For a couple of years, it has been our goal to do a Veterans Build. If you're not familiar with Vet Build, it is an initiative through HFHI where Habitat affiliates bring together veterans to build a home for a veteran. Despite our best efforts, we were meeting many roadblocks in getting the project off the ground.

However, this Veteran's Day, we are so thrilled to say that we finally celebrated a groundbreaking for our first Vet Build home which is currently being built on Carrie St in Schenectady. The future homeowners (Cuevas Family) were in attendance and so thrilled to see the building process beginning. 

During this time, when it often feels like bad news is around every corner, it was a wonderful moment to see our efforts come together for good. We are so thankful to our military and veterans who serve and protect our country, making it possible for us to do the work that we do! 

Because of COVID, our Vet Build may involve fewer people than it would in ordinary times, but at the end of it, there will be a veteran and family with a safe, affordable home to call their own. What could be better than that?

If you have a veteran's group who would like to volunteer, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Lauren, at volunteer@schenectadyhaboitat.org or 518-395-3412 at ext. 109.

On December 1st, Rivers Casino launched their first annual Holiday Trees of Hope, a holiday event and fundraiser to help raise money for local charities, of which we are one!

Our volunteers and staff put a lot of effort into creating a tree to symbolize Schenectady Habitat's mission of safe, affordable housing. The tree brings to mind all of the families who now own their own Habitat home, as well as all those working towards making that dream a reality.

The trees are located outside of the casino floor, in the convention center next to The Landing Hotel. The event is free to the public, and guests can purchase $1 and $5 tokens to vote for their favorite tree(s). All funds contributed in voting boxes will be given directly to that charity, and the organization that gets the most votes will receive an additional donation from Rivers Casino.

Rivers Casino has been a consistent and generous supporter of ours since they opened, and we appreciate the support that they bring to us and lots of other organizations throughout the Capital Region!

Throughout December, please stop by and take part in the festivities and cast a vote towards our tree! We really do believe we've outdone ourselves this year, if we do say so ourselves.

Currently, we have construction underway on five homes! Two on Lenox Rd, two on Carrie St, and one rehab on Eastern Avenue.

At Lenox Rd, we are about 3/4 of the way finished with one home, and about halfway done with the second. We project that these homes will be completed in the first quarter of 2021. Both families are well on the way to completing their sweat equity (volunteering) hours and are eagerly awaiting the day when they can move in.

At Eastern Avenue, our longest-running construction project currently, we are about 3/4 of the way done, doing mostly finish work now. We have been in this house for a little over a year now, as we had to gut the inside before starting fresh again. Regularly people walk by on the street not knowing about Habitat and ask if we're looking for renters because it looks so much better than it did before! It's amazing to see a previously abandoned home become beautiful again. We have a family very excited about purchasing this home. This project is being done in partnership with the Capital Region Land Bank.

On Carrie St (above), we recently began building two more homes, one of which will be the aforementioned Vet Build, the other of which will be a standard Habitat home. The homes replace several derelict two-family homes which have now been demolished, lowering the total housing stock of the city, and adding these two new homes back onto the tax rolls. Funding for these homes was provided by IUE-CWA, Trustco Bank, and the City of Schenectady, among others. The foundations are in place and walls for two crawlspaces were just poured.

Once completed, these homes will be the fourth and fifth Habitat homes to be built on Carrie St, and we are so excited to be back on this street again. We try, if possible, to build multiple homes on one street, hoping to make even more of an impact on the neighborhood.

Hopefully, by the end of 2021, we will have all five of these homes occupied by excited, new first-time homeowners! 

This quarter, we are spotlighting Nina Doss, one of the awesome regular construction volunteers we've added to our ranks in the last couple of years. We asked Nina to share a little bit about her experience volunteering for Schenectady Habitat below.

Why did you decide to volunteer at Schenectady Habitat?

I was looking for a volunteer opportunity that was in line with my interests. Habitat provided an opportunity to support my community while learning valuable skills, being productive, and having fun.

What are some of your favorite tasks to work on at Habitat?

I’m not sure that I have a favorite task. I do love demo (who doesn’t??). But mainly I enjoy working with my hands as part of a team and being able to physically see the results of our work. Sometimes it amazes me how much progress you can see after just one day of work.

Tell Us A Little Bit About Yourself: 

I was born and raised in Niskayuna, NY. With the exception of two years spent in Florida, I have always lived in the Capital District. My cat Annie and I currently reside in Schenectady. I graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and am currently employed by the State of New York.

Outside of Habitat, I enjoy doing yoga, meditation, running an eBay store, and hosting Sunday dinners for my family. I also love traveling and hope to be able to resume that soon.

What would you say to encourage someone else to volunteer?

Don’t be intimidated by a lack of skill. There are usually a variety of both skilled and unskilled tasks going on simultaneously.  So even if you know nothing about construction, you will still be able to participate. The more you come, the more you learn, and you will begin to slowly move from unskilled to skilled.

Do you have any memorable/touching/funny memories of working with Habitat?

I’m very appreciative of the senior volunteers' generosity in sharing their knowledge and experience. While I have learned from all, Doug Wildes and Anthony Russo have really gone out of their way as mentors. Thank you to Doug, Anthony, Lauren, James, and all of Habitat for allowing me to be a part of your organization!

Why We Love Nina: 

Nina didn't have much experience with construction when she started volunteering, but she is always eager to learn new skills, and never shies away from any task, regardless of how "boring" it might seem to other volunteers. At her core, she just wants to help.

On the very first day we met Nina, a hot summer day, we asked her to dig multiple four-foot deep post holes for a wheelchair ramp, a job that the average volunteer might find unstimulating and grueling, to say the least. Nina jumped in enthusiastically, was eager to continue volunteering, and a few months later, she joined our crew of regular volunteers and has remained consistent ever since.

During these difficult times, it is not easy to have events and fundraisers. This year, we postponed our annual fundraiser Build-A-Bash and moved our 4th Annual Giving Gala (our stay-at-home-event) up a few months. A tremendous thank you to those of you who donated to the Giving Gala!

With the rising cost and limited availability of building materials due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be facing new challenges in the coming year. Beyond that, many non-profits are struggling as donors and sponsors are scaling back on donations. We are all feeling the crunch! That’s why we are so grateful to the generous and dedicated donors that keep us moving forward and our spirits high – THANK YOU!!

Although the Giving Gala ended October 31st, we are still receiving donations towards that effort and are truly thankful for everyone’s support. It’s still not too late if you’re thinking of an end-of-year gift!

In addition to our two yearly fundraisers, we will launch an Annual Campaign in early 2021 along with a Legacy Society. A letter and brochure will be sent out and both will be highlighted on our website.

A Few Things to Consider When Donating:

- Extra $300 Deduction with CARES Act: One of the benefits of the CARES Act, which expires December 31st, 2020, is that even if you usually take the standard deduction, you can now deduct up to $300 for cash gifts to qualified charities - like us!

- Matching Gifts: If you're already planning to donate, and your employer offers an employee match for charitable contributions, don't forget to make use of that benefit! It costs you nothing, and it makes your donation go twice as far.

- Stock Donations: When many people think about the process of making a donation, they think primarily of donating cash. But donating appreciated securities is also an awesome and tax-efficient way to support Schenectady Habitat. When you donate stock, you realize a charitable income tax deduction for the full fair market value of the appreciated securities, and you avoid capital gains on that appreciation. It's a win, win!

If you have questions about anything related to donations, please free to contact Barbara Bishop, our new Director of Resource Development at 518-395-3412 at 103. She would be thrilled to talk you through some strategies to make the most out of your donation.

From all of us at Schenectady Habitat to all of you, thank you for the encouragement you are to us year-round! 

Whether you volunteer, shop, donate, or support from the sidelines, we are grateful to you for the role that you play in making our mission happen! You are a gift to us every day!

Despite what an unusual year it has been, we have been encouraged by all the work we've been able to accomplish.

Reasons We're Thankful:

1. We have five homes currently under construction.

2. We have four homeowners actively working and waiting for their home to be ready to move in, and dozens of other families interested in purchasing their first, safe, affordable home in partnership with Schenectady Habitat.

3. In 2020 so far, we have built 4 wheelchair ramps, installed 2 wheelchair lifts, and are preparing to start work on our 5th ramp.

4. Our generous donors who keep our mission going.

5. An awesome community who continues to donate and shop at our ReStore.

6. Our amazing volunteers who have continued to support and volunteer, despite all of the changes that COVID has brought.

These are just a few of the many reasons we have to be thankful this year!

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a blessed New Year! Despite all the challenges facing us, we are believing that there are good things ahead for our mission and our community in the upcoming year.