February 6, 2008
Habitat Fact of the Week:
What are RV Care-A-Vanners? RV Care-A-Vanners are a group of 8-20
people who drive around to building sites in, as the name indicates,
RV's. Usually these builds last about two weeks, with ten six-hour
to seven-hour workdays. A typical day begins with devotions and
includes morning, lunch and afternoon breaks. Volunteers bring sturdy
work shoes and gloves, and their personal hand tools—tool
belt, hammer, square, pencil, measuring tape. The affiliate provides
everything else including power tools, ladders, building materials,
instruction and supervision. Lasting friendships develop as the
group parks together, builds together, eats together and socializes.
In addition, the team often has the opportunity to work alongside
local volunteers and future homeowners—a truly unforgettable
experience.
January 28, 2008
Our FIRST GENERAL
MEETING will be Tuesday FEB. 5 at 7PM in
155 DWINELLE. Come find out about Habitat and sign-up for workdays!
And now, here's some quick Habitat
facts:
-Habitat for Humanity has been around for 32 years.
-Habitat was first founded by Linda and Millard Fuller but much
credit is is given to former President Jimmy Carter.
-Habitat's goal is not to "give away" housing, rather Habitat works
to help low income families afford their own housing. These families
still pay a down payment, affordable monthly mortgage, and put in
their own sweat equity (hours of labor building Habitat houses).
-The Berkeley chapter has been around for 9 years and was founded
by four students.
December 4, 2007
Wondering if you are an active member this semester? Remember,
as an active member, you get a free t-shirt and an invitation to
our end-of-the-year party! Check out the members and alumni page
here to download the workday
credit spreadsheet.
December 3, 2007
Hey everyone, our LAST GENERAL MEETING
of this semester is tomorrow in 2040 VLSB at 7PM! This meeting will
be led by our new officers! We will also be showing an AMAZING slideshow
of all the memories from this semester. And here is your last weekly
fun fact:
When President Clinton awarded Millard Fuller the Presidential
Medal of Freedom in 1996, he called Habitat for Humanity the "most
successful continuous community service project in the history of
the United States."
Thank you all for a fantastic semester, and we will see you in
the spring!
November 29, 2007
Election Results!
Welcome your brand new officers for the Spring 2008 semester! Thanks
to everyone who ran!
President: Kevin Lam
Vice President: Kristine Hirschhorn
Secretary: Elina Sheykh-Zade
Financial Manager: Jessica Yueh
Workday Coordinators: Caroline Szymanska, Steven Nguyen
Local Workday Coordinator: Jay Garg
Publicity: Caitlyn Cahill, Tammy Ung
Fundraising: Samantha Chang, Lusha Liang
Education: Dave Garg, Allyson Milner
Newsletter: Allison Dusine, Dustin Hang
Special Events: Hui Nie, Adam Needelman
Social: Ted Shen
College Trak: Shayla Spring
Collegiate Challenge: Beth Dukes
Webmaster/Historian: Mike Clark
November 26, 2007
Reminder! Tomorrow is our 6th general meeting
in 2040 VLSB at 7PM. If you still need to fulfill your active membership
requirements, this is a great opportunity for you to sign-up for
the remaining workdays of the semester. We will also be holding
officer elections tomorrow, so if you are already an active member,
you are eligible to vote. And here is this week's fun fact:
Q: How is Habitat funded as a non-profit organization?
A: Habitat’s primary sources of private funding are individuals,
corporations, foundations, and faith organizations. In addition,
they receive grants and no-interest redevelopment agency loans from
local government sources.
Recently, Charity Navigator awarded Habitat East Bay the prestigious
4-star rating -- an award that Charity Navigator says, "means
your supporters can be assured that your charity is worthy of their
trust and commitment." According to the report, 91% of funds
go to Habitat programs, while only 9% are used for administrative
and fundraising costs. This is an extremely good ratio, as most
non-profits use 25% or more of their income for administrative costs.
Habitat East Bay's organizational budget for the year 2007 is $14
Million (including program and operations).
November 19, 2007
November 17th was Berkeley Build Day and it was a huge success!
Thanks to everyone who raised money and participated on Saturday.
We are that much closer to our half-sponsored home! A special thanks
goes out to our two amazing Berkeley Build Day co-chairs, Caitlyn
and Hui!
Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving! Remember, our next general
meeting is the Tuesday after break, November 27th. And don't forget
to read this week's fun facts below.
Housing improves health:
- Children in bad housing have increased risk of viral or bacterial
infections and a greater chance of suffering mental health and
behavioral problems.
- Housing deprivation leads to an average of 25 percent greater
risk of disability or severe ill health across a person's lifespan.
Housing has a positive impact on children:
- Children of homeowners are more likely to stay in school (by
7-9 percent) and daughters of homeowners are less likely to have
children by age 18 (by 2-4 percent).
- Owning a home leads to a higher quality home environment, improved
test scores in children (9 percent in math and 7 percent in reading),
and reduced behavioral problems (by 3 percent).
November 15, 2007
Hey everyone! Here is your Habitat-related fact for this week:
Q: What are Habitat Houses like?
A: Habitat for Humanity Houses: Simple, Decent, Affordable
Whether in the United States, Canada or in nearly 100 other countries
around the world, Habitat for Humanity houses are built according
to the same guiding principles. Habitat houses are:
- Simple. Habitat houses are modestly sized -- large enough for
the homeowner family's needs, but small enough to keep construction
and maintenance costs to a minimum.
- Decent. Habitat uses quality, locally available building materials.
Trained staff supervise Habitat house construction and educate
volunteers and partner families. House designs reflect the local
climate and culture.
- Affordable. The labor of volunteers and partner families, efficient
building methods, modest house sizes and a no-profit, no-interest
loan make it affordable for low-income people around the world
to purchase a Habitat for Humanity house.
Habitat for Humanity International is also committed to resource-
and energy-efficient building practices. Habitat's Environmental
Initiative teaches affiliate staff and volunteers to use sustainable
construction techniques which conserve natural resources and reduce
long-term costs for Habitat homeowners.
In addition, Habitat for Humanity International's commitment to
build with people in need readily extends to those with disabilities.
HFHI's board of directors has endorsed the concept that all Habitat
houses should incorporate basic accessible design features, such
as a zero-step entrance and wide passage doors and hallways. Houses
built in partnership with families with disabilities include additional
accessibility features.
November 8, 2007
Thanks to everyone who came to our 5th General Meeting. For those
who missed it, here are some important announcements:
- Berkeley Build Day Registration deadline is
TOMORROW November 9! Click here
to register your group.
- Interested in getting more involved with Habitat? Want to become
an officer? Click here for the application
and officer descriptions. Remember the application is due to Kevin
by 11:59PM Sunday, November 25.
- Enjoy the music of Switchfoot and Relient K? Want to help donate
to Habitat International? Then you should go to the upcoming Switchfoot
and Relient K concert on November 30 at 7:30PM on the UC Davis
campus. For more information, go to: http://switchfoot.com/
November 5, 2007
Reminder! Tomorrow is our 5th General Meeting
in 60 Evans at 7PM! And here is this week's fun fact:
Habitat affiliates build with locally available materials, reducing
costs and making it easier for homeowners to maintain the houses.
For example, houses in many African countries are constructed with
fired clay bricks, with tile roofs made of cement or fired clay.
Houses in Latin America often are built with concrete block or adobe
walls and metal roofs, while houses in the Pacific are often built
with wood frames and are constructed on stilts.
November 2, 2007
Hey everyone! Here is your weekly Habitat fact:
You may have thought that Habitat was only involved with low-income
housing and homelessness. In reality, Habitat, like the Red Cross,
also enacts programs to support people after disasters and, in some
cases, wars. These programs include rebuilding the homes and lives
of people involved in the Lebanon conflict, recent Indonesian earthquake,
and, of course, Hurricane Katrina and Rita. To date, more than 60,000
families have been aided by these programs. As Habitat continues
to grow, we can hope that natural disasters and conflicts create
less suffering as the spirit to rebuild is rekindled in the hearts
of the people.
October 22, 2007
Reminder! Our 4th General Meeting
is tomorrow, Oct. 23rd in 155 Dwinelle at 7:00PM. As some of you
may or may not know, our Global Village trip this year is going
to Honduras! If you don't know anything about Honduras, read this
week's facts:
Average Habitat house cost: $4,370 (USD)
Percentage of homes considered deficient:
66% (A deficient Honduran house is made of cardboard and plastic,
with four to ten people living in a single room. Due to poor sanitary
conditions, cases of diarrhea and dysentery, among other diseases,
are very common.)
Estimated housing deficit: 700,000 homes
Population below poverty line: 53%
October 15, 2007
Hey Habitat-ers! Here is your weekly fun fact:
Q: What is Operation Home Delivery?
A: Operation Home Delivery is Habitat for Humanity's program to
quickly rebuild areas damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It
started six weeks after Hurricane Katrina. The program begins construction
on 52 homes every month, compared to the 57 homes being built per
year in the region before the hurricanes hit.
October 11, 2007
Thanks everyone who came to our third general meeting! For those
who couldn't make it, you can check out the documents section here
to read the minutes. And here are a couple of exciting new updates:
- Berkeley Build Day Registration is now OPEN! Click here
to register your group.
- Thanks to everyone who approved our new Constitution during
the meeting this week. For those who couldn't make it, our new
Constitution can be viewed here.
- Have any questions? comments? concerns? Not sure who to send
an e-mail to? Don't worry, you can just e-mail calberkeleyhabitat@gmail.com
and you should get a reply in no time!
October 8, 2007
Hey everyone! Our third general meeting
is TOMORROW Oct. 9th at 7PM in 2040
VLSB! And the most exciting part of the week... your weekly Habitat
FUN FACT!
Defining affordable housing: A household
should pay no more than 30% of its annual income on housing. Families
who pay more than 30% of their income for housing are cost burdened
and may not be able to afford basic necessities such as food, clothing,
transportation and medical care. Currently, an estimated 12 million
households pay more than 50% of their annual incomes for housing.
A family with 1 full-time worker earning the minimum wage cannot
afford the local fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment anywhere
in the United States.
--> The median price for homes in the San Francisco Bay Area is
$725,900 -- affordable by only 25% of these households!
--> The average Habitat Home in the U.S. costs $38,000.
--> In developing nations, the average cost of a house drops to
$2,500.
October 4, 2007
Hey all you Habitat-ers! Here is your weekly Fun Fact:
Habitat East Bay is one of the leaders
in affordable "green building"
in the Bay Area. HEB started building GREEN
in 2002 at the Oakland Fruitvale site. Since then we have also built
a 22-home green project
in Livermore.
We build "green" to
take better care of our environment, our homeowners and our volunteers.
Q: What is "Green"
Building?
A: Green building
is a "whole-systems" approach for designing and constructing buildings
that conserve energy, water, and material resources and are more
healthy, safe, and comfortable. Many think of solar panels when
they think of "green"
building. The reality is that environmentally sustainable building
goes far beyond energy consumption. Building materials and use of
landfills during construction can have detrimental effects on volunteers,
homeowners and the environment. For this reason, our homes incorporate
a variety of green
features, including "24 inch on center" framing (which reduces lumber
usage by 30%), fast growing engineered lumber, 30% fly-ash concrete
to reduce landfill, energy efficient fixtures and appliances on
each home, green landscaping
with drought tolerant plants and many more features.
September 24, 2007
REMINDER! Our Second General Meeting
is TOMORROW at
7:00PM in 2040 VLSB. If you
couldn't attend the last meeting, then you can come out tomorrow
and find out more about what we do and sign-up for workdays!
Here is this week's Habitat Fun Fact:
Q: What is the Jimmy Carter Work Project?
A: In 1984, Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn led a work group
to New York City to help renovate a six-story building with 19 families
in need of decent, affordable shelter. Each year after that, Jimmy
and Rosalynn Carter give a week of their time—along with their construction
skills—to build homes and raise awareness of the critical need for
affordable housing. The JCWP is held at a different location each
year, and attracts volunteers from around the world.
Q: Where is the Jimmy Carter Work Project going to be held
this year?
A: Los Angles, CA. JCWP Los Angeles will bring together thousands
of volunteers from around the world to build side by side with homeowner
families in the Los Angeles area who will contribute 500 hours of
sweat equity to help build their home.
Courtesy of http://www.habitat.org
September 18, 2007
Thanks to all of you who came out to our First General Meeting!
We packed the house!
Here is your weekly Habitat Fact:
Over 70,000 volunteers have worked through Habitat for Humanity
in Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief.
September 12, 2007
Our First General Meeting is TODAY
at 7PM in 155 DWINELLE! For those who can't wait and want to know
more about our club, here are some Cal Berkeley Habitat for Humanity
Facts:
1) Started in Spring 1999 after Cal students realized Berkeley
was the only UC campus with no Habitat chapter. Now, we are the
LARGEST, longest running UC chapter, and we work with the most affiliates
(3 when most have only 1).
2) We are the ONLY construction service club on campus.
3) We are the 5th largest student service group on campus.
...now don't ya'll want to be a part of THAT?!!
September 8, 2007
Welcome Back!
Our FIRST GENERAL
MEETING will be THIS Wednesday SEPT. 12 at 7PM in
155 DWINELLE. Come find out about Habitat, sign-up for workdays,
and watch our slide-show!
You can check out the calendar for upcoming
events. To get you all thinking about affordable housing issues,
here is your weekly Habitat fun fact:
Q: What is predatory lending?
A: Predatory lending is the practice of a lender deceptively convincing
borrowers to agree to unfair and abusive loan terms, or systematically
violating those terms in ways that make it difficult for the borrower
to defend against. Other types of lending sometimes also referred
to as predatory include payday loans, credit cards or other forms
of consumer debt, and overdraft loans, when the interest rates are
considered unreasonably high.
Although predatory lenders are most likely to target the less educated,
racial minorities and the elderly, victims of predatory lending
are represented across all demographics.
Predatory lending often occurs on loans backed by some kind of
collateral, such as a car or house, so that if the borrower defaults
on payment, or even if he doesn't default, the lender can repossess
or foreclose and profit by selling the repossessed or foreclosed
property.
Q: What is Habitat doing about predatory lending?
A: Habitat for Humanity is interested in protecting potential homebuyers
from predatory loans. Aggressively educating homeowners about the
realities of predatory loans and increasing homeowner financial
literacy are key ways to prevent foreclosures as a result of predatory
loans.
Source: Wikipedia**
April 30, 2007
Fun Fact Extravaganza:
Some facts about homelessness to chew on.
1. Homelessness is a relatively recent phenomenon in the United
States (only a few decades old). The causes of homelessness most
frequently cited (i.e. the movement of mental health systems to
community-based treatment when there was an absence of local housing
programs, the economic stagnation of the 70s, and the lack of mental
treatment for veterans of the Vietnam War) originated during the
1960s to 1980s.
2. As many as 3.5 million people experience homelessness in a given
year (1% of the entire U.S. population or 10% of its poor), and
about 842,000 people in any given week.
3. Familial composition of the homeless:
* 40% are families with children—the fastest growing segment.
* 41% are single males.
* 14% are single females.
* 5% are minors unaccompanied by adults.
*1.37 million (or 39%) of the total homeless population are children
under the age of 18.
4. Ethnic Composition of the homeless:
* 49% are African American (compared to 11% of general population).
* 35% are Caucasian (under-represented compared to 75% of general
population).
* 13% are Hispanic (compared to 10% of general population).
* 2% are Native American (compared to 1% of general population).
* 1% are Asian-American (under-represented compared to 4% of general
population).
Information courtesy of Wikipedia.
April 26, 2007
In case you were wondering how close you are to fulfilling the active
membership requirement, a new workday credit spreadsheet has been
uploaded to the members and alumni tab. Or just download it here.
April 21, 2007
Election Results!
The votes have been tallied, and here are your new Officers for
the Fall Semester! Congratulations, and thanks to everyone who ran!
Social: Jennifer Kim
Secretary: Elina Sheykh-Zade
Work Coords: Mike Clark, Jay Garg, Lauren Magistro
Vice President: Kevin Lam
Education Coords: Nisha Desai, Jessia Yueh
Global Village: Jessica Huang
Special Events: Hui Nie, Caitlin Cahill
President: Kati Wilkowski
Newsletter: Long Nguyen, Dave Garg
Financial Manager: Garrett Morimoto
College Trak: Allison Dusine
Webmaster: Allyson Wang
Fundraiser Coords: Sophie Sun, Samantha Chang
Publicity: Kristine Hirschhorn, Ted Shen
April 15, 2007
Hello everyone! This coming week is very important for our club since
it's Act! Speak! Build! week. ASB week is a student-initiated, world-wide
week of advocating for affordable housing...see the end of this post
for a schedule of events.
Our next meeting (this Tuesday, April 17) is also very important
because we will be having Officer Elections and T-shirt voting.
Please come if you want to have a say both in who will be running
the club next semester, and what color your member t shirts will
be!
Act! Speak! Build! Week Events (we'll be on Upper Sproul
every day!)
Monday: Free Candy! Come by our table on Sproul
for the deliciousness.
Tuesday: Meeting at 7 pm in 60 Evans. Officer
elections and T-shirt voting!
Wednesday: Hammering Contest on Sproul from 10am-2pm
with prizes!
Thursday: House-Building Contest on Sproul from
10am-2pm with prizes!
Friday: More Free Candy on Sproul!
Saturday: Build-a-Thon! 7:30am-4:30pm.
Help build an actual house!
April 4, 2007
Hi all, The Build-A-Thon is coming up very soon on April 20-21, and
it's time to get involved! Build-A-Thon is our major fundraising event
for the Spring semester, and it's basically a construction workday
with lots of added hoopla. If that alone doesn't get you excited,
then feature this: if you participate in Build-a-Thon, you automatically
become an active member! E-mail Krystal
or Hui to sign up. Also, visit
the Cal donation
page for more information and to contribute!
April 2, 2007
Welcome back from Spring Break everyone! We hope you spent the
week not thinking about school. But now that you're back, you can
start thinking about affordable housing issues again! Here's your
factoid of the week.
The average cost of a Habitat house in the US is $60,000, but in
the Bay Area, it's $100,000. This is largely due to high demand
for housing, which has led to high land costs and numerous building
restrictions/regulations.
March 18, 2007
Here's your fun fact for the week:
Q: How many homes has Habitat for Humanity International built?
A: Over 200,000 homes have been built by Habitat for Humanity
International, which house more than one million people around the
world. Also, the first 100,000 homes were built in the first 24
years of Habitat, and the second 100,000 were completed in the 5
years after that.
March 17, 2007
The updated Workday Credit sheet is now up under the 'Members and
Alumni' section. Check it to make sure you got credit for your hard
work!
Email Kevin if you have
any questions.
March 15, 2007
Interested in volunteering to build homes in South
America or Central America over
winter break? Join us for Global Villlage!
Tentative dates: 2nd week of Janurary, 2008.
Please email jesshuang@berkeley.edu by April 15th, 2007 (tax day!)
with the following:
1) Your full name
2) Your phone number
3) Your age
4) A paragraph about why you are interested in going on this trip
Thanks!
March 12, 2007
Hi everyone! This Tuesday we've got a great meeting planned for
you, including a super-cool housing simulation! Here are some questions
and answers to get your appetite whetted:
Q: WHAT IS PUBLIC HOUSING?
A: Public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental
housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons
with disabilities. Public housing comes in all sizes and types,
from scattered single family houses to highrise apartments for elderly
families. There are approximately 1.3 million households living
in public housing units, managed by some 3,300 local housing agencies
(HAs). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
administers Federal aid to HAs that manage the housing for low-income
residents at rents they can afford.
Q: WHAT ARE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS (SECTION 8)?
A: The housing choice voucher program is the federal government's
major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly,
and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in
the private market. Housing choice vouchers are administered locally
by public housing agencies (PHAs). The PHAs receive federal funds
from HUD to administer the voucher program. Eligible families generally
pay 30% of their income as rent, and the remaining difference is
subsidized by the PHA.
Courtesy of http://www.hud.gov/
March 6, 2007
We know you've been craving it, so here it is- your Habitat Fact
of the Week:
Myth: Green building is too expensive
to buy and install. Only rich people can afford it.
Fact: Green building can be done on
various income levels. Many materials are comparable in price to
their traditional counterparts. Habitat East Bay finds green building
techniques and materials that are good for the environment, homeowners,
and "volunteer-friendly" as well.
February 25, 2007
Hi all! Another meeting this Tuesday, and with it TWO fun facts!
Q: How are the partner families selected?
A: Families in need of decent shelter
apply to local Habitat affiliates. The affiliate's family selection
committee chooses homeowners based on their level of need, their
willingness to become partners in the program and their ability
to repay the loan. Every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy
of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing
the families who receive Habitat houses.
Myth: Habitat for Humanity gives houses
away to poor people.
Fact: Habitat for Humanity International
offers a homeownership opportunity to families unable to obtain
conventional house financing—generally, those whose income is 30
to 50 percent of the area's median income. In most cases, prospective
Habitat homeowner families make a $500 down payment and contribute
300 to 500 hours of "sweat equity" on the construction of their
home or someone else's home. Because Habitat houses are built using
donations of land, material and labor, mortgage payments are kept
affordable.
Courtesy of www.habitat.org
February 11, 2007
In case you missed it, there was an article in the Daily Cal about
an Alameda County plan to eradicate homelessness in the next 10 years.
Check it out here.
Thanks Nisha!
February 11, 2007
Hi all! This is just a reminder that our second general meeting is
coming up on Tuesday, February 13. Also, be sure to check out the
calendar because it is now filled with workdays, fundraisers, and
socials- so plan accordingly! Finally, to get you thinking affordable-
housing-issues style, here's a fun fact about Habitat for Humanity
(be on the lookout for a new one every week!):
Myth: Habitat for Humanity was founded
by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
Fact: Habitat was started in 1976 in
Americus, Ga., by Millard Fuller along with his wife Linda. President
Carter and his wife Rosalynn (whose home is eight miles from Americus,
in Plains, Ga.), have been longtime Habitat supporters and volunteers
who help bring national attention to the organization's house-building
work. Each year, they lead the Jimmy Carter Work Project to help
build houses and raise awareness of the need for affordable housing.
January 16, 2007
Welcome back to campus! We hope everyone's new year is off to a great
start...and we hope you are all ready for a new semester of building
craziness. Our first general meeting will be Tuesday, January 30 at
7:00 in 155 Dwinelle. Come to learn more about Habitat and to sign
up for workdays.
<<Back to top.>>
December 10, 2006
Good-bye
Eleven officers are leaving us this semester and I would like to
wish all of them best of luck in the future, whether they head to
Mali, Rome, or are going to be hanging around Berkeley. Here are
my thanks.
Lizzie Shen: For keeping everything afloat.
Kyle: For always making everything seem easy.
Nancy: For your crazy laugh and never-ending smile.
Insiya: For your sarcastic wit and friendly demeanor.
Carrie: For the way you always make others relax.
Bev: For being sweet and enthusiastic about life.
Lauren: For always being up for a dance party.
Coop: For your energy and your organized emails.
Steph: For your support, love, and knowledge of history.
Helen: For your laughter and optimism.
Heather: For your dance moves on ice.
This is my last post as webmaster (unless Kasey can’t hack it)
so I wish everyone goodbye from the pages of Dreamweaver.
Cheers,
Nisha Desai
<<Back to top.>>
December 5, 2006
Where the Party At?
That's the question everyone should be asking as we quickly approach
the date (December 9) of our semesterly Habitat party. Keep an eye
on your inbox for the super exclusive invite for active members.
Yayuh. You can also get your T-shirts at the party.
Come by our meeting tomorrow for free pizza and to celebrate the
end of a very successful semester. Cheers!
<<Back to top.>>
November 28, 2006
Election Results
Here is your beautiful, wonderful, amazing Spring 2007 Officer
Core! To make everyone frustrated and in the name of democratic
equality, I present them in absolutely no particular order.
Global Village: Jessica Huang
Vice President: Kevin Lam
Secretary: Elina Sheykh-Zade
Education: Allyson Wang, The Honorable Nisha Desai
Financial Manager: Garrett Morimoto
Special Events: Krystal Mincey, Huiting Nie
Newsletter: Dave Garg, Long Nguyen
College Trak: Allison Dusine
President: Kati Wilkowski
Publicity: Ted Shen, Kristine Hirschorn
Webmaster/Historian: Kasey Moffat
Fundraising: Sophie Sun, Samantha Chang
Workday Coordinator: Mike Clark, Dorothy Xu
Local Workday Coordinator: Jay Garg
Social Chair: Jennifer Kim
Congratulations to our incoming officers! Welcome Krystal, Hieting,
Dave, Long, Ted, Allison, Kristine, Samantha, Mike, Dorothy, and
Jay!
<<Back to top.>>
November 26, 2006
Vote!
Election season is upon us in Habitat and our election meeting
will be held this Tuesday in 155 Dwinelle at 6:30. You will only
be able to vote if you are a red or green member (check the spreadsheet
for your status). Come exercise your right to vote!
<<Back to top.>>
November 19, 2006
Workday Credit & BBD News
As the semester rapidly comes to a close,
it's a good idea to check out your workday credits. You can download
the excel sheet under the members and alumni page. Remember, 2 workdays
and 1 fundraiser or 2 workdays and $10 will make you an active member.
Yesterday was our second annual Berkeley Build Day, our biggest
fundraiser of the year. We raised over $7,000 and every cent will
go to the "House that Cal Built." Check out the pictures
to see some of the action from the day. Also, a huge thanks goes
to our Berkeley Build Day co-chairs, Stephanie Moore and Kati Wilkowski.
=)
<<Back to top.>>
November 9, 2006
Professor Plum in the study with the candlestick
We will be having a game night social on
Friday, November 17 at 6:30 in 213 Wheeler. Bring your game face!
<<Back to top.>>
November 7, 2006
5th General Meeting recap
I cannot believe we're already at meeting
five...it makes me want to whip out the tissues and make slideshows
played to "Time of Your Life." However, in the name of
professionalism, I will soldier on.
Things that YOU MUST KNOW:
1. ELECTIONS are coming up! This means that
if you heart Habitat and want to contribute your soul to the club,
you should definitely run in elections which will be at our next
meeting on November 28. Check out the
description of the various officer positions and send Kyle (kdelwiche@berkeley.edu)
the
Officer Questionaire by November 21. (Giving away your soul
is not actually a requirement).
2. There are only a few workdays left in
the semester; sign up soon to finish your requirement! Remember
that when you sign up for a workday, you are expected to actually
attend. If you must cancel, please do it at least 24
hours in advance. If you don't attend workdays you sign up for,
it creates problems for our workday coords who must scramble to
find a replacement at the last minute.
<<Back to top.>>
October 30, 2006
I just wanted to put out a disclaimer stating that I am currently
tinkering with the Habitat site so things may be changing/looking
strange. If you have any ideas, please do email me at nishadesai@berkeley.edu.
This will be a long-term project as I figure out what works and
what needs to be trashed. Thanks!
October 28, 2006
Thanks to everyone that came to Halloween Broomball!
October
24, 2006
Hilarity
Our 4th general meeting was packed with funny quips and Liz Shen
generally making a fool out of herself...check out the
minutes to get a sense of today's action.
Important Notes:
1. Send T-Shirt designs to Kyle @ kdelwiche@berkeley.edu.
2. If you are thinking about getting more involved in the club by
becoming an officer, contact a current officer to learn more about
the position you are interested in and what it's like to be a Habitat
officer.
3. HALLOWEEN BROOMBALL this Friday, October 27--meet at 10 pm by
Kroeber Fountain. It will be fantabulous. Bring your friends! Dress
in costume! Experience the sensation of running across ice in your
sneakers! RSVP by emailing Jessica at jhflyer@gmail.com.
4. Our first newsletter
of the semester is hot off the presses! Read it to learn more
about aspects of Habitat within the campus chapter as well as national
and international issues.
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October 19, 2006
Mmm...Quizno's!
Berkeley Build Day, our annual fundraiser for the "House that
Cal Built" is having a fundraiser this Saturday, October 21
at Quizno's. It's simple--all you have to do is present a flyer
when you purchase anything at Quizno's and part of the proceeds
from the day will go directly to Berkeley Build Day. (The flyer
also has a coupon for a free drink when you purchase a regular or
large sub). Eat breakfast, lunch, AND dinner at Quizno's that day
and bring your friends! Click here
for the flyer.
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October 10, 2006
Oh how time flies...3rd General Recap
As we enter the seventh week of school and midterms begin battering
us, Habitat has tons of workdays and fundraisers for you to kill
that stress. Let me tell you, there's nothing like releasing frustration
with a power drill! And, since we're talking about releasing frustration,
publicity committee member Ted Shen kindly directs our attention
to the conveniently located In-n-Out by the Livermore worksite.
As usual, check the calendar for upcoming events.
As far as socials go, we've got two exciting ones! We'll be kayaking
and falling into the Bay by Jack London Square on Sunday, Oct. 15.
And my personal favorite, BROOMBALL, will be on Oct. 27. Except
it's broomball with a twist: since it's Halloween weekend, dress
up in costume! Email Jessica at jhflyer@gmail.com
if you are interested in either event.
For even more oh-so-exciting news, there will be a Collegiate Challenge
trip over Spring Break! Email Jenny at jcoop@berkeley.edu
for more information.
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October 3, 2006
Berkeley Build Day!
Registration has started for Berkeley Build Day, our annual fundraiser
to raise money for the "House that Cal Built." To learn
more and register, click here. Registration
ends October 20th!
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September 26, 2006
Second Meeting Recap!
I am sitting in Dwinelle right now, hoping to update you kids in
real time! Exciting, no? This weekend is ALL workdays and the weekend
of Oct 7 is ALL fundraisers (aka Fleet Week!). Check out the calendar
for specifics.
We've also got Collegiate Challenge from January 5-14. We're taking
a group of 20 people for the most awesome trip ever...contact jcoop@berkeley
if you're interested.
And now for SOCIALS! We're trying to take people kayaking either
October 14 or 15, depending on which date works for most people.
Email your preference to jhflyer@gmail.com. We will also be going
broomballing on October 27. Contact jhflyer@gmail.com if you are
interested!
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September 19, 2006
More Notes
The Berkeley Build Day committee had its first meeting yesterday,
but we are still welcoming members to help plan this amazing event.
Meetings will be every Monday at 7:00 pm in 255 Dwinelle.
Our first social is this Sunday, September 24th at Thai Temple
Brunch! YAY for scrumpdidllyumptious pad thai and mango sticky rice!
HOW to get there: Meet at Bancroft and Telegraph at 11AM on Sunday.
We will take the F line and get off near the Ashby BART station,
continue on Ashby and make a right on MLK, and it will be at MLK
and Russell (near the library and across from Grove Park). Feel
free to bring friends and roommates :)
BRING: student ID (for the free bus ride) and money (the monks
only take tokens so you can trade $1=1 token; drinks are one token
and food is anywhere from 2-7 tokens).
If you're interested in going, e-mail Jessica today to give us
the heads up! Hope to see you all there! Questions? Contact: Jessica
@ jesshuang@berkeley.edu
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September 13, 2006
First General Meeting Recap
Hey guys! Yesterday was our first general meeting and we hope you
made it because it was a slam-dunk event complete with candy and
a cheesy slideshow. If you didn't make it, you can find the minutes
under "Documents" on the left.
Our fun-filled calendar is updated with workdays and fundraisers
galore so check that out to see what may be of interest. Also, if
you didn't fill out a membership form, read the instructions under
"How to Join" on the left and email your form to Lauren,
our secretary.
Once again, we'd like to welcome you to Cal Habitat. If you have
any questions or comments, please feel free to email us.
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August 30, 2006
HAMMER TIME!
Welcome back to campus! We hope you are ready to start wielding
that hammer because we've got tons of workdays to go around. Our
FIRST GENERAL MEETING is on September
12 at 7:00 in 155
Dwinelle. Come to learn more about Cal Habitat and sign up
for workdays. If you want to get cracking on those workdays early,
check out the calendar for workdays on September 2 and 9 and email
klam@berkeley.edu to sign
up.
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