here!)
These smiles below say it best – thank you for welcoming home our 2020 homeowners!
Jim Morris
President & CEO
Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity
P.S. This winter we’re getting a head start on building homes for 2021. Your donation today helps make this early work possible so that even more families can build next year!
Updated as of: Thursday, June 11, 2020
As Indiana is progressively phasing back to work, we are adjusting to the continued presence of COVID-19 as part of our foreseeable operations. While the virus hasn’t left us, we’ll persevere to serve our mission. Alongside of you, we are builders at heart, whether providing a new or rehabbed home, preserving a home through repairs, or providing home goods in our ReStores for people to affordably repair and update their own homes. We will build back. Here are the protective measures we have updated.
Habitat Offices
Habitat offices are now open and our staff has returned. At this time, we are not accepting walk-up visitors. Please use this website for valuable information related to your inquiry and give our staff a call with additional questions. If you need to visit one of our staff in person, we encourage you to schedule an appointment. Here’s our staff webpage with contact info.
Our Habitat ReStores
The Greater Indy ReStores in downtown Indy, Fishers, Avon and Greenfield have been open since the end of April. Normal business hours of 10 am – 6 pm, Monday through Saturday are in effect. All stores are practicing social distancing measures to mitigate risk to our donors and customers. If you have questions about those specific practices, please call one of our stores listed below and review our update about safety measures here.
Avon Restore:
317.707.7530
Downtown Indy:
317.777.6098
Fishers ReStore:
317.896.9423
Greenfield ReStore:
317.318.9458
Habitat Homebuyers
- We are still accepting homebuyer applications and are hosting virtual information sessions for you to learn more about becoming a homeowner.
- Our homebuying in-person education classes are cancelled for the remainder of 2020. Please reach out to our Homeownership team at 317.777.6080 or homeownership@indyhabitat.org with specific questions.
Building and Repair Work Begins – Can we Volunteer?
While bringing people together is at the heart of our mission, the virus is still present and volunteer safety is an utmost priority to us, so we have created a modified volunteer engagement plan for the remainder of the year. We will begin building with contracted labor and Tiger Team members starting in June.
We have plans to finish another 11 homes before the end of the year, and though we won’t be able to utilize volunteers in the same manner and keep social distancing guidelines in place, we plan to work with build site volunteers starting in September. To maintain safety for our homebuyers, volunteers, and staff, there will be fewer volunteer opportunities and our team has adapted volunteer projects and processes. Please sign up for a volunteer account here if you would like to learn about volunteer opportunities for the remainder of the year.
Habitat Annual Events
While we don’t have what might be considered traditional nonprofit events, all of what we do is organized like an event. There are specific themed projects that we hold dear that have changed for the rest of the year.
- Panel Builds– We will not host panel builds for the remaining 10 new homes we plan to build in 2020. We will revisit whether we might be able to host some panel builds much later in the year to allow for panels to be ready for 2021 early builds. Please contact our development team if you are curious about how your company, church or organization might want to participate in a panel build in the future.
- State Fair Ag Build– As you might be aware, the traditional Indiana State Fair has been cancelled for this year. This would have been our 11th year in partnership with the State Fair, building two homes with the Agricultural community. While we completely understand this difficult decision, we will miss being there this August along with many of you.
- Monumental Build– We will not host this combined panel build on Monument Circle this summer.
- Women Build– The Women Build still is pushing forward to build two homes this year. The Women Build teams are working on finalizing when they will be participating in the field to complete the two homes this year. You can financially support the build here.
Repair Restarts
Our homeownership repair team is back at it and hasn’t missed a beat in attempting to pick up where they left off prior to COVID-19 in helping to preserve affordable homeownership for families in Hamilton and Marion counties. If you have questions about homeowner repair, please contact them here.
How can you help?
While our volunteerism will be reduced this year and our production will be reduced greatly because of COVID-19, we have been overwhelmed by the positive response and continued financial support from both organizations and individuals. Thank you for your continued support of our homeowners and mission.
We had a goal of providing 29 homes this year and are now planning to provide 16 total homes; the lowest total in over 20 years.
While 2021 planning will likely move at the pace of the virus, you can help move plans forward and get us off to a good start financially as we recover from our anticipated loss of more than $1.4 million of contributed and earned income through our home building sponsorships and ReStore revenue this year. Please consider making a one-time or recurring gift today so the families who are waiting on a home this year can purchase their first home in 2021.
Jim Morris, President & CEO
Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity
Updates as of: Friday, May 1, 2020
Updated as of: Friday, May 1, 2020
ReStores Open, with Safety Measures in Place
Please click here to read about the opening of our ReStores.
Updates as of: Thursday, March 26, 2020
Updated as of: Thursday, March 26, 2020
This is an increasingly difficult time for people, businesses, and organizations all across the country and our community. As a nonprofit that relies on the support of others, please know we are making these difficult decisions prayerfully—but we need your help.
In a time when very little is certain, you can help build stability and certainty for your neighbors with a gift to Habitat.
As part of the Habitat family, you understand the power of community action. Thank you for your continued support during this time. When we emerge from this crisis, let us emerge stronger, together.
Here are the protective measures we have enacted at this time:
Habitat Offices
- Our Habitat main office and construction warehouse are now closed to the public for the foreseeable future.
- Our staff will be available and actively working remotely, replying to phone calls, voicemails, and emails during this time.
Here’s how you can help: We urgently need your financial support. As businesses throughout our community are impacted by closures, so are many Habitat homeowners who make their family’s living in the service industry. These families will certainly be concerned about continuing to make their mortgage payments. We are committed to working with each family during this uncertain time, but we need your financial support to sustain us in that. Please consider any financial support possible and click here to give a gift online or see other ways to give. When you give, you’ll help us do more to help them.
Our Habitat ReStores
- The Greater Indy ReStores – in Downtown Indy, Fishers, Avon, Greenfield – are now closed to the public until end of business April 6.
- Until April 7, we are pausing donation drop-offs and are working to reschedule donation pickups that are currently scheduled. Please know, we rely on your donated items, so please keep reading to see how you can help.
- We will continue to evaluate our April 7 reopening date in the hopes that we can reopen sooner, but also extending if necessary. We will respond to the any further direction by the Governor’s office.
Here’s how you can help: ReStore is a key part of how we build homes with local families and this downtime will certainly be a hit to that effort. We will urgently need your donated items when we return. If you’re planning a donation drop-off, please hang on to your items and drop them off when we open again on April 7. You can continue to request free donation pickups on our website or by calling our donation lines (listed below), but please remember that we aren’t able to resume pickups until we reopen. Click here to learn more about donating items and schedule your free donation pickup.
Avon Restore:
317.707.7530
Downtown Indy:
317.777.6098
Fishers ReStore:
317.896.9423
Greenfield ReStore:
317.318.9458
Habitat Volunteers
- We are canceling all volunteer work on the build site, in the warehouse, ReStore and office through May 31.
- We are contacting all currently scheduled volunteers to reschedule or cancel their assignments.
Here’s how you can help: Take steps to stay healthy—we have a busy build season ahead of us and we’ll need your help to build homes!
Habitat Homebuyers and Homeowners
- We have cancelled upcoming homebuyer education classes through April 7 and will communicate those cancellations directly with affected families and facilitators.
- Our Habitat Homeownership Information Sessions are cancelled through April 7.
- You may continue to make your mortgage payments online here.
Here’s how you can help us: Stay in touch with our Homeownership team if you have questions or concerns during this time. Call 317.777.6080 and they will be available to assist you.
Join Together in Prayer
- This disease most vigorously affects the most vulnerable in our communities, so please join us in praying for those who are already ill and those who may become ill. Pray for our government leaders and medical professionals. Pray for protection over our entire community and all those who come into contact with this Habitat ministry.
We will continue to monitor, respond and enact recommendations from the CDC. If you would like to receive updates in your inbox, please sign up for future updates here.
As part of the Habitat family, you understand the power of community action. Thank you for your continued support during this time and for playing your part in promoting the well-being of our entire community.
Thanks for all you bring to this work of building homes, communities and hope.
Jim Morris, President & CEO
Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity
Updates as of: Monday, March 23, 2020
Updated as of: Monday, March 23, 2020
Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity is responding to effects and demands on our community by adjusting its operations. Last week, Governor Eric Holcomb issued an executive order to shut schools until May 1 and just today issued another executive order for a “Stay at Home” for non-essential businesses through end of business day April 6.
Habitat International has also made recommendations for operational changes and our leadership team has communicated with numerous affiliates of our size from various metropolitan markets to better understand how each affiliate is responding.
While the general encouragement is to remain fluid and respond accordingly, our volunteer-driven operations require significant lead time to prepare to build/rehab a quality home and provide a quality volunteer experience. As such, we are making adjustments to our general operations and the 2020 build schedule to accommodate meeting our quality standards as best we can. This will inevitably impact our ability to provide the same amount of homes for 2020. We will work to minimize the effect on families and our team.
General Operations
- The Habitat offices at Meridian Street and the construction warehouse will be closed for the foreseeable future. Staff are still accessible by email, phone and text, if specific questions arise.
Home Building
- Remaining homes: We only have one home remaining to complete and close. We are still committed to finishing this home and a contractor will be finishing it. Construction by professionals is considered an essential activity by the state.
- The remaining schedule will be delayed until the end of May. The Development, Construction and Homeownership teams have been charged with coming up with Best, Likely and Worse-case scenarios based on this change. More information about the schedule will be forthcoming.
ReStores
- Our four ReStores will be closed starting Wednesday, March 25, and will remain closed until end of business day on Monday, April 6. We will respond to the any further direction by the Governor’s office.
“Faith and fear, like light and darkness, are incompatible. Fear is the polio of the soul which prevents our walking by faith.” – Clarence Jordan, Habitat for Humanity’s spiritual founding father.
Jim Morris, President & CEO
Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity
Updates as of: Friday, March 13, 2020
Updated as of: Friday, March 13, 2020
In light of current public health-related concerns surrounding the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease), we at Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity are sharing our response, effective immediately. While these decisions will impact our work in the near term, our policy reflects our commitment to love our neighbors and enact practices that hold your health, the health of our team, the health of Habitat homebuyers and the larger community as a top priority.
We reviewed recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are adhering to Governor Holcomb’s recommended steps. This disease most vigorously affects the most vulnerable in our communities. If the spread of the disease can be slowed down, then it “flattens the curve” and prevents sick people from overwhelming the healthcare system. That means those who need help can get it. Put another way, the more we socially isolate, the fewer people who will die.
Here’s our plan, effective immediately:
- All volunteer construction days through Sunday, April 5 are cancelled.
- All Tiger Team volunteerism in the construction warehouse, including individual work and Tiger Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sunday, April 5 are cancelled.
- Habitat homebuyer education classes through Sunday, April 5 are cancelled. Our Homeownership team will communicate those cancellations directly with affected families and facilitators and will determine if and when they will be rescheduled.
- The Habitat Homeownership Information Sessions will be cancelled through Sunday, April 5.
- The Habitat offices and ReStores will remain open at this time. If you have an appointment or plans to visit us, please exercise an abundance of caution. If you are even slightly ill or are worried about being in contact with someone who is, please reschedule your appointment or visit for another time in the future.
- We will continue to monitor, respond and enact recommendations from the CDC such as encouraging “social distancing,” limiting the size of gathered groups, etc.
Please join us in praying for those who are already ill and those who may become ill. Pray for our government leaders and medical professionals. Pray for protection over our entire community and all those who come into contact with this Habitat ministry.
While the heartbeat of our mission is “bringing people together,” we realize that this is a time for pause. Our 2020 plans are to complete 29 homes for families to purchase, preserve up to 18 homes through critical repairs and support up to 23 homes internationally with our Habitat partner affiliate in El Salvador. We will need all of you when this pandemic passes to help us fulfill these goals. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to building strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. If you have any questions concerning our COVID-19 plan, please email us or call us.
Jim Morris, President & CEO
Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity
2020 is going to be an exciting year at Greater Indy Habitat! Hear from our president & CEO, Jim Morris, about what we’re looking forward to accomplishing this year. This is our…Top 5 in 2020!
We are most looking forward to partnering with YOU in 2020! Join us as a volunteer on the build site, as a homebuyer mentor, a financial or ReStore donor. Learn more about how to get involved here!
Following our consolidation with the Habitat for Humanity of Hamilton County affiliate in July, Jim had the opportunity to talk with Nancy Chance, one of the founders of Habitat Hamilton County. Check out the video below to learn more about the founding of Habitat’s mission in Hamilton County.
Stay connected to all things Habitat in Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks and Marion County by signing up for our enewsletter and following @IndyHabitat on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Our sixth annual Women Build is underway as 29 teams are coming together to build homebuyer Daisy’s two-story home. Catch Women Build co-chairs Amber Dagit and Stacey Stuteville out on the build site as they meet up with our President & CEO Jim Morris for the latest episode of “From the Desk of Jim.” Learn more about what makes the Women Build different than other Habitat builds and how the Women Build is making a significant impact in our community.
For more information on how you can get involved with our Women Build, click here.
Habitat relies on collaboration with a variety of organizations to achieve our mission, including many engaged corporate partners. In 2018 Allegion celebrated their tenth year of partnership with Greater Indy Habitat. Jim, our president & CEO, caught up with Dave Petratis and Tim Eckersley of Allegion to learn why partnering with Habitat is important to their employees and leaders. Watch the video below to hear more about the variety of ways Allegion supports Habitat for Humanity!
To learn more about getting your corporate, civic, or church group involved, please check out this video and complete the volunteer group form.
