Physical Address:

Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity
1750 Manzana Ave.
Punta Gorda, FL

Mailing Address:

Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity P.O. Box 496088
Port Charlotte, FL 33949-6088

Tel: (941) 639-3162
Fax: (941) 639-7414

To volunteer, or for more information, e-mail us here!

Serving all of Charlotte County, Florida.

Founded in 1987



Charlotte County, Florida

HOME PAGE | VOLUNTEER | FORMS | COMMUNITY PARTNERS | DONATIONS|
FACT SHEET | FAMILY SELECTION CRITERIA | PHOTOS | RESALE STORE | VIDEOS



Charlotte County HFH is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity
International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization. Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with people in need to build and renovate decent, affordable housing. The houses are then sold to those in need at no profit and interest free.

Volunteers provide most of the labor, and individual and corporate donors provide money and materials to build Habitat houses. Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor (sweat equity) into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. Their mortgage payments go into a revolving fund that is used to build more houses.

Habitat for Humanity's work is accomplished at the community level by affiliates - independent, locally run, nonprofit organizations. Each affiliate coordinates all aspects of Habitat home building in its local area - fund raising, building site selection, partner family selection and support, house construction and mortgage servicing. Habitat for Humanity International's headquarters, located in Americus, GA., provides information, training and a variety of other support services to Habitat affiliates worldwide.

Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity Community Volunteer Center: On February 25, 2006 we celebrated the Grand Opening of this facility. The Community Volunteer Center is a 48-bed dormitory style facility that is used to accomodate out-of-area volunteers who are in our community donating their time to build Habitat for Humanity houses and rebuilding our community. This facility is made up of 2 dining/activity rooms, 2 offices, 8 bedrooms, 4 large bathrooms and a commercial kitchen. Located at 1734 Cedarwood Street in Port Charlotte, the center is great for college and church groups, as well as organizations that are serving in our community.

2005 Building Projects: We completed 10 houses in 2005 - and to think that only 6 years ago we were building 2 houses a year! We aim to complete 10 homes in 2006. We also had two special projects to help us fund our building: our Home Improvement Center and the Learning House.

The Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity Home Improvement Center on SR776, opened on June 23, 2005. The Home Improvement Center sells fixtures, fittings and construction materials donated by home builders, and salvaged from homes undergoing improvement or demolition by their owners. It also houses our Used Vehicles Sales Lot and the Teacher Supply Depot, a joint venture with Charlotte Local Education Foundation, to provide free, donated teaching supplies to Charlotte County's teachers. This center is a great way to divert items from the landfill as well as help our building program, and local schools, in the process. The center is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 10 am - 5 pm; you can reach them by calling 941-206-2606

The Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity Learning House located at 320 Boca Grande Boulevard in Punta Gorda, the Learning House is a model of a Habitat home. It is used for the purpose of educating the community as well as Habitat partner families about the work of Habitat for Humanity. It provides a hands-on learning environment to teach partner families about a wide range of home ownership issues such as basic home repairs and protecting the value of a Habitat for Humanity home.

The Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity ReSale Store is among the most profitable in the nation! Located on the corner of Boca Grande Boulevard and Manzana Avenue in Punta Gorda, it has a fantastic selection of used furniture and appliances. The store is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 9 am - 4 pm. We also provide free pickup service for all donated furniture and appliances in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte - just call Shipping & Receiving at 639-0586 to schedule one.

Hurricane Charley: On August 13th, 2004 Charlotte County was hit with a major category four hurricane. For many people this is still a life-changing experience. It has given us all, in the many affected counties, a new appreciation of the necessities in life; of safe, dry shelter, of running water and especially of each other. No-one living here will ever forget the many thousands of volunteers, workers and troops who came to the aid of this community, or the expert direction of Wayne Sallade, Emergency Management Director, and his staff. It is difficult to express the depth of gratitude we have for the many people who have given us all a hand up.

The good news is that the Habitat houses survived very well. While those in Punta Gorda and Harbor Heights did suffer damage, taking the brunt of the storm, they remain structurally sound. At our Punta Gorda Samuel Emerick Habitat Center, a wall came down between the showroom and warehouse, we lost almost a third of our office space and one of our trucks was blown over. We have been in contact with all our homeowners, who are more like a family than ever before, and we have truly been blessed with many Charley's Angels who have helped us get back to business.

And how much there is to do... Prior to Charley, the Governor's office estimated that approximately 800 people were homeless and around 1% (5-800 residents) lived in substandard conditions. Hurricane Charley destroyed 10,000 homes and another 16,000 suffered major damage. The need for Habitat for Humanity in Charlotte County has never been greater.

Please help us! We need money and willing hands to rebuild our community. Any donations are tax deductible. Please make checks payable to Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity. Mail them to us, noting "Hurricane Relief", at P.O. Box 496088, Port Charlotte, FL 33949-6088. To volunteer please go to our "Volunteer" link or call 639-3162. Thank you!

 


  • Volunteers are essential for the Habitat for Humanity concept to work. For information on volunteering, please click on the "Volunteer" and "Forms" links at the top of this page.
  • If you or someone you know is in need of decent, affordable housing, please click on the "Family Selection Criteria" link at the top of this page for information. In addition to information on how to qualify for a Habitat home, the Charlotte County Housing Resource Guide is also provided.
  • The Habitat for Humanity International web site contains more information on Habitat's history, mission, volunteer opportunities, and contact information for other Habitat affiliates around the world.

 

Web site last updated - April 2006