From our COO

 Dear Friends,

 2008 has been an incredibly exciting year for Habitat for Humanity of Smith County. We are celebrating our nineteenth year with over 80 homes built. This year alone, we have completed ten homes, which is three times the number of 2007. This is a major accomplishment, and we sincerely appreciate your generosity, dedication and support. Thank you to all of our many sponsors, donors and volunteers.

I would like to share our growth and additional successes with you since January:

· a record-number of 17 families in our 2008 program
· rezoning approvals for all of our requests
· 88% increase in volunteer hours
· 100% increase in the number of volunteers
· three-fold increase in profits in our ReStore
· we have hosted, participated in, and attended 46 public events
· the media has publicly shared our successes dozens of times

Your continued financial support will allow us to provide substantial revenue towards the pursuit of Habitat’s mission, which is to build homes and communities for people in need of a hand up, not a hand out. A new home will change the lives of these families and have a positive rippling effect for generations to come. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

To qualify for the opportunity to purchase a Habitat house, the candidate must first apply to and be accepted into the Habitat program. The candidate must earn between 30% and 60% of the median income in Smith County with the ability to pay their new mortgage. Habitat is the mortgage company and provides the no-interest loan for repayment over 25 years. They must demonstrate job stability, a debt-to-income ratio within an acceptable range, have a good credit history, and pass a criminal background check. For a single homeowner, the sweat equity requirement is 350 hours, and for one couple it is 500 hours.

Our estimated construction costs for our typical Habitat home in Smith County is approximately $65,000 depending on the lot and other variables. We invite you to contribute financially to help us meet our goal of building 12 homes in 2009 for hard-working low-income families in Smith County. The vision is clear, the future is now because our families are waiting.

Please take a moment to consider your contribution to home ownership and send in your gift today.

 
Sincerely,

Jack Wilson

Chief Operating Office