From the Desk of Jay Worrall, Executive Director Habitat for Humanity of Berks County
Dear Friends,
Over the past five years Habitat for Humanity of Berks County has grown from an organization that served one or two families each year to an agency creating six homes for families each year in Berks County. We have grown from two part-time staff members to six full-timers and eight part-timers. We now own our own office and warehouse building, two construction vehicles and have launched a remarkably successful ReStore, reselling new and used building materials to the public to generate funding for more Habitat homes in our community.
Last year over 4,000 volunteers helped build homes in Berks with hard-working local families.
Our families remain remarkably faithful to our program. Not only have we never foreclosed on any of our 49 mortgages, but at the time of this writing all of our families are regularly and faithfully making their monthly mortgage payments. In this time of economic uncertainty that is an amazing achievement for our families, and speaks to the power and the success of the Habitat ministry.
These are all things worthy of celebration! It is amazing to realize how far we have come in so short a time.
However, the current economic climate poses serious challenges to our work. We are committed to being responsible stewards of our resources, and are working hard to “do more with less.” We are beginning to work again on rehabilitation homes in Reading and West Reading as a way to make our resources go farther. We have implemented a rigorous volunteer-led bidding program for suppliers and subcontractors on our building and renovation projects which will result in lower build costs for our homes. And we will continue to look for more opportunities to cut costs and save money, not least from our generous supporters in the construction industry who lend us their help when they can.
We have a special place in our hearts for those kind people in the community who continue to support us even in these difficult times. Thank you so much for all you have done for us and God Bless you for caring about our mission. Working together, we can be sure that Habitat will continue to be a thriving and growing force for deserving families in Berks County.
Peace, Thank You, and Best Wishes,
Jay W. Worrall Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Berks County Chair, Habitat for Humanity Pennsylvania
336 South 18th Street Reading, PA 19602 Office phone: (610) 373-3439 Email me at: jworrall@rbhabitat.org
