metro >> on the cover

Home Sweet
Homes To Be

CA

PLAN

Habitat for Humanity Oakland County
partners with the Jewish community.

HOLIDAY WEEK AT THE DIA

Lynne Meredith Golodner I Special to the Jewish News

Puppet Performances

Bring the family for daily puppet performances, featuring the
microScope Toy Theater's "A Real Elephant," and Hobey Ford's
"Migration." December 26-30, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., Lecture Hal

Art-Making Workshops

From finger puppets to origami books, visitors of all ages can
create their own masterpiece at free daily drop-in art-making
workshops. December 26-30 and January 2-4, 12-4 p.m.,

homeel

295 Rockvvel I

house s nsors

Community Builder Partners
rillaTICIal Service
lelercetles.Benz
Nissan

December 28 and January 4, 6-g p.m., Education Wing.

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Now on View

Faberge: The Rise and Fall, through January 21, 2013.
Tickets at dia.org .
Motor City Muse: Detroit Photographs, Then and Now,
through June 16, 2013.

Youwanna Gordon was thrilled to finally become a homeowner and is pictured
here at the December dedication of her Southfield home, along
with Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence.

Extended Hours! The DIA will be open from g a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 26-30 and from g a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 31.
Closed December 24-25 and January 1.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties
receive free general museum admission.

DETROI

INSTITU

5200 Woodward Ave.

313-833-7900

1799380

Not American Girl

I

rs a Jewish Girl I

Rebecca,Sarah a Sadie I

All Available at

Tradition! Tradition! I

Er

Call Alicia R. Nelson

for an appointment

www.traditiontradition.com

16

December 20 • 2012

248.557.0109

Habitat for Humanity of Oakland
County was founded in 1994 by vol-
unteers who believed in the Habitat
vision of a world where every-
one has a decent, affordable, safe
place to live. Habitat for Humanity
International was founded in 1976,
with a goal of ending poverty and
homelessness worldwide. To date,
the organization has built more than
500,000 homes and served more
than 2 million people worldwide.
In Oakland County, Habitat has
helped 160 families become success-
ful homeowners since its inception.
Still, there are more than 200,000
families currently living below the
poverty line in Southeast Michigan
and approximately 187,108 vacant
housing units.
Ruggles sees two areas for poten-
tial collaboration between Habitat
and the Jewish community: criti-
cal home repairs and encouraging
families to apply to become Habitat
homeowners.
In 2013, Habitat Oakland County
is launching its Critical Repair
Program to help ease the financial
burden of essential home repairs that
can make the difference between
safe housing and dangerous living.
Following the same model as
Habitat's home buyer program, a
homeowner must apply for a zero-

or low-interest loan of $15,000 or
less to fix a roof, upgrade plumbing,
replace essential systems or build
ramps or widen doorways for acces-
sibility.
The key to helping the Jewish
community, says Ruggles, is get-
ting Jewish families in the pipeline.
Currently, Habitat Oakland County
has seven Oakland County families
approved and waiting for a home.
Should a Jewish family apply for a
Habitat home, Jewish community
agencies like the Jewish Fund could
come on board with grants to help
fund the project.
"Our family relationships team is
always on the lookout for families
who are well-positioned to become
successful homeowners," says
Ruggles. "We seek to partner with
families who have reached a point in
their lives where they have a steady
income and are ready to commit
both their time and their money to
building their Habitat home
Habitat homeowners put in some
300 hours of sweat equity on their
own home as well as receive a no-
profit mortgage from Habitat, which
they repay in monthly mortgage
payments to Habitat for the loan's
duration. Through a statewide effort
called ReBuild Michigan, Habitat is
expanding its outreach efforts to find
families who may qualify as poten-
tial Habitat homeowners.

