Fall 2015
A special report for our valued supporters like you who make all this possible
All because of you…
Family of four will go from sharing one
room to a 3-bedroom home
W
ithout you, Niulka and Rufino Martinez would
have to squeeze into one room with their two
young kids for the foreseeable future. But that will all
soon change because you helped them get a house of
their own.
One small bedroom in Niulka’s parents’ home in
Dorchester is all the living space they currently have.
They are bursting at the seams!
Thanks to you, the Martinez family will own a home
on Woodbine Street in Roxbury. The other unit in this
two-family house will be owned by Marleny De Los
Santos, a single mom with two girls. (See accompanying
story on page 3.)
The Martinez family is currently doing their “sweat
equity” – the 300 hours of volunteer work each Habitat
homeowner must complete as their “down payment”
on their home. If Mother Nature cooperates, you’ll see
them in their new house in April.
For the last fifteen years, Niulka has worked in
patient services at the Harvard School of Dental
Medicine. Her husband Rufino is a stay-at-home dad
to their two small children, Zuriel who is two and
Ruby who will be one in October.
This sweet family of four is very excited to move
into their spacious new home, all made possible by
your generous support. •
STAY CONNECTED!
Niulka and Rufino Martinez with their two children
Zuriel and Ruby. The Martinez family, currently all living
in one room of Niulka’s parents’ house, are grateful to you
for the opportunity to own their own home.
www.habitatboston. org
phone 617-423- 2223
Message from the President & CEO
Dear Friends and Supporters of Habitat Greater Boston,
Board of Directors
Chair
Suanne St. Charles, Esq.
Holland & Knight, LLP
Vice Chair
Susan Winston Leff
Susan W. Leff Associates
Treasurer
William D. DiSchino
Barkan Management Company
Clerk
Robert E. Kenney
Kenney Development Company
Mike Fish
Dellbrook Construction
James P. Kirby
C3 - Commercial Construction
Consulting, Inc.
Jordan P. Krasnow, Esq.
Goulston & Storrs
Michael E. Liu, AIA
The Architectural Team
Gisela LoPiano
Boston Private Bank & Trust
Company
Mahmood Malihi
Leggat McCall Properties
When President Jimmy Carter had to, in his words,
“face early retirement” after his unsuccessful re-election
campaign, he and his wife Rosalynn returned to their
hometown of Plains, Georgia. Plains is a rural community
in southwest Georgia, eight miles from Americus, where
Habitat for Humanity began. President Carter and his
wife Rosalynn went on to become Habitat’s most famous supporters and volunteers.
As you’ve probably heard, our 39th President has cancer. Although he is 90
years old, his decision to fight the disease rather than forego treatment is vintage
Jimmy Carter. He has spent every waking day of his life trying to improve our
world. And he’s going to fight to have as many of those days left as possible.
In 1983, our founder Millard Fuller approached President Carter about getting
involved with Habitat. At their first meeting, Habitat’s founder presented
President Carter with a list of ways he could help Habitat, hoping something
would appeal to him. Habitat folklore is that after reviewing the list, the President
said, “I’ll do it all.”
This coming November, the 32nd Carter Work Project will take place in Nepal.
Ten volunteers from Habitat Greater Boston will participate by building a home
for a Nepalese family in the Chitwan District. Please join us in praying that
President Carter will be healthy enough to be there with us, as he has every year
since the first Carter Work Project in 1984.
Faithfully yours,
Lark Jurev Palermo
President & CEO
Anthony Papantonis
Nauset Construction Corp.
Howard J. Wayne, Esq.
Wayne, Richard & Hurwitz, LLP
President & CEO
Lark Jurev Palermo
Habitat for Humanity
Greater Boston
240 Commercial Street
Boston, MA 02109
2
President and Mrs. Carter with Lark Palermo in Americus,
Georgia, March 28, 2009.
Single mom grateful to escape rent that
eats up half her income
T
he rent for the apartment where Marleny De Los Santos lives with her
two daughters eats up nearly 50% of her monthly pay. Despite the high
rent, the building has plumbing problems and there’s no laundry.
Marleny has been working hard to provide a safe, permanent home for
her two daughters, Emily who is 12 and Irene who is 6. But even though
she was recently promoted at work, she still doesn’t qualify for a mortgage
to buy a home for herself and her children.
Thanks to you, Habitat is able to help hardworking people like Marleny
achieve their dreams of homeownership. Your support is what allows us to
provide Marleny with the 0% interest loan that allows her to purchase
a Habitat home at an affordable price.
The De Los Santos family will occupy half of the two-unit Roxbury
home on Woodbine Street, along with Niulka and Rufino Martinez.
(See accompanying story on page 1.)
Like the Martinez family, Marleny is currently working to complete her
300 volunteer hours with Habitat and hopes to move into her new home
in April. •
Challenge Grant Inspires a Special Project
in Roxbury: The Pope Francis House
Marleny De Los Santos with her two
daughters Irene and Emily. Your
support allows Habitat to give
Marleny a loan with 0% interest to
purchase a Habitat home.
A
n anonymous donor has given
Habitat Greater Boston a $60,000
challenge grant! The funding is to
be used to build a home in honor of
Pope Francis, in recognition of his
inspirational leadership of the Roman
Catholic Church.
Our generous donor hopes to inspire
other friends like you to come together
and donate another $60,000 to support
the completion of this special home.
Please consider a contribution today.
Habitat volunteers raise the gable on the Pope Francis House in Roxbury.
Thank you for your continued support! A $60,000 challenge grant was donated to inspire other friends of Habitat
•
to give another $60,000 to support the completion of this special home.
www.habitatbos t on. org
phone 617-423- 2223
3
Six Habitat homes are going solar!
W
hen you support Habitat, you’re
creating safe, affordable houses
for low-income families. But did you know
you’re also creating environmentally
friendly homes?
Thanks to a partnership with
Constellation and SunBug Solar, along
with your support (of course!), Habitat
Greater Boston is installing solar panels
on three buildings on Bradeen Street in
Roslindale.
Two of the buildings are complete
and are currently generating solar
energy savings. The third is under
construction, with installation
projected to happen next spring.
Each homeowner will own their
individual system. And it’s expected
that solar energy will provide about 85%
of their electric needs, substantially
reducing their utility bills and making
their homes even more affordable.
Solar panels are installed on
Habitat homes in Roslindale.
Your support not only builds
affordable homes but green
homes as well!
Thank you for helping Habitat go
green! •
Yes!
I want to help Habitat meet the $60,000 challenge grant and
support the completion of the Pope Francis House in Roxbury.
Please accept my gift of:
$35 $50 $100 $250 $500 $1000 Other: $ _____________
Enclosed is my check payable to Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston
240 Commercial Street
4th Floor
Boston, MA 02109
Please charge my credit card (Visa or Mastercard)
Account Number
Exp. Date
Signature
Name (please print)
Address
Phone
Email
www.habitatboston.org
You can also give online at www.habitatboston.org. Thank you for your generosity!
THE
POPE
FRANCIS
HOUSE
CHALLENGE