Habitat Holds Walk For Housing Fundraiser

By Kintura Williams

NEWBURGH – The Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh picked the perfect spring Sunday afternoon to hold their annual Walk for Housing fundraiser in downtown City of Newburgh.

Every year the Walk for Housing brings together Habitat board members, volunteers, along with Newburgh residents. The global nonprofit housing organization raises money to support the development of affordable homes in the city of Newburgh. After an application process to assess each individual family’s level of need, Habitat helps the families put work towards their new home. By investing many hours of labor into their own home—as well as homes at other sites—the families earn their way to the new home they helped build themselves, with the support of an affordable mortgage repayment plan.

Over 85 houses and counting have been dedicated to families in the city of Newburgh since 2000.

This was the second year that the event was organized by a small group of volunteers, instead of a larger staff. The core committee of four volunteers included Linda Smith, Trish Tesman, Sue Varden and Janis Berg. The committee met once a month, starting in October 2016 to lock in sponsors and prepare for the walk.

“Everything has to be authorized through them. They do a great job and it allows the executive board members to work on other avenues of fundraising besides the walk itself,” said Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh Executive Director Cathy Collins.

Before the walk, participants were greeted by volunteers and refreshments before they were directed to a registration tent. Teams and individual contributors worked together to raise over $40,000 in total to build homes in the Newburgh community. Over the last decade, crumbling streets have evolved with Habitat homes filling up with hardworking families.

Marysol Rosales moved into her East Parmenter Home in 2010 with two of her children. She was one of the first families on the block. Seven years later, her family has grown by two, and she has watched the street transform from desolation, to a vibrant community in downtown Newburgh. Rosales returns to the walk every year to bring her kids, meet new volunteers and home recipients, and stay in contact with active Habitat members.

“You feel like you live in a whole new area,” Rosales said. “When I first moved to Newburgh, I came with my sister, but she left and decided to move to Texas. She said good luck, I wouldn’t recommend this city for anybody. Now she feels like it’s a whole new place.”

Janis Berg, a seven year Habitat Walk for Housing core committee member found out about Habitat when her kids were in high school. Since then she has maintained relationships with the recipients, while encouraging other children like Habitat for Humanity national photo contest winner Evelyn Reyes. Reyes submitted a photo of an abandoned building on Dubois Street, beating out submissions from all over the United States. Reyes joined Berg and others as Habitat flew her down to Atlanta, Georgia for its national convention last month.

“I like being involved in things that you can see results, and it’s very satisfying. Seeing the families get into their houses and then seeing what Habitat does globally, in 70 countries, that just blows me away,” said Berg.

By the end of this year eight more families will be moving into their own three or four bedroom homes.

“Just like our work here at the walk. It’s not like we are running a marathon. We are out here walking one step at a time with the help of many minds, hearts and dollars working together to expand communities and make great things happen,” said Collins.