| 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!
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