ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - The Alachua County Growth Management Department invites media to the Ribbon Cutting for the home of Effie Theus (9428 North County Road 225, Gainesville), on Thursday, December 16, 2010, at 2 p.m. The ribbon cutting marks the completion of improvements to her home, which were made possible by the combined effort of Alachua County Growth Management, Alachua Habitat for Humanity, and Alachua YouthBuild.
The improvements were needed because of serious code violations on her property, including an electrical hazard. A site visit by County Housing Programs Office staff revealed that the household had no heating or cooling, and problems with roofing, septic system, electrical and plumbing systems. She was unable to afford the improvements, and risked losing her home of nearly 50 years. The County utilized funds from the State's Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP), as well as Habitat for Humanity's volunteers to correct the problems.
Rick Wolfe, Assistant Director for Growth Management for the County explained, “We were able to look for other avenues. In this case, through grants, assistance, and collaboration with Alachua Habitat, and we were able to make the home safe.”
Habitat for Humanity's local Executive Director, Scott Winzeler commented, “We were happy to provide assistance. With our experience and our volunteers, we were able to fulfill our mission - helping families in need.”
A key contributor to the volunteer force were students from Alachua YouthBuild, a program managed by the Florida Institute for Workforce Innovation. YouthBuild targets out-of-school youth between the ages of 18-22 that lack a high school diploma/GED and would like assistance attaining educational, occupational and leadership skills enabling them to become economically self-sufficient. While partnering with Habitat, YouthBuild participants not only learned construction but gave back to their community with their newly acquired construction skills.
Click here for more information about Alachua Habitat for Humanity.
For more information, contact Tom Webster, Housing Programs Manager, Alachua County Growth Management at 352-337-6285, or Scott Winzeler, Executive Director, Alachua Habitat for Humanity at 352-378-4663.