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Press Release

For Immediate Release
June 17, 2009
Contact: Joan Ziegler, Media Relations
Office: (714) 434-6200 x222
Cell: 714.401.6067
joan@habitatoc.org
or
Gladys Hernandez
Office: (714) 434-6200 x2229
Cell: 562.505.9671
gladys@habitatoc.org

Habitat for Humanity of Orange County will dedicate the first four homes and frame the ninth home in San Juan Capistrano

Homes are a part of the "Habitat for Heroes and Foundations for Families™" neighborhood

Santa Ana, CA, June 17, 2009--Habitat for Humanity of Orange County families and volunteers will dedicate the first four homes -- and frame the ninth home -- in a 27-home development in San Juan Capistrano.

This special ceremony will include comments by Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International in Atlanta, GA, and a video hook-up to Iraq where one of the future homeowners is serving his fourth tour of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps.

24611 Calle Rolando in San Juan Capistrano (cross street is Alipaz, between del Obispo Street and Camino del Avion)

Friday, July 10, 2009

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Registration begins for framing of ninth home
8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Brief welcome from Sharon Ellis, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County; Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International, Atlanta, GA; and other speakers.
8:30 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. Construction safety briefing
8:40 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Construction begins: building wall frames and preparing to raise walls
9:30 a.m. Raise first walls for ninth home (similar to an old-fashioned barn-raising)
9:30 p.m. Construction stops, registration for dedication begins
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Dedication ceremony/formal program. Speakers include:
  • Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International, Atlanta, GA
  • Families purchasing the homes, including a video hook-up to one family member serving in Iraq
  • Donors and volunteers who helped build the homes
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Dedication ceremonies end. Guests tour homes.
12:30 p.m. Dedication guests leave the site.
12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunchtime for construction volunteers.
1:00 p.m.Construction on ninth home resumes.
3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.Construction stops, site clean up begins
3:30 p.m.Site closes

  • 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, will be on site to welcome the families to their new neighborhood.
  • 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.: Volunteers and families working side-by-side will raise the first walls for one home in a manner similar to an old-fashioned barn-raising.
  • 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.: Special video connection to Iraq, where one of the Habitat homeowners is currently serving his fourth tour.
  • Four local families will receive the keys to their affordable new homes during a traditional Habitat Orange County dedication ceremony.
  • One of these homes will be the fifth "Women Build" home in Orange County. Another "Women Build" home is currently under construction in Fullerton.
  • Dreams will come true as four Habitat families work alongside local volunteers to build simple, decent, affordable homes.
  • Although this event is invitation-only, media representatives are welcome to visit the site at any time throughout the day.
  • Since this is a working construction site, it is suggested that everyone who enters the construction site wear thick-soled shoes because of the uneven terrain and possibility of loose nails and other construction materials.

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    About Habitat for Humanity of Orange County

    Celebrating 20 years of changing lives and changing communities in Orange County. 130 houses built in Orange County
    Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, headquartered in Santa Ana, CA, is dedicated to ending substandard housing and building strong communities in Orange County. Habitat uses non-government donations of funding, materials, professional services and volunteer labor to build simple, decent homes which are sold to qualified low-income families for a 1% down payment, closing costs, and a zero-interest mortgage. Mortgage payments are recycled to build more Habitat homes. Habitat families contribute 500 hours of "sweat equity" to the program by building their own home, helping another Habitat family build a home, or working in some other area of the Habitat organization. Habitat for Humanity families and volunteers have built 130 homes in Orange County since 1988, and are currently building eight homes in San Juan Capistrano.

    27 homes to be built in San Juan Capistrano
    Habitat for Humanity of Orange County’s Habitat for Heroes and Foundations for Families™ development of 27 homes at the end of Calle Rolando will be built in phases.  Framing for the first four homes began on July 2, 2008.  The second four homes were framed on October 3, 2008.  Funding for the land on which these homes are being built was donated by the City of San Juan Capistrano Redevelopment Agency.  Funds for building these homes have been generously donated by The HTN Foundation; Bank of America; the Orange County Realtors Partnership, which consists of the Orange County Association of REALTORS®, Laguna Board of REALTORS®, and Newport Beach Association of REALTORS®; an anonymous donor;  the Steve Tisch Foundation; Toshiba America Business Solutions; the Presbyterian Partnership; St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point; Hyundai Motor America; the Van Cleve Foundation; and more than a thousand other local donors.

    300,000 houses built worldwide
    Habitat for Humanity of Orange County is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, an ecumenical Christian housing ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat International has built more than 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. Habitat for Humanity International is currently the 16th largest homebuilder in the United States, according to Builder OnLine magazine.

    For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, please call (714) 434-6200 extension 229 or visit our Web site at habitatoc.org.

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