Are you looking for the perfect gift for Mother's Day? One that's not quickly worn away, forgotten or tossed aside? Give a gift that you can be proud of for years to come, one that touches the lives of children and families in need right here in the heart of Massachusetts.

This Mother's Day you can honor a woman with a donation to GWHFH. In turn, we will send your honoree a beautiful gift card letting her know you made a gift in her honor.

Your $25, $50 or even $100 tax-deductible contribution to Habitat for Humanity is a unique and heart-warming way to honor someone you love. The building materials and support your gift provides will help make the dream of a decent, affordable home a reality for those in need, extending your love to others you may never meet!

Click here to Honor a Woman in time for Mother's Day

Greater Worcester Habitat for Humanity is now on YouTube! We have uploaded our informational video, produced in 2007, which gives a great overview of the work done by Habitat for Humanity in the heart of Massachusetts. If you have not seen it at one of our volunteer info sessions, be sure to check it out. Better yet, pass on the link to your friends and family so they can see why you are involved with Habitat.

On March 11, the Sudbury Board of Selectmen approved our proposal to build a duplex at the corner of Dutton and Pratts Mill Roads. Many thanks to the selectmen for moving the Sudbury project a step closer to our anticipated July groundbreaking.

We also are grateful to all the organizations and individuals who spoke in support of the project. They include the Sudbury Clergy Association and its member congregations, the Earth Decade Committee, the Martin Luther King Action Project at Lincoln-Sudbury High School, Metropolitan Interfaith Congregations Acting for Hope (MICAH) at St. Elizabeth's Church and several neighbors.

Sudbury public information sessions will be held regularly on the third Wednesday of each month. Check the GWHFH Calendar for the date and location of the next meeting.

Take a Hike for Humanity is a regional fundraiser for local Habitat for Humanity affiliates. Participants in this hike-a-thon either climb Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, NH or hike Blue Hills Reserve in Milton, MA to raise funds for their local Habitat for Humanity affiliates. This year's hike will be held June 7 and 8.

If you are interested in hiking as an individual or forming a team, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Kat Vriesema-Magnuson at katvm@gwhfh.org or 508-799-9259. Promotional materials are available.

On January 22, Pamela Faustine, president of Greater Worcester Habitat for Humanity, and Christopher Ross, president of Habitat for Humanity MetroWest, announced the merger of the two affiliates to be known as Habitat for Humanity - MetroWest/Greater Worcester. Anticipating gains in production capacity and other efficiencies, the action culminates over a year of discussion and planning, leading to the Worcester organization's adoption of MetroWest's service area and business activities. This merger is already bearing fruit as the Sudbury Housing Trust has granted our organization the construction award to develop an affordable housing site in that town.

The combined organizations will be responsible for the development of volunteer-built, affordable housing in the 29 municipalities of Ashland, Auburn, Boylston, Charlton, Framingham, Grafton, Holden, Holliston, Hopkinton, Leicester, Marlborough, Millbury, Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Oxford, Paxton, Rutland, Sherborn, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Southbridge, Sturbridge, Sudbury, Sutton, Wayland, West Boylston, Westborough and Worcester.

The merged entity has already developed 25 affordable homes in the region since 1985. We anticipate the spring completion of our Stowell Avenue duplex in Worcester and the start of another duplex in Sudbury. Additionally, local planners hope to culminate their work with the start of two, single-family homes in Sturbridge by the end of the year.

Look for our new name to propagate through the website in the coming months.

Earlier this year, GWHFH implemented VolunteerHub, an online volunteer management website. This user-friendly site allows us to easily schedule individuals and groups on our work-site.

Individual Build Slots

Individuals can sign up for any build-day that has a SIGN UP button next to it. Slots are typically available approximately two weeks before the build-date. Those who have attended one of our monthly Volunteer Information Sessions should have received a special "Join Code." When you register at VolunteerHub, enter this join code and you will receive access to build-days not yet available to the general public.

Group Build Slots

Group leaders interested in scheduling a day on the work-site should contact Volunteer Coordinator Kat Vriesema-Magnuson (see contact information below). Once a reserve date has been determined, you will be given a Join Code. You may either use this code to register all your volunteers or give the code to your group members so they may register themselves.

After you have registered, VolunteerHub will send you a reminder email three days before your build-day. If you have a last minute schedule conflict and are unable to keep your commitment, please reenter VolunteerHub and release your slot so others may sign-up.

For any questions or problems with VolunteerHub, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Kat Vriesema-Magnuson at katvm@gwhfh.org or 508-799-9259.

With more than 10 institutions of higher learning located in our service area, college students fill an important role among our volunteer base. Having volunteered countless hours on our build sites, on administrative projects and in fundraising initiatives, they are a core part of our mission. GWHFH's College Consortium Committee held its Second Annual Student Stampede for Habitat 5K road race/walk, November 11, to raise money for our Stowell Avenue project. Those involved in planning the event included students from Anna Maria College, Assumption College, Becker College, Holy Cross College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

This year's event had the added feature of a walk, allowing for a wider range of participants. Thirty-seven entrants, including 18 walkers and 19 runners, took part in the event. In addition to local college involvement, the Habitat for Humanity chapters at Nipmuc High School and St. Peter Marian High School got involved.

Worcester State College's Adam Boudreau took first place honors with a time of 18:37 over the 3.1 mile course. Anna Maria College alumna Lisa Savarese was the top female finisher, placing 12th overall in 26:23. Individual male and female age group winners were:

• Adam Boudreau, WSC (under 19 male)
• Francis Song, WPI (20-29 male)
• Lisa Savarese, Anna Maria alum (20-29 female)
• Chris Kardos, unattached (30-39 male)
• Kim Kerr, UMass-Medical School (30-39 female)
• Bob Rentsch, GWHFH (40-49 male)
• Bob Turbidy, GWHFH (50+ male)
• There were no female entries in the under 19, 40-49 and 50+ categories

Earning both team awards for school spirit and top fundraising was the Habitat for Humanity chapter from Nipmuc High School. Led by sophomore Olivia Denn, Nipmuc's team of nine walkers raised $830 for the event. Worcester State College received an honorable mention nod for raising $400. The top three individual fundraisers were: Olivia Denn, Nipmuc HS, $400; Kim Kerr, UMass-Medical, $131; and Megan Armstrong, Nipmuc HS, $110.

"We are thrilled that the student community has come together to fund and build a house for a local family in need," said Pamela Faustine, GWHFH president and race coordinator. "With so many colleges and high schools in the Worcester area, there is a wealth of energy and enthusiasm for community service." Faustine praised Central Mass Striders running club, and Kevin Fallon in particular, who graciously assisted with race planning as well as timing the event.

We are grateful to all who helped make the Second Annual Student Stampede for Habitat a success ~ the participating runners and walkers, the college students and Habitat volunteers who helped organize and run the event, businesses that local sponsored the race, and everyone who donated money to support those walking and running for a great cause. Thank you all for your support!

GWHFH's Project Manager, Bob Turbidy, was recently featured in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette's On the job profiles. Click here to read the full story to learn more about the challenges and rewards of coordinating the work at our building sites.

A sunny, May 12th morning was the perfect setting as approximately 60 well-wishers joined together to help Greater Worcester Habitat for Humanity break ground on our next project, a duplex at 2 Stowell Avenue in Worcester. The duplex represents our affiliate's 25th and 26th homes since we incorporated in 1985. Using an over-under building design, the first floor will be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

"While we feel each Habitat home and family is special, we are excited to offer the unique feature of a fully ADA compliant home to a low-income family with extraordinary needs," says GWHFH Executive Director J. Douglas Havens. "The terrain of building lots we can afford does not often avail itself to such development."

Students from local colleges and universities have pledged to raise funds for the Stowell Avenue project. Additional contributors for the building project include: Bike and Build Foundation, Stoddard Charitable Trust, the United Methodist Foundation of New England and Wyman Gordon Foundation. "We are extremely pleased all these donors have joined this exciting project, once again substantiating GWHFH as a community organization," Havens ascertains.

According to Havens, the funding mechanism differs for each project. Volunteer fundraising efforts throughout the year include appeals to diverse community organizations as well as several events. "As a non-profit organization in the housing market, our budget is very tight," Havens admits. "We are always looking for community members to assist us in a number of areas to fulfill our mission. For those presently unable to donate their time, we always appreciate contributions of both funds and in-kind materials."