STONE HARBOR – A team of a dozen state residents, including Stone Harbor’s own Councilman Randall Bauer, traveled to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to help victims of Hurricane Katrina rebuild their lives through a program of the Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity alliance.
“I was so impressed by the great amount of open space where homes once stood-and the lack of rebuilding in that space,” Bauer said upon his return. “Because of that, I’m thankful that our time there was work-intensive. We came to work, and we did!”
Bauer traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi, May 11 thru 16 as a member of one of two teams, one from New Jersey and another from Iowa that came to help construct homes.
“Our group really became a team while there,” added Bauer. “And I only saw and experienced helpfulness.”
The groups made progress toward building a better life for families who are still struggling to overcome devastation dealt by Hurricane Katrina.
“While we all came to help, we all had varying degrees of abilities,” Bauer explained. “But regardless of one’s capabilities, there was definitely a job for each of us on the construction site.”
While it has been nearly four years since Katrina hit, there are still hundreds of displaced residents living in temporary housing.
Minneapolis-based Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has provided support for the area’s reconstruction.
On behalf of its members, Thrivent Financial donated $2.5 million to Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2008 to construct up to 40 homes and contribute to the local Habitat organization’s ability to serve more families.
In 2009, Thrivent Financial began building a new community in Gulfport, Mississippi, where it has committed an additional $1.7 million to build up to 28 more homes.
Bauer encourages anyone interested in helping in a similar way to consider joining a Thrivent Builds Worldwide team.
“While it’s a no frills experience,” he said, “It is still thrilling. And the thrills are found in the process and progress made and the friendships.”
Thrivent Builds Worldwide trips offer participants this opportunity to become active partners with people of other cultures. Teams work with members of a Habitat for Humanity host community, raising awareness of the burden of poverty housing and building decent and affordable homes worldwide.
In 2009, over 100 such trips are planned to go to several locations, including the hurricane-ravaged Mississippi Gulf Coast and communities in Central America, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
According to program guidelines, at least 50 percent of trip participants must be members of Thrivent Financial. To encourage participation, Thrivent Financial makes a $10,000 contribution to the Habitat host affiliate on behalf of all participants who are members.
This contribution is unique to the Thrivent Builds Worldwide program.
Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity is a $125 million alliance between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity International, which makes Thrivent Financial one of Habitat’s largest single allies and aims to increase Habitat’s annual house production by hundreds of U.S. homes per year and more around the world.
For 2009, 313 homes are being built in 37 states and the District of Columbia and over 100 trips are planned for worldwide projects.
For more information, visit www.thrivent.com or www.habitat.org
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
