West Michigan Annual Conference Build

Members of The West Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church will commemorate the start of the June 2008 Annual Conference by joining together in building a “green-built”, L.E.E.D.-certified* Habitat for Humanity of Kent County home. In addition to the Grand Rapids home, funding will also be provided to build a Habitat for Humanity home in Haiti, a mission focus for all Districts in the West Michigan Conference.

* LEED - Leadership in Efficiency and Environmental Design (learn more).

Grand Rapids Blitz Build

The Grand Rapids Habitat home, located just south of the UMC Conference Center on Fuller, will provide a healthy, energy-efficient, affordable home for a Grand Rapids resident and her four children. Every church in The West Michigan Conference (425 total churches) has been asked to help with the Annual Conference Habitat Build by providing funds, materials or workers. The goal is $77,000 in cash contributions which includes the cost to build a home in Haiti; $22,000 in skilled labor and materials, and over 2,200 hours of general volunteer labor.

The “Blitz Build” will involve shifts of volunteers working from 8am to 8pm June 4-7, 2008 to complete the exterior of the house (excluding siding). On June 26th, a UMC Pastor’s Day will be held for active and retired UMC area clergy. United Methodists from throughout West Michigan will continue to volunteer on the house until it is completed and dedicated in early September.

The “Blitz Build” will involve shifts of volunteers working from 8am to 8pm June 4-7, 2008 to complete the exterior of the house (excluding siding). On June 26th, a UMC Pastor’s Day will be held for active and retired UMC area clergy. United Methodists from throughout West Michigan will continue to volunteer on the house until it is completed and dedicated in early September.

Haiti Habitat Home

“To my knowledge, this is the first time a congregation or denomination in West Michigan has combined a local build with the funding of a Habitat home in Haiti,” notes Habitat for Humanity of Kent County Executive Director, Pam Doty-Nation. Funding for a Haiti home is approximately $7,000.

According to Jean Joseph Sanon, Habitat for Humanity of Haiti’s Community Mobilization Coordinator,“ Haiti homes are made of cinder blocks with rebar and cement and have either a cement or corrugated tin roof. There are 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, living/dining room, bathroom and a small front porch. Because most communities lack the infrastructure, most homes do not have running water or electricity, although they are equipped to as soon as the services are available. In some towns, the families have to walk up to 1 mile for water from a community well.”

The Habitat Haiti home which the West Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church funds help build will most likely be located in Cabaret, less than 40 km in north Port-au-Prince, the Capital of Haiti. It will be part of a large community build in the village of Bercy begun in 2001 with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Habitat for Humanity International. This community build also was recognized for building the 50,000th house in Latin America and Caribbean Region. Currently there are more than 120 Habitat homes in this area.

Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton of the Michigan Area of The United Methodist Church is excited about the upcoming Annual Conference project and encourages all to participate. “Let us continue to be faithful stewards of our time, energy and gifts as we are encouraged to assist in the Conference and Grand Rapids District efforts to build and dedicate a Habitat House in Grand Rapids, as well as to fund a home in Haiti in 2008. What a blessing to be able to do both!”

Bishop Keaton adds, “This Habitat house was conceived as a gift to the Grand Rapids community from the West Michigan Conference and the Grand Rapids District in gratitude for years of hospitality hosting our Annual Conference. What an opportunity to do something locally, and also to reach across the many miles that separate us from the country of Haiti! The commitment and connection that we have with our brothers and sisters in Haiti is nothing short of fantastic.”

For additional information on the United Methodist Annual Conference and Habitat Blitz Build, contact:

Annual Conference Project Liaison: Susan Hansen
616.245.6512 | susan@grmetroministry.org

Fundraising: Rev. Charles Fry
616.956.0087 | clergyfry@aol.com

Volunteers: Rick Walker
616.285.0747 | rlwalker@att.net

In-Kind Gifts and Materials: Roger Peterman
616.774.2431 ext. 223 | rpeterman@habitatkent.org

Resources

We need your help!

Below are a variety of resources to help you and your community assist us as we prepare for the 2008 build. You can choose to download everything in a self-contained .zip file, or you can select individual files.