Regina Baker faces a classic “Catch-22:” Her job as a scheduler with the New York City Fire Department mandates

that she live within the five boroughs. Yet the city’s unforgiving housing market makes it hard for her to afford a decent home for herself and her three daughters.

Luckily Regina has found a solution – Habitat-NYC.

She was selected recently as a family partner/homeowner and is looking forward to moving into a Habitat home in Bedford-Stuyvesant or Ocean Hill-Brownsville.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1

Habitat-NYC TIMES

>>Inside

Continued on page 6

Regina Baker with daughters Emirror and Shirell

1 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r g

Pho

to b

y D

ebor

ah S

chw

artz

Dedicating Homes with a HartHart-Lafayette homes are dedicated

Page 4

Off Broadway, OffStage and On SiteActresses team up with Habitat-NYC

Page 3

Music to Their Ears Healthy South Bronx homes celebrate neighborhood’s musical heritage

Page 4

Regina is a caretaker. She helps take care of New Yorkers in her role with the Fire Department, which includes ensuring that all shifts, at every single station, are fully staffed and ready to handle any emergency. She is always ready for emergencies at

Habitat-NYC Board Chair, Peter Knitzer, celebrates with Hart-Lafayette Family Partners as they dedicate their new homes. More on Page 4.

Seeking a Hand Up – Not a Handout

home, too.Regina grew up in Jamaica, Queens, but later

moved to Virginia, where she raised her daughter, Shirell, alone. Then news arrived that her sister was

V O L . 2 9 N O . 3

Family Partner Regina Baker

Homes with a HartHomes with a Hart

From the Executive Director

2 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r g

Habitat-NYCBoard of DirectorsPeter Knitzer, ChairE*TRADE Bank

Karim Hutson, Vice ChairGenesis Companies

Nia Rock, Vice ChairSovereign Bank

Neil Bader, TreasurerGuaranteed Home Mortgage Company, Inc.

Christine A. McGuinness, SecretarySchiff Hardin LLP

Jennifer ArmstrongCIT Inc.

Rodneyse BichotteAmerican Express

Alatia Bradley

Evan BauerDealerTrack, Inc.

Robert L. BurchA.W. Jones Company

Dr. Michael Dean

Charisse FordThe Estée Lauder Companies, Inc.

Carmen GellineauJPMorgan

Aileen GribbinForsyth Street Advisors, LLC

Chris HoeffelInvestcorp International Inc.

Jeff InfusinoOliver Wyman Financial Services

John IsaacsCB Richard Ellis

Rabbi Bob KaplanCAUSE-NY / JCRC

Shauna Long

Peter MurrayC&C Affordable Management LLC

Martha Parrish

Doug PaulCredit Suisse

Douglas Renfield-Miller

The Rev. Thomas SynanChurch of the Heavenly Rest

Judy TeevenAmerican Express Travel

David A. TerveenDK Display Corp.

Zali WinCredit Agricole

Rev. Johnny Ray YoungbloodMt. Pisgah Baptist Church

Josh LockwoodExecutive Director

Last week, as temperatures soared into the 90s, our intrepid volunteers worked hard – side-by-side with our family

partners – building affordable homes.Much of New York City slows down in

July and August, but at Habitat-NYC, our volunteers, friends and families continue to pour their sweat into building homes.

That’s because the desperate need for affordable housing never takes a vacation!

For me, participating in the selection of our family partner/homebuyers and hearing the stories of hardworking families living in overcrowded, dangerous and unaffordable conditions are powerful and motivating reminders of why we all care so much about our work.

Every other Tuesday night, our board, staff and trained volunteers interview prospective candidates for homeownership. We hear some astonishing and harrowing experiences from parents and grandparents simply seeking a safe, decent place to live.

One candidate who has stood out for me is a woman named Mildred, an administrative assistant at a hospital. The photographs and recollections she shared were particularly alarming. Mildred shares her small basement apartment with her husband, daughter and two young granddaughters. The pricey apartment, operated by a negligent landlord, is overrun with dangerous black mold, a leaking roof, rodents and bed bugs. To safeguard her grandchildren’s health, most nights Mildred sends them away to sleep on the couches and floors of relatives’ apartments.

Habitat-NYC is currently working with Mildred to find temporary shelter, as she begins the process of building her new home alongside her husband and adult daughter.

For Mildred, and for many families like hers, Habitat-NYC’s far-reaching “100 Homes in Brooklyn” initiative will provide a life-changing opportunity.

This summer, many of us will be escaping the city to enjoy well-deserved beachfront vacations and country retreats. But as we do, let’s also remember folks like Mildred and do all we can, whether it is to volunteer, advocate or donate funds to Habitat-NYC, to ensure that our hardworking neighbors no longer have to live in such intolerable conditions.

Habitat for Humanity - New York Citytransforms lives and our city by building quality homes for families in need and by uniting all New Yorkers around the cause of affordable housing.

111 John Street, 23rd FloorNew York, NY 10038Tel: (212) 991-4000www.habitatnyc.org

Ring Any Bells? On June 30, Habitat-NYC board members, staff, family partners and supporters came together to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. From left to right: Jazmine Raveneau, Erika Ineson, Nicki Amouri, Judy Teeven, Josh Lockwood, Neil Bader, Zali Win, David Terveen (who rang the bell), Scott Cutler, Emily Bergl, John Isaacs, Deb Schwartz and Georgette Lee

3 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r g

Stars of the Stage Wear Hard Hats and Tool Belts

Actresses Emily Bergl, Emme, Anna Chlumsky, Penny Fuller, Adriane Lenox and Ashley Austin Morris put

down their scripts and picked up hammers to help renovate eight units at 475 Moroe Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn in late June.

The stars accessorized their construction outfits with boots, hard hats and electric drills.

The volunteer day was initiated by Emily

Q & A with Emily Bergl: Her Latest Supporting Role

Emily Bergl is what’s known in the theater community as a triple threat: she acts; she sings; she installs

drywall.

She may be best known for her television roles on shows such as Desperate Housewives and Southland, for her burgeoning film career, or her performances on and off Broadway. But she has been playing another important role lately as a Habitat for Humanity spokeswoman and an affordable housing construction volunteer here in New York City and around the world.

Habitat-NYC: How long have you been active with Habitat for Humanity?

Bergl: I did my first build with Global

Bergl: There was a TV writer’s strike, so I decided to put my unemployment time to good use.

Habitat-NYC: What is your most memorable Habitat moment?

Bergl: When I was hand-cementing a brick wall in 110 degree heat, and President Carter told me I did a good job.

Habitat-NYC: You volunteered with Habitat-NYC on a Women Build, working on a seven-story, 50-unit building. How would you describe that experience?

Bergl: I loved working on a New York apartment because it gave me some practical skills I could actually use. When you’re building a wood house on stilts or a cement outdoor kitchen, that’s not going to help you much back in Manhattan.

Habitat-NYC: You have your own, well-equipped tool belt. What’s your favorite tool?

Bergl: It’s lame but I’m going to have to go with my pink measuring tape. Because it’s so true: measure twice, cut once!

Emily Bergl and Habitat-NYC ED Josh Lockwood

Pho

tos

by

Deb

orah

Sch

war

tz

Village in 2007 on the island of Borneo. Since then I’ve volunteered in New York, Mississippi, Washington D.C., Charlotte, and Thailand. In November I’ll be traveling to Haiti for the Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter Work Project.

Habitat-NYC: What inspired you to become involved with Habitat?

Anna Chlumsky and Emme: ready for drywall(clockwise) Anna Chlumsky, Emme, Ashley Austin Morris, Adriane Lenox, Emily Bergl and Penny Fuller

Off Broadway, Off Stage and On Site

Bergl, who recently participated in a Women Build with Habitat-NYC in the South Bronx. She also serves as a spokesperson for Habitat International (Read her Q&A below).

Love, Loss, and What I Wore, written by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron and produced by Daryl Roth, is an intimate collection of stories based on the best-selling book by Ilene Beckerman, as well as on the recollections of the Ephrons’ friends.

Like the book, Love, Loss, and What

I Wore uses clothing and accessories and the memories they trigger to tell funny and often poignant stories. The show opened Off Broadway in October 2009 to rave reviews at the Westside Theatre, where it has broken all box office records and is now in its second smash year. Love, Loss, and What I Wore is performed by a rotating cast of five all-star actors who perform in five-week cycles.

4 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r gFounded by Millard and Linda Fuller in 1976, Habitat for Humanity is a Christian organization that welcomes people of all beliefs to join in its mission.

S. Bronx Homes Are Music to the Ears of Hardworking Families

Dedicating Homes with a Hart

In early June, 16 families celebrated their new affordable Hart-Lafayette homes in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, in a

joyous dedication ceremony.Joining in the celebration were Congress

Member Ed Towns and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who handed out voter registration cards and urged new homeowners to be active in their new community.

More than 2,500 volunteers – from all sectors of New York City and all walks of life – joined families to help build these homes. Among them were luminaries like former Mets stars Mookie Wilson and Darryl Strawberry, filmmaker Spike Lee and actress Susan Sarandon.

Nicole Barrett, a New York City bus driver and new homeowner, proudly led a tour of her new home, pointing out rooms she had tiled and walls she had painted. The single

mother of three had been living in her mother’s overcrowded home, sharing a bedroom with her two youngest children. The new home means “security for my family,” she said.

On the day of the celebration, Shontaysiah Simon was ready to move.

Like any six-year-old, she loves to jump and dance and run around, but the overcrowded apartment where she lived with her mom and grandparents barely allowed her enough room to

stretch her legs. Seeing her

future home at the dedication ceremony gave Shontaysiah a renewed burst of energy. She made several laps around the new, clean apartment with its fresh coat of paint and shiny wood floors. After the home blessing, she invited people to tour her room.

And then she took off her sparkly gold

dress sandals and put them where they belonged – inside her new bedroom closet.

Salma Elboute, 10, reported that she has great plans for her new room on Hart Street, which she looks forward to sharing with her sister, Hanae, 7.

Hanae is equally happy. “We’ll have space to play and have sleepovers,” she says.

Salma wants their bedroom to be light blue – her favorite color.

The girls are planning to do the painting themselves, inspired by how hard their parents worked to help build their Habitat-NYC home and by the generous volunteers who worked alongside them.

Habitat-NYC and Blue Sea Development have cut the ribbon on The Melody, Habitat-NYC’s second co-development project. The

building was named in honor of the neighbor-hood’s substantial musical legacy.

Habitat-NYC homeowners will occupy 14 of the co-op’s 63 apartments, all of which meet LEED Platinum standards. Designed to encourage physical activity and healthy living, The Melody features a fitness center, outdoor exercise path and children’s climbing and active play area.

The Melody’s public spaces display works of art by Beatrice Coron, which celebrate the area’s music history, and music plays in the stairwells.

Speakers included: HPD Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua; Housing Development Corporation President Marc Jahr; Blue Sea Development Company’s Les Bluestone; Marian Zucker of the NYS Homes & Community Renewal; and NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner David J. Burney. Marian Zucker and Josh LockwoodDiana Reyes with sons Levi and Brandin

Elizabeth Alvarez with Alejandro and EduardoLes Bluestone cuts The Melody’s ribbon

The Elboute family

Pho

tos

by

Deb

orah

Sch

war

tz

Shontaysiah Simon in her new room

5 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r g

Uniting to Transform Lives

Orianna Pavlik, 17, ‘Champion Volunteer’

High school senior Orianna Pavlik loves drawing and painting and wants to study art in college. She also loves

community service.So she came well-prepared for Habitat-

NYC’s recent Unity Build/Brush with Kindness at a Lower East Side youth center, a fundraiser and paint-a-thon celebrating diversity and New York City’s LGBT community.

Initially, Orianna, 17, was daunted by the build’s $500 fundraising challenge. “How am I going to raise that money in one month?” she asked. Her mother, Jackie, suggested emailing family and friends.

“I emailed a lot of people and gave them the link to my donation page,” says Orianna. Then she distributed flyers in her Hudson

Orianna Pavlik

Pho

tos

by

Ant

hony

Col

lins

As Director of Communications - Visuals for Macy’s, Anthony Fusco is no stranger to charitable works: A big

part of his job includes managing corporate charity events with a wide spectrum of organizations.

But he recently took time out of his always-demanding schedule to do a little giving of his own – volunteering with Habitat-NYC for our third annual Unity Build event.

In his first experience at a Habitat project, Anthony worked tirelessly applying colorful coats of paint to revitalize the well-used rooms of the Seward Park Community Center. Throughout the day, Anthony’s smile and ready sense of humor kept his volunteer colleagues laughing.

“It was a good experience to help people in need,” says Anthony, adding that he appreciated the opportunity to give back, meet and socialize with other volunteers and make a difference in a New York City community.

Valley neighborhood, asking people to “join me in my efforts to support better lives for New York City families.”

“People were really eager to donate. They know Habitat for Humanity is a good cause.” She began receiving donations of $10 and $20, and by the end of her first week, Orianna had raised $500. By the day of the event, she had raised more than $2,000 for Habitat-NYC.

Community service started early for Orianna. As a child, she volunteered with her parents for Pete Seeger’s Beacon Sloop Club. Last summer, she spent six weeks building Habitat homes in Kansas City, Kansas. “I worked hard – and learned the importance of volunteering to help make a difference,” she says. “Habitat helped me become more

connected with the community.” “Orianna is a champion of volunteering;

she takes great pride in helping Habitat,” says her mother. “It’s not just about the amount of money raised; it’s about helping and getting involved.”

Visualizing Community

Macy’s volunteer Anthony Fusco, left, with coworkers Orlyn Jones, Michael Rocks

Pho

to b

y A

ntho

ny C

ollin

s

For the third time in as many years, members and supporters of the LGBT community joined together to

celebrate diversity while improving housing conditions for low-income New Yorkers in need.

Instead of the usual hammer or drill, 25 volunteers brandished paintbrushes during this year’s Unity Build/Brush with Kindness at the Seward Park Community Center on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

By the end of the day, a bold array of vibrant colors covered the walls of the center.

Volunteers raised funds as well as paint

rollers to help New Yorkers in need. The event raised more than $14,000 to help build affordable housing and revive struggling communities.

“It is important for everyone in this community to come together,” said Habitat-NYC board member David Terveen, who helped organize this year’s event.

“I love this organization and what it offers,” he said. “Habitat-NYC is out to make things as easy as possible for us to help people in our community and make safe, healthy homes affordable – because, economically, it can be hard.”

Macy’s Employee Gives Back

Pho

tos

by

Ant

hony

Col

lins

LGBT Community Breaks New Record in Fundraising

Carly Knitzer Stan Ponte David Terveen

6 w w w . h a b i t a t n y c . o r g

Pho

tos

by

Deb

orah

Sch

war

tz

Volunteers Out in Full Force

Volunteer teams are now building at three of our 100 Homes in Brooklyn sites – the Monroe and Marion Street

rehabs in Bed-Stuy and the St. John’s Place condos in Ocean Hill-Brownsville.

On a recent morning, a crew from Credit Suisse was installing insulation and caulking the four-story building on Monroe. Archana Panchal took a brief break to share thoughts on her volunteer experience. Then she continued to build with great precision: “People are going to live in this house,” Archana says. “If it were me, I would want someone to work as hard on my house.”

On another floor, Owen Downes was cutting sheets of insulation. He works in the Foreign Exchange division at Credit Suisse, and “I’ve spent a lot of the last six months sitting at a desk – so I was eager to volunteer today.” Owen, who once lived in Brooklyn, added, “It’s nice to come back and do something for the community.”

Over on St. John’s Place, the first volunteer team up at bat was the Atlantis Cricket Club.

Members stress community services, along with good sportsmanship and great

helping working families find housing. But she emphasizes that “we don’t want a handout – we just need a hand up!”Continued from page 1

killed in a car accident. Without hesitation, Regina adopted her two nieces, Emirror and Dearaya, raising them as her own.

Then Regina’s father’s health began to fail. She left her life in Virginia and moved her entire family back to Queens. Today, Regina, her father, and her three adult daughters (two of whom just graduated college) share extremely tight quarters.

But now that her dad has recovered, Regina says it’s time to have her own home.

This has been an especially brutal summer, and Regina is fully experiencing the “sweat” in “sweat equity” as she Sheetrocks walls in 90-plus temperatures. Exchanging stories recently with other family partners, Regina smiles: “Everybody is going through the same thing; we feel each other’s pain and joy.”

For Regina, it has always been about making the right decisions to take care of her family. After much research, she attended a union-sponsored housing seminar and was introduced to Habitat-NYC.

“Habitat for Humanity has been professional from the gate,” she says. “The staff touches on every aspect, from considering buying a home to closing. They want you to succeed, not fail. There is so much to learn, but Habitat breaks it down, so that it seems simple.”

Regina is passionate in communicating the importance of

Regina Baker

Regina puts the “sweat” into “sweat equity” on Monroe St.

cricket skills. “We get a lot of pleasure out of

benefitting the community, since we’ve benefitted so much from the community too,” says club treasurer Keith Aaron.

His nephew, Kwesi, a high school student and cricket player, joined club members in air-sealing the 12 Habitat-NYC homes. “I like the atmosphere here — everyone coming together to build some homes.”

Renovation also is underway at 203 Marion Street. Throughout July, nine

Pho

to b

y D

ebor

ah S

chw

artz

Homes rise in Bed-Stuy and Ocean Hill-Brownsville

students from the School of Cooperative Education installed rigid insulation and foam. The students, aged 16 to 20, are supervised by instructors provided by this Department of Education program. A new class will start at Marion in the fall.

City Tech student Hugh Craig said. “Some people can’t afford good homes and they need help. It feels very good to be here today.”

Keith Aaron, an Atlantis Cricket Club volunteer

Archana Panchal of Credit Suisse