Update from Our Director

2023 Annual Impact Report Released

Housing insecurity or unaffordability can affect many individuals in our community. At times, it can even affect an audience that has already sacrificed so much, our veteran community. No one wants to think of a man or woman who has risked their life in service to our nation having to live in substandard housing, but it is a fact in many communities. The risk is sometimes compounded by the veteran’s reluctance to “take charity” or ask for help.

At Habitat, we believe in the concept of partnership, and we hope this model may be attractive to our local veterans. Perhaps you know of someone who served in our military and is now struggling to maintain affordable housing in the Sandhills? Or maybe you know of an elderly or disabled veteran whose house is critically failing them. If so, we ask that you please direct them to our services, as we have multiple opportunities across our affiliate. Here are a few:

• Affordable home ownership – Our veterans enjoy the same promise we provide to all of our homebuyers; their monthly mortgage will not exceed 30% of their income. Regardless of whether that veteran’s income might be a current job, disability or other qualifying income, we ensure our veterans should not have to sacrifice other parts of their budget to make their mortgage payment.

• Aging in Place Critical Home Repair – Besides our overall repair program, we work especially hard to qualify for grants to provide critical home repairs like roof or window replacements for veterans already owning and living in a home. These fixes can often help lengthen the time the veteran can remain in their home and almost always reduce their energy costs. Although our traditional Aging in Place repair program primarily accepts applications annually, our veterans are encouraged to apply throughout the year.

• Volunteering – We have been fortunate to have many veterans join us on our build sites or in our ReStore. They are mission-driven, and like many who have retired from a career, they may be seeking agency and the chance to develop new skills. We invite our veteran community to try Habitat for a day! On our build sites, several of our supervisors are veterans. We are even developing a program by which active duty military can intern with our affiliate and ready themselves for the General Contractor’s license with opportunities to continue serving in the Habitat network or using these skills in the for-profit workplace.



We hope you will share these opportunities with anyone who may be in contact with a veteran in need. Let us know if you work with a group that may enjoy us joining to present these opportunities in person.

Thank you for supporting the Habitat mission – we look forward to building with you!

Peace and Grace,

Amie N. Fraley

Executive Director

2023 Annual Impact Report Released

Habitat for Humanity Sandhills expresses sincere gratitude to all who have contributed to the affordable home ownership and preservation effort across Moore, Richmond, and Hoke counties over the last 35 years. 

With the help of volunteers, homebuyers, donors, and ReStore shoppers, the organization has sold energy-efficient homes to over 300 families and provided critical repairs to an additional 300 families through the Aging in Place program. Habitat for Humanity Sandhills also proudly supports tithe partners, funding 319 homes in Haiti and Zambia.

We are thrilled to share our Annual Impact Report for the year. This report showcases the amazing impact that your support has made on our mission. We encourage you to take some time to review the information and learn about how your contributions have made a difference.

North Carolina Community Foundation Recognition

Habitat volunteers across three decades of our mission's history were on hand to celebrate Habitat at the Moore County Community Foundation's Man & Women of the Year Dinner. Amie is not only a leader, mentor, and friend to us, but also a significant contributor to Habitat and our community. Her strength, energy, and vision have inspired us all to be better. We were thrilled to see so many of our longtime friends at the event, and we sincerely appreciate their ever-present support. We are grateful for Amie and all that she does for Habitat and our community.

Faith Relations Update

Home Dedication for Shana

The Faith Committee was thrilled to announce the dedication of Shana's new home on October 17th. After months of hard work and support from our volunteers, we were overwhelmed with joy as we witnessed the culmination of our efforts. The dedication was made even more special by the presence of our partners, Dr. David Helms, Dr. Paul Murphy, and Pastor Dian Griffin Jackson Davis, who helped spread love and positivity that created the foundation of this home. We extend our gratitude to our volunteers and partners for their unwavering support in making this dream a reality.

Thank you to Shana's friends and family who prepared a feast for us to enjoy after the dedication. We all left with full hearts (and bellies)!

October Faith Meeting Update

Pastor Ron Schermerhorn, recently installed at First Presbyterian of Rockingham, filled in for Pastor Darrell Bowles, who was away on conference business. Pastor Ron commented on the need for civility and respect, which are missing today in our societal and political discourse. Additionally, Ron said Habitat's model of putting God's love into action is one way to counter destructive hate.  All present were on board with these words.

Stacy Lebak, Marketing and Communication Manager for Habitat, shared information about our ongoing work specific to Richmond County, including three new builds slated for start-up next year. She also encouraged everyone to sign up to receive our monthly digital newsletter. Dan Joslin, Faith Relations Coordinator, reviewed the involvement of various churches in supporting the recent United Way Days of Caring by providing meals for our volunteers at our Habitat build in Hamlet. Dan also spoke of efforts to involve the faith community more broadly in our mission.  

A Faith Moment

We believe ecumenism is a beautiful attitude that fosters respect and understanding among individuals of different faiths. As members of the faith community, we understand the importance of acknowledging our differences and celebrating them. We cordially invite you to join us in giving back to the community according to what you have received. We believe in the Spirit of giving back in proportion to what we have received, and we encourage you to participate in this noble endeavor. Regardless of the size of our church buildings, what matters most is the actions we take outside of them. We may worship together or separately, but what unites us is the desire to impact the world positively. So, let us put our faith into action and make a difference in the lives of those around us.

 Dan Joslin, Habitat Faith Relations Coordinator

Homeowner's Corner

We are thrilled to announce that the McRae family home is dried in and the family is celebrating after almost a year of sweat equity. The family, including their youngest son Justus, recently visited the construction site to see the progress and write Bible scriptures on the walls.

"We are grateful for the support of Habitat for Humanity in making this dream a reality. As the closing date approaches, we are both excited and nervous for this new chapter in the McRae family's life. We give thanks to God for this opportunity and extend our sincere appreciation to all those involved in making this possible."

~The McRae Family

Women Build Walls Up

We are thrilled to announce that Habitat Women Build successfully raised the walls for Tiara and her family's new home in Aberdeen this month. The weather was perfect and we had a fantastic group of volunteers who made it all possible. We want to extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone who came out to help to support the WB committee! This project wouldn't be possible without your hard work and dedication.

If you're interested in volunteering with us, we have opportunities available every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Join us in making a difference in our community! You can sign up for our 2023 Women Build NOW

Another heartwarming story of Habitat homeowner Gail Ayers and her weekly volunteer work with Al Mangum. Gail, who moved into her Habitat home in May of 2019, is a caregiver to Al and brings him to Habitat weekly, where they price picture frames and art and sort items such as toy animals.

Al, a former broadcaster for WRAL's sports network and the Durham Bulls, is an avid sports fan and also a member of The Village Chapel, where he started an adult Sunday School class that was named in his honor as the Al Mangum Sunday School Class. We are grateful for the dedication and service of both Gail and Al in their communities.

We are thrilled to announce that our ReStore was represented at the recent symposium in Austin, Texas, and it was a great success. Dondi Jones had the opportunity to showcase our store and highlight our accomplishments. We are proud to say that we hold our own very well against other stores around the USA. Our ReStore has one of the biggest volunteer bases in the country, and we are grateful for their contributions in making our store what it is today. It was a proud moment when Dondi stood as the lone ranger representing our single store with revenue equally or surpassing other stores with multiple locations. This achievement is a testament to our dedicated volunteers who help us achieve our goals. We want to thank everyone who contributed to our success and made representation at the symposium possible. Let's continue to work together to achieve even greater things in the future.

ReStore Needs Volunteers

It's a fun opportunity where you will meet like-minded friends who support

affordable housing. Great staff, flexible hours!

Join us for our monthly Volunteer Session on Saturday, November 18th to learn about the different volunteer opportunities that Habitat has to offer. Whether you enjoy the outdoors and hands-on construction or working in the ReStore, we can custom fit an experience that you will find both rewarding and fun! We know there is an abundance of volunteer opportunities in Moore County. We strive to make your time a rewarding and beneficial experience at Sandhills Habitat. We value, respect, support, and encourage and enjoy exemplary relationships with volunteers. You can register through volunteer hub portal at https://sandhillshabitat.volunteerhub.com/

Habitat Board Members

OFFICERS 

Dr. Fallon Brewington, Chair

Tim Dwyer, Vice Chair

Lisa Fagan, Secretary

Dr. Kirk Lynch, Treasurer

Amie Fraley, Executive Director

DIRECTORS

Tavares Bostic 

Daphne Dudley

Karen Dulmage

Bob Friesen

Robin Porter Graham

Fran Grandinetti

Jana Green

Jim Hart

Robert Jackson

Karen Reese May

Helen Probst Mills

Kayla Prestwood

Sue Ralston 

Mary Rocca

Jill Saunders

Tracy Thomas

Be sure to follow the new ReStore Facebook page

to learn about the latest inventory and sales

@sandhillsrestore