Bend-La Pine superintendent, others help build Habitat house
Recently, Shay Mikalson, superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools, and several leadership staff joined Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity to build on the organization’s 30th Anniversary Home for a single mom and her two children.
Their team worked with great intention and care to hang siding and gained some mastery of caulking guns, all to help complete construction of the home and fulfill the dream of homeownership for the deserving family.
When asked about his experience, Jim Boen , executive director for middle schools and south county, said, ” I enjoyed working side-by-side with the future homeowner. There is something special about pride of ownership that must be experienced to be fully understood. Through this volunteer experience I was reminded of what it means to get something you really want by working hard and alongside others. ”
In addition, Deputy Superintendent Jay Mathisen said, “It is a privilege to partner with an organization like Habitat for Humanity to serve our greater community.”
” Many of our families have children enrolled in Bend-La Pine Schools, and this display of support from the school district leaders is a perfect example of how Habitat partners with the community to change lives through affordable homeownership. The Bend-La Pine School District is helping us provide opportunities for transformation through stable and affordable housing and for that, we are extremely grateful, ” said Robin Cooper Engle, director of development for Bend-Redmond Habitat.
The Bend-Redmond Habitat is one of the few affordable housing builders in Central Oregon providing opportunities for homeownership for low- to moderate-income people that are housing unstable and make 40% to 80% of the area median income.
With their homeownership program, families & individuals are required to volunteer hundreds of hours as the down payment for the home, attend monthly financial education classes and participate in a matched savings program for the closing costs. When those requirements are fulfilled and the house is constructed, the families & individuals purchase it with a below market rate loan for 30 years.
But Habitat isn’t building these homes on their own. In fact, it takes roughly 5,000 people, directly or indirectly, partnering with them on each home so that families & individuals have a chance at a different life. A home creates an opportunity to become stable, for security, a feeling of tranquility and empowers people to become better. To learn how you could help Habitat build and serve more, www.bendredmondhabitat.org.
