Building a Greater Los Angeles

Kyle Howard Shares his Habitat Experiences with CNN

2009-07-14T13:13:00.001-07:00

Kyle Howard (My Boys) is a great friend and supporter, check him out on CNN Local Edition and please share it with your friends. Thanks, Kyle!

Soap Star Kate Linder Brings in the Heavy Equipment to Complete 3 New Homes

2009-07-06T15:57:00.001-07:00

Did you see us in Soap Opera Weekly? We were thrilled to have soap star Kate Linder of Young & the Restless build with us during a special event with new partners' 1stCall Studio Equipment. (Check out our own Alison Treleaven on the right with 1stCall's Jon Hansen.)

How to Donate Goods to our Home Improvement Store

2009-07-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

We get a lot of calls (thankfully) asking about how to donate goods to our Home Improvement Store so I thought I'd post that info here as a resource. We are in the process of opening a 2nd Store in Greater Los Angeles, so we will definitely need your donations. Also, we are happy to accept your old electronics for recycling, all you need to do is drop them off!

Donations Drop-offs
Donations are accepted at the Home Improvement Store during business hours (Tu-Sat from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Call (310) 323-4663 ext. 127 to check quality, age and usability of your items.

Donation Pick-ups
To contact us call (310) 323-4663 ext. 127 or email us at ncordero@habitatla.org.

Confirm
We will contact you as soon as possible to discuss if we are able to accept your donation. We are unable to haul away trash, and some donations may be declined because of safety concerns, facility limitations, or marketability.

Collection
For the safest and most efficient collection of your donation, please follow these simple guidelines:

- Have all materials boxed (if applicable), stacked and readily accessible
- Mark all items with a note that reads "For Habitat for Humanity"
- Absolutely no hazardous materials or waste items are accepted
- As of February 20, 2009, we will no longer accept any children's items. These include cribs, strollers, car seats, toys and much more. Please refer to the following website for more information about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act: www.cpsc.gov. We apologize for any inconvenience.
- We are unable to haul away trash or sort items from those that do not meet our criteria

The Prieto-Anzures Family Gets the News!

2009-06-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

That's right, 2 families today have been surprised with the news that they've qualified as Habitat Partner Families! The Prieto-Anzures just received the news from our Good News Caravan moments ago...

The Monroy family found out about an hour before the Prieto-Anzures Family. To apply for homeownership, please visit our website. We'd love to be surprising you next!

Monroy Family Gets Surprised! Meet our New Homeowner Family!

2009-06-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than surprising a new homeowner partner family with the good news! This picture was taken moments after they found out and thanks to modern technology, we can share it here in just minutes!
The Monroy family home is sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and they will be helping to build their home in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles & volunteers.

If you would like to learn how to apply for homeownership or volunteer with us, please visit our website.

Jennifer Grey - Humanitarian, Writer, Mom & Greenie

2009-05-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

Guest Blogger: Dianne Thornburg of ICON Builders

2009-05-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

I work for a company called ICON Builders. Our day-to-day business is doing Government Assisted Affordable Housing Projects, Occupied Senior and Multi-Family Rehabilitation Units, as well as, new construction. Our mission is to go into these facilities, renovate them and make the residents proud to live there. So, when we were looking to do a team-building activity with all of our employees from Santa Monica and Arizona, building with Habitat was the natural choice.

On April 29^th twenty of us came together to build in the City of Lynwood. In true ICON Builders style we showed up wearing matching T-Shirts bearing ICON Builders and Habitat logos and the phrase “Building Excellence Together”. Our site supervisor for the day, Billy, took one look at us and decided to say his daily prayer and put us to work. He explained that he usually has to “teach” people how to do everything, but he could tell we brought experience (must have been the shirts)! He had everyone gather around and his prayer was very touching to all of us. He began by thanking ICON Builders for coming out and helping the families that were in need, he asked for us all to be safe as we worked on the project and he ended his prayer asking that we would be able to finish the work necessary to have these families move into their homes on time.

He split us into groups, quickly explained the jobs that he needed done and we started building away. Some of our experienced electricians noticed none of the outlets, lights, or fans had been done and offered to complete that task. Billy was a little apprehensive at first, but once he learned that our guys were experienced he was elated. In addition to finishing every task he had in mind, we also completed all the electrical needs, organized all the garages and cleaned the entire yard that was being used as material and tool storage. We were there a total of 6 hours and it was absolutely amazing the work that was completed. We all pulled together and gave that project our best efforts. Billy and Bethy were amazing to work with and are just two individuals with big hearts (and muscles!). We did not get to meet the families receiving these houses, but they did have their “stories” displayed for us on site and they also told their stories to us as we worked alongside them.

Every single ICON Builders employee left that day feeling uplifted from the work we did and the experience of being able to give these families a home and a new life. If any other company is looking for some activity to bring their team together there is no better way than to come out and build with Habitat; you learn new things together, you have plenty of time to talk and you end up doing jobs with people you normally do not get to interact with. When I got back to the office, there were so many emails circulating about the day – which tells me this is just the start of a great partnership between Habitat for Humanity of Greater L.A. and ICON Builders.

Some of the emails;

This day was so important knowing that we were helping build (finish) homes that are going to provide an affordable place for three families with young children to live and also giving the support and making the impact that we did for Billy and Bethy. They are out there every day with a variety of volunteers and I think the team-work that we showed them yesterday gave them a new breath of life. I feel like yesterday we were able to answer Billy’s prayer that he says every morning. I am so proud to be a part of ICON and to have such incredible people to work with every day.

Carin/Vice President

WOW guys what a day. My soul feels full today. Thanks for setting this up and thanks for giving in such a wonderful way.

You guys rock!

Kelly/President

Discussing Power Women with The Green Girls

2009-05-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

My interview with Apple of TheGreenGirls.com - thanks for the support!

Our #1 Power Woman, Bethy was in Charge of this year's Power Women, Power Tools!!

2009-05-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

PARTY FOR A PURPOSE...what a GREAT idea!

2009-05-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

Century City based Attorney and Habitat for Humanity advocate Rob Maylor  founded LAYLA (Los Angeles Young Lawyers Association) as a way to bring people together to give back to the community...In just over six months, he has created a network of over 220 on Facebook, over 300 offline and over 600 that showed up on Saturday night at the Green Door, to "Party for a Purpose"...not bad at all for someone who moved to LA just over a year ago, and who already has a full time job! Teaming up with good friend and party promoter Andreas Counnas didn't hurt, and all proceeds raised at LAYLA's second event were donated to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles...Led by Rob, representatives of LAYLA will come help build a house for a Habitat family in mid-June.

"Why do a party? Well, Party for a Purpose! I LOVE HABITAT! I think that having a shelter and a home is a basic human need," explained Rob, "I wanted to give back to the community in my own small way, I'm just trying to do my part."   

And so he did.... LAYLA’s event was a huge success, and featured everything a good event is made of (but what else would you expect from someone with such a good heart)...After free admission and a red carpet entrance, guests were treated to food and drinks at their own expense, but including treats such as lobster, steak and truffled mac n’ cheese (wait...it's not the Waverly Inn...but I digress...). LAYLA's raffle included giveaways of a Wii (donated by Nintendo), a ROCK BAND 2 (donated by Habitat's ongoing partner Harmonix) and even an autographed basketball by LA Laker Luke Walton (who has built a house with Habitat in the past and was only too happy to help out once again!)...Green Door also contributed, by donating 5% of the night's food and beverage tabs to Habitat for Humanity via LAYLA...guests included lawyers, young professionals and the stars of the VH1 show "The Pickup Artist."   

"There's no other young attorney's group that does community service in LA...so we created one!”, said Rob. "I started LAYLA in November, with 10 friends that all wanted to do more for the community and network at the same time...well, it's working! Our first party had about 100 people attend, and this weekend it was over 600! And we'll be on twitter soon, so who knows?!" (Note to Rob: We love Twitter! Note to all: LAYLA even has its own intern program and gets young law students involved...for more info, contact Rob directly...) 

On June 3, LAYLA will hold its next event, a Bowl-A-Thon at Lucky Strike...but not your typical bowling event...

"It's a COSTUME BOWL," said Rob, "Get dressed up and have a great time! We will have a DJ and teams of 4 from many local law firms..more info will come in the newsletter that we're sending out this week."   

"This event was great, although from an organizational standpoint, it was chaotic... all my friends showed up to support Habitat and it was so busy! People were dressed to the nines…some girls looked like they were going to a wedding; a group of girls even wore all white dresses! There was just an outpouring of love and support...And every moment and dollar spent at the party helps put a roof over someone’s head, so it truly was a 'Party for a Purpose'...We’re looking forward to the bowl-a-thon..."   

We couldn't resist...we needed to know, so we asked Rob, WHY exactly did he pick Habitat for Humanity GLA to be the beneficiary of his efforts? His answer said it all…

"When I thought of my organization and how we could utilize our philanthropic efforts to bring our own team together, Habitat was the natural choice. Building a house is a great team-building event for a group, and for a great cause...I wondered how I  could involve the most number of people in an event, and at the same time have fun and give back? Obviously the answer was HABITAT! ... So, for  those of you who haven't built with Habitat before...I highly recommend it."   

HUGE THANKS to Rob, LAYLA, Green Door and all who attended...we look forward to your bowl-a-thon and your build day! Party for a Purpose indeed!  

General Hospital's Resident "Bad Boy" Does Good for Habitat GLA

2009-04-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

(ALTERNATE TITLE: Brandon Barash has a HUGE heart! But you probably

already knew that...)

Through the work of Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity/Habitat for

Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, I have had the privilege of connecting

many talented artists and celebrities with Habitat families and with our

mission of providing safe and decent housing for all. One of our newest

supporters is none other than General Hospital's Brandon Barash, (aka:

Johnny Zacchara, mobster and Port Charles' #1 heartbreaker. But please

note from the start: offscreen, Brandon is one of the most genuinely

kind people I have had the honor of working with, and not at all like

the "tortured" character he plays on GH.)

(Flashback: Los Angeles, October 2008) Brandon first got involved with

Hollywood for Habitat last fall, when he attended the Building a Greater

Los Angeles Gala. That night, he had the chance to meet some of the

families we serve, as well as, hear about the work we do and he told me

"I am so inspired and moved by what the Habitat families said and I want to do

all I can to make a difference, any chance I have"...

So (obviously!) when we asked him if he would contribute an item to our

Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity Online Auction, which would raise

funds to further our mission, he said "YES! I'll give you anything you

need..." Little did he know that what we needed was actually

HIM...hence, the "Win Lunch with Brandon Barash," auction was born...and

it was one of the top sellers in the auction, thanks to his incredible

fans! (A side note to that kindness thing I mentioned earlier: Brandon

also donated an autographed hardhat for our recent "Celebrity Hardhat

Auction"...and then was kind enough to take the time to replace it when

it was accidentally damaged in transit.) Actually, while we're on the

subject of kindness, we should probably thank a couple of other kind

people that also took the time to send "replacement" hats. So, THANK

YOU Zac Efron (you'll all have to wait until our next auction to see

what Zac did to his "replacement" hat, it’s absolutely AMAZING! A work of

art!) and THANK YOU Carrie Underwood (always extremely generous, Carrie

turned her "replacement" hat around in record time...less than a day,

and right before she was leaving the country!) Clearly, Brandon is in

GREAT company in Habitat auctions! And so were the lucky winners of

lunch with him...

(Cut to: Los Feliz, CA, present day:) Auction winner Shelley has flown

in from Arkansas to Los Angeles to have lunch with Brandon. Shelley is

a longtime fan of Brandon and General Hospital, who met her good friend

(and +1 for the day) Angelina through their mutual admiration for

Brandon and the show. They stay in touch by phone and email, and

meetings at various GH and Brandon related events across the US, and

they have developed a great friendship as a result. How cool is that?

(Note: we think its pretty cool!) They also run a website for Brandon,

see it here: http://z15.invisionfree.com/BrandonBarash_Online/

Shelley and Angelina arrived at the restaurant with many surprises in

hand for Brandon...a bag of personalized fortune cookies, photos from

previous meetings and more...but Brandon arrived with a surprise of his

own...castmate Lisa LoCicero (GH's "Olivia")!...The girls were clearly

thrilled! Brandon and Lisa are an absolute joy to be around (so are

Shelley and Angelina!), and everyone had a great time throughout the

very yummy lunch. "Lisa is a brilliant actress and awesome to work

with," said Brandon...but he wasn't done with the surprises just yet...

As the lunch concluded, he asked the girls what their plans were for the

afternoon, and then extended the invitation for the girls to join him as

his guests on the set of GH for a little while! So we said goodbye to

Lisa (who went home to her family), and off we went...

(INTERMISSION)

(CUT TO: General Hospital set, undisclosed location) The girls had both

been to the set before, but Shelley hadn't seen actual filming take

place...until today! Apparently because there was recently an __________

(insert your fave plot device here: explosion/fire/mob war/crisis/other

misc dramatic disaster), they have a brand new set at General Hospital.

(Note to GH fans: yes, it’s very pretty! And also very clean!) Brandon

told us that they recently started shooting the show in HD. He also

shared how much respect he has for his fellow actors and how much he

enjoys his interaction with his fans...

After watching a few minutes of filming (Note to the "powers that be" at

GH: we'll never tell what we saw! Note to GH fans: sorry, no "spoilers"

here!), the girls and Brandon headed outside to take some photos (see

below)...the girls also got yet ANOTHER surprise when Brandon introduced

them to cast members Nathan, Tony and Natalia in the parking lot. All

were extremely gracious and kind...

When I asked Shelley why she bid in the auction when she had already met

Brandon so many times, she told me, "At the events we are all so

busy that we don't get to spend a lot of one on one time with

Brandon...I thought it would be a good chance to sit down and talk,

calmly. And then when I saw where the money was going I was like WOW! I

really hope I win! Habitat does wonderful work." Angelina added,

"Because Shelley doesn't live here, we don't get to spend a lot of time

together, so this was a good reason for her to come to LA for a few

days." Brandon added "I wouldn't trade this experience for anything,

these ladies are the best...it is just as much a treat for me to be able to

spend the day with them."

Shelley and Angelina told me that they were very impressed with Brandon

from the first minute they met because they had sent him a bunch of

personalized fortune cookies and he actually took the time to reach out

to them and say THANK YOU. "Just to have someone who appreciates his

fans is AWESOME!" said Shelley. "Not many people take the time to do

that," said Angelina...Brandon said "It was so kind of THEM, I had to

find out who they were." And so it began..."He doesn't treat us like

fans, he treats us like friends," said Angelina. "Of course, because you

are!," Brandon responded...

I asked Brandon what he enjoys most about interacting with his fans and

he said "It really resonates with me, what the girls said over lunch,

that they feel united by the show, and have made friends because of

it - the fact that the show brings people together is incredible."

As the day came to an end, I asked Shelley if the experience was worth

the trip (she had to miss work and take two planes to get here, in

addition to her winning bid!) "ABSOLUTELY YES! Being able to go to set

and having Lisa come to lunch with Brandon was priceless!

It was surprise after surprise and all good ones! And I learned so much about

Habitat. We won't come down for a while...this is a day we will NEVER forget."

(Note to Shelley: We're so glad you're smiling! Come build with us soon.

Bring Angelina! And maybe Brandon would like to join you? Lisa too?)

Isn't it fun that you can help support Habitat for Humanity families in

need by simply bidding on auctions to meet your favorite stars? (Note:

we think so!)...Brandon fans and GH fans please follow @habitatAli and

@habitweets on Twitter for more info on upcoming auctions, contests and

events...we may even have a few surprises of our own to share with you

soon. We promise to tell you more, but won't tell you

when....because what would a good daytime drama experience be without

the requisite cliffhanger ending? Stay tuned...

END CREDITS (and THANKS!): On behalf of all of us at Habitat, HUGE

THANKS to BRANDON and SHELLEY, for making today possible. HUGE THANKS

also to Angelina, Lisa, and our behind the scenes angel, Mia. Today

showed that a little bit of kindness goes a long way, and life is full

of great surprises! It was a pleasure to bring you all together, for a

great cause (if we do say so ourselves!), and your continued support of

Habitat is VERY much appreciated! We hope that all of our auction

winners continue to go home as happy as these lovely ladies...

PHOTO CREDIT: All photos provided exclusively for Habitat's use by

Shelley.

WRITING CREDIT: Blog posted courtesy of Ali w/ Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity

(END TITLE)

Calling All Music Lovers, Trekkies and Art Connoisseurs; Feed Your Passion and Help Others in Need!

2009-04-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to be part of The charitybuzz Mother's Day Auction that will be running through May 6th. A few of our supporters have donated one-of-a-kind items to be auctioned off with all of the proceeds going towards building more affordable housing in Los Angeles for deserving families. There is really something for everyone, so treat your mom, dad, brother, wife, or yourself (we won't tell) because these are really gifts that keep on giving. Not only will you be investing in something that you, or your family, will have forever, but you will also be investing in a home that another family will have forever. Now, that's something to make your mother proud!

Linkin Park, Green Day, Chris Pine and Louis Carreon have all donated items to be auctioned off. See below to find out more and get links. Let the bidding begin...Good luck!

LINKIN PARK: Linkin Park has donated an autographed Epiphone guitar to be auctioned off by Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity. Here's your chance to become the owner of an awesome guitar and do good for others at the same time. You can bid here and 100% of the proceeds raised benefit Habitat for Humanity families in need. Please support this worthy cause that is close to the band's heart. PS: Check out ALL the pix…Mike did an amazing one of a kind drawing on the back of the guitar!

GREEN DAY: Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool are ongoing supporters of Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity and have once again donated to an auction to benefit Habitat families. Bid here on a cool Epiphone guitar and 100% of proceeds benefit Habitat families in need. While you’re waiting for the new album to arrive, you can make a difference by supporting this cause that is important to the band.

CHRIS PINE: As part of his consistent support of Habitat for Humanity, Chris Pine has signed a Star Trek poster to be auctioned off by Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity. Check it out here. Bid now and100% of the proceeds raised in this auction benefit Habitat for Humanity families. We hope you will support this worthy cause that is near and dear to Chris' heart. Please participate in the auction and help Habitat for Humanity put more families into homes.

LOUIS CARREON: An artist who is amazingly talented with a huge heart. You could own one of his signature paintings that combines his trademark use of stenciling, hand painting and spray paint. Once you see the work of this sought after artist you'll want to Bid here - 100% of proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity families in need.

City Yoga Announces Yogathon to Benefit Habitat For Humanity

2009-04-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome Guest Blogger & Yogathon! Coordinator, Stacey Wiren:

Yogathon! was the brainchild of one of the City Yoga teachers back in 2003 as a way to take our practice off the mat and into the world - our community. Habitat for Humanity was the logical choice because it helped out the local community AND we could go and physically work on the project. It wasn't a"write a check and feel good about yourself" thing. We wanted to really help and participate. Yoga stresses action as its mantra. Taking action in your life and in your community. 24 hours of yoga is hard, but fun. Building a house is hard, but fun! The result of both is very healing...

At the last two Yogathons over $80,000 dollars was raised to help build a home for a local Los Angeles family in need. This year's Yogathon will be held this summer, June 27th through June 28th, during which yoga students of all levels will participate in a continuous 24-hour yoga class.

Contact us if you'd like to sponsor our yoga students or better yet, join us!

Guest Blogger: Pat Genovese of Notre Dame Academy Elementary

2009-04-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

My name is Pat Genovese and I am a teacher at Notre Dame Academy Elementary. I am thrilled to be a able to share my experiences from this past week. In the past, my 2nd Grade students have participated in Habitat for Humanity's Act! Speak! Build! Week and it was always an incredible learning experience on many levels.

This year, back in a Kindergarten class, I strongly felt that it was important for my students to understand that our responsibility, as citizens, is to help those in need. We began with the book, Everyone Needs a Safe Place to Live, and focused on the importance of caring and respecting all people in our world. Our word of the week was 'adequate' and we explored what adequate housing signifies. Our poem of the week was titled, 'Home'. The students watched a Habitat video to see examples of substandard housing and the work of volunteers as they built a new home. In cooperative groups, students decorated t-shirts and hung them on a clothesline to communicate the need for adequate housing. They wrote individual poems about the significance of a safe home; made cards for new homeowners, played Habitat Bingo; used coins to purchase Habitat "building supplies"; wrote letters to our president and senators; and made a house with their bodies. Students' advocacy efforts included spreading the word within their families.

Throughout the week, the kindergartners learned the importance of serving others and acting cooperatively to end poverty housing. They recognized the right to decent housing for all people and realized that even though they are children, they can still make a difference in the world.

Power Women, Power Tools - 5 Years & Counting!

2009-03-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

This year will be the 5th Annual "Power Women, Power Tools" event - by far the most popular build we do all year. Over the years we've built part of a 16 home neighborhood in Torrance, framed and shipped homes to the Gulf Region for hurricane relief, built 14 homes in South Los Angeles and framed 3 new homes in the City of Lynwood.

I thought you might enjoy some memories of our past builds...you may see some familiar faces. Oh and, yes, our homes are still standing!

TBS' Popular "My Boys" was all about the Girls when our Habitat Auction Winners Came to Town

2009-03-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

On March 16, we took the winners of the My Boys set-visit auction to Paramount Studios to the set where the hit TBS show is filmed.....Kellie and Andrea got a glimpse of what goes on during filming and had an amazing opportunity to meet the cast, crew, writers, entire production team and basically just hang out with the cool kids.

They were greeted outside the set by My Boys cast member Kyle Howard (who brought out the whole cast and crew to build with Habitat for Humanity last year, and then came back out to build on his own many times, totally under the radar, cause that's how he rolls)... Kyle also was amazing in making sure everything was all set up for the visit, including setting them up with Veronica for "handling" and then arranging for a tour of the studio lot by Jeff who is a PA on the show...the tour included not only a visit to all sets used on My Boys, but they also got to sit on the famous "Forest Gump" bench and see the sets of Dr Phil and Dirty Sexy Money..

Kellie was the winner and told us she bid on the auction because it was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go see behind-the-scenes and the money went to a good cause." Kellie flew to Hollywood from Atlanta just for the set visit and on very short notice too, as production season was almost over! Kellie was joined by her friends Andrea and Hillary, who (small world) is friends with the real Crowley (who owns the real life bar the show is based on!)...Hillary already knew many of the cast members especially Mike Bunin and a good time was had by all.

An added bonus for the girls was that Fred Savage was guest directing the episode...they were thrilled when they walked in and saw him directing...and they even got to take a photo with him later in the day.

After being welcomed to the set, the girls met all cast members and got to spend quite some time with Kyle, Reid Scott and Mike Bunin. The ladies of the show were shooting at the time, but cast member Jamie Kaler showed the girls that if they stood in the proper place outside his trailer, they could take a photo with both the set and the Hollywood sign in the background.

Veronica, one of the assistant producers on the show took the girls on a walking tour of the set which included the production office, craft services tables, bar, PJ's apartment and she even let them sit at the poker table where the cast plays poker on the show....they also took pix in the kitchen where a lot of the action on my boys is set.

Andrea said, "This was the best day of my life! Kellie is the sweetest person ever to invite me, she has tons of friends and I feel really special being here. Everyone here is so nice and I’m so glad I could be a part of this. Do we take too many pictures?" The girls took photos wherever they went, but always were respectful of cast and crew and asked permission first...everyone was having such a good time, they all agreed and posed with the girls.

The cast and crew really went out of their way to make sure the girls had a great time, including them in a closed "table read" (where the cast and writers read through the following weeks script for the first time), taking pictures with them, and even taking them up to their hang-out room/production office where they challenged them to a game of foosball....it was a tie score when it was interrupted so the cast could go back to work...but it was intense for a while.

Kyle and the cast really went above and beyond to make sure that the girls had a blast and spent lots of time with them during breaks, even inviting them to eat dinner with them in the break/recreation room upstairs in the production office....and then another foosball challenge began....I won’t be able to tell you how it ended....but a rematch is in the cards for sure.

After dinner, the girls watched several scenes being taped while sitting in "directors" chairs on set, amongst the director and producers...they got to chat with Jacob the sound engineer and they even got to ring the bell (signaling "action")....they then also turned on the red light (to let people outside know not to come in as taping was going on)...they really felt like a part of the production and they were so gracious that the crew welcomed them into every part of the production. Way to go, Ladies!

Kyle said "In these situations, when you have strangers winning, you usually don't know if they're going to be fun to hang out with at all...but not today, these girls are just so cool and fun to hang out with and it was just as much fun for us as it was for them!" (Mike Bunin seconded the comment and cracked "Didn't that sound like a sound bite?...wait for it....good time had by all... well, I mean, We don't just invite anyone up to play foosball, that's our sanctuary," he added!

The girls stayed until production wrapped for the night and then spent some time speaking with Jordana Spiro and Kellie Stewart (who play PJ and Stephanie on the show.)

Highlights of the day included being invited into the closed table read, just hanging out with the cast and crew, learning more about Habitat and our programs in the US and around the world (Several cast members are getting more involved now as a result of Kyle's enthusiasm – thanks Kyle) and of course, the girls taking a photo with Fred Savage, their childhood hero.

Thanks to Kyle, Mia, Teni, Veronica, Jeff, Reid, Jamie, Mike, Jordana, Kellee, Jim and the entire staff and crew of My Boys, TBS and Sony for making this an experience that these girls will remember forever....Thanks to Fred Savage for taking the time to be so gracious to our winners during what was a hectic day for all...they appreciate it and so do we. We hope that all of our auction winners go home so happy and we welcome the chance to provide you with unique experiences like this through our work and our auctions. If you want to volunteer in your hometown, we can arrange this too...and EVERYTHING we do, directly benefits our Habitat for Humanity families in need....thanks to all....you've gone and done a great thing!

Now, check out the pix to see how happy the girls were....

The House that Youth Built

2009-03-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

Local Youth raised funds through our award-winning Nickels for Nails program and various other events to sponsor the Osborne Family Home in the City of Lynwood as the first “House that Youth Built.”

Young people, 16 years and older, are also building the house. Construction began on the home

last summer and it's expected to be completed in June 2009. Currently the site is undergoing stucco work and volunteers will begin interior painting very soon. Come grab a brush and join us!

Building on their current work, our local young people have already begun raising funds to sponsor another home with a goal of $150,000. Ask your friends and family to donate today!

Youth United programs are open to all local groups, organizations and schools. For more information please contact our Youth Programs department.

Making Friends on Twitter

2009-03-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

Just met a great guy on Twitter - B.T. is the Director of Volunteers for Habitat for Humanity of Myrtle Beach but he's really a jack of all trades! I recommend you follow B.T. on Twitter and check out their great blog!

Job Opening: We Are Hiring a Marketing Intern

2009-03-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles is looking for an enthusiastic intern who is interested in learning the day to day functions and activities of a Marketing & Communications department at a non-profit.

Description:

No experience required but would love a Marketing, Communications or PR college student
Social media savvy a major plus!
Good organizer (filing)
Good writing skills
Personable and professional
Knowledgeable with most computer programs
Can work at least 2 days a week in Gardena office.
Can start immediately

This position is unpaid however the experience will be extremely educational and rewarding. Please email cover letter & resume to Jo-An Turman

Jon Bon Jovi, Christian Bale, Will & Jada Smith added to Hardhat Auction Today

2009-03-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

Jon Bon Jovi, Christian Bale, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have just been added to the Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity Celebrity Hardhat Auction. The auction is live through March 6th at 5 pm PST at with bids starting at $100 each. All proceeds raised in this auction benefit Habitat for Humanity families in Los Angeles.

Bid Now

Nearly 100 celebrity hardhats are featured including U2, Green Day, Linkin Park, Ricky Martin, Carrie Underwood, Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus, Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Keith Urban, Josh Groban, Kate Beckinsale, Chris Pine and more.

What is ACT, SPEAK, BUILD Week?

2009-02-25T11:20:00.000-08:00

I will let our Youth United Steering Committee explain it:

Act Speak Build Week 2009 Promo from Teresa Whitmore on Vimeo.

Interested in signing up your school or group? Contact us at 310-323-4663 or by email!

Celebrity Carpenters & Clear Channel Build with us!

2009-02-10T18:37:00.001-08:00

Remembering Millard Fuller

2009-02-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

By Erin Rank, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and Julie Spezia Executive Director of Housing California and Habitat for Humanity local and global volunteer

Millard Fuller was a humble guy for someone who started a worldwide phenomenon called Habitat for Humanity. He used to tell a funny personal story about standing in line at the airline ticket counter when a colleague introduced him to someone as the founder of Habitat for Humanity and after a curious pause the man replied, “You’re not Jimmy Carter.”

President and Mrs. Carter certainly helped to raise Habitat for Humanity’s profile, but the dynamic Fuller had already laid the groundwork for an organization that has done more to engage civilization around the creation of affordable homes than any other non-profit in the world.

We remember him and hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate this humble man with a God sized vision.

Millard Fuller was a deeply committed Christian who preached the “Theology of the Hammer,” a belief that people from all walks of life can join together around the notion that every person deserves a simple, decent place to live. Fuller encouraged everyone to pick up a hammer and participate as part of the solution and Habitat for Humanity build sites have become a unique place where priests, imams and rabbis, CEO’s and students, the wealthy and people with disabilities are seen building side-by-side as part of the affordable housing solution.

After a brief flirtation with capitalism and financial success that left a self-admitted void in his soul, Millard and his wife Linda became a part of the Koinonia Community in Americus, Georgia. With his wife Linda and Koinonia founder Clarence Jordan, he developed the concept of building no-interest housing for families of limited means. The first homes were built in Africa. From the beginning homeowners were required to participate by doing “sweat equity” and the whole community was asked to help out with support.

Since its founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity International has grown to a worldwide network that has provided homes to more than 1.5 million people. Millard advocated building simple, decent homes without “too many frills” in order to build as many homes as possible with the resources donated to the organization. Fuller left Habitat for Humanity in 2005 after philosophical difference with the Board, but he did not slow down. He immediately created the Fuller Center for Housing which carries out a similar ministry. Fuller continue to speak out on behalf of the poor until his last days.

He and his wife Linda were tireless in traveling the globe to promote Habitat for Humanity and the need for everyone to have a decent place to live. As his wife Linda said in a recent press release, instead of mourning “he would be more interested in having people put on a tool belt and build a house for people in need.”

Even Millard’s instructions for his burial mirrored his theology. He was buried the day after his death at Koinonia Farms next to his spiritual mentor Clarence Jordan in a simple pine box with no headstone in accordance with his wishes.

In Loving Memory: Millard Fuller, Founder of Habitat for Humanity

2009-02-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

Throughout my work with Habitat for Humanity, it has been a pleasure to get to know to Millard and his God-sized vision. It was Millard who brought us into partnership with Randy Wallace and the seeds of Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity were born. Millard and Linda's legacy includes 200,000 homes in 90 countries. I remember the first Hollywood for Habitat build in 2000 and expressing my doubt about blitz building 20 homes in a week when it had taken our affiliate 10 years to build 19 homes! Millard told me "Erin, if you have faith God will make it happen! I have seen it happen around the globe and it will happen here too." And he was right.

The most important lesson I carry with me today from Millard is that we must always remember this is God's ministry and our vision must be in line with God, not tempered only by what we can accomplish on our own. I was reminded of that lesson in June 2007 when we were a few short months away from the Jimmy Carter Work Project and thousands of volunteers descending on L.A. from around the world. The only problem was that San Pedro was still a dirt lot - and there was a lot of dirt!! I remember feeling nauseous as fear set in for the first time during the project planning. It was then that God reminded me that it was time to lean on him and remember that all things are possible through him! And the rest is history. Through the hard work of our staff and God's divine grace we made it!

There have been villages rebuilt and communities transformed as a result of Millard's vision. I am proud to have called him a friend. Let the heavens rejoice and the earth mournful be, Millard Fuller has risen to his eternal glory!

- Erin Rank, president/CEO

"I see life as both a gift and a responsibility. My responsibility is to use what God has given me to help his people in need.” — Millard Fuller (1935-2009)

Habitat for Humanity of Greater L.A. Receives Habitat for Humanity International Award for Creativity and Innovation

2009-01-27T11:24:00.000-08:00

We are very honored that Habitat for Humanity International has recognized our "Nickels for Nails" program with the Clarence Jordan award. The award was given as part of HFH International's "Pioneers In Excellence" program, which recognizes affiliates and volunteers who have demonstrated productivity, innovation and creativity in their efforts to eliminate substandard housing.

We would also like to thank and recognize all of the schools, youth programs and volunteers that participate in "Nickels for Nails". This award is for You!

For everyone who would like to learn more about "Nickels for Nails", or is interested in participating, here is some more info: Nickels for Nails is an ongoing initiative, established in the Fall of 2007, that engages youth ages 5-25 to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles’ all youth-built house. Youth participate as individuals or groups, collecting as many nickels (though any denomination is accepted) through ongoing efforts and special fund drives throughout the year. These include an online “friends ask friends” fund drive, a letter writing campaign and special events. Teachers or youth group coordinators who sign up for the program receive a coin collection container for their group filled with resources. They are also invited to download curriculum to educate their students about the growing housing crisis and how everyone can help eradicate poverty housing. As an added incentive, top fundraising groups and individuals are eligible to win prizes and are recognized for their achievements every year.