Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity International has worked to bring communities together with the goal of helping families in need to get access to affordable homeownership. Last year, 238 families found a new home with Habitat, including 612 children and 16 newcomers to Canada. Thousands of Canadians have volunteered their time with the nonprofit to make these efforts possible, helping to add millions of dollars to Canada’s affordable housing portfolio. Recently, Muskoka Window & Door Centre was lucky enough to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North, working alongside other volunteers to help out local families in need.
A total of 54 Habitat for Humanity chapters can be found in every Canadian province and territory, helping local families in 400 different communities become homeowners with the generous support of volunteers and donors. Habitat for Humanity’s Ontario Gateway North has helped families all around the Muskoka region achieve stability and independence through affordable homeownership.
How Habitat for Humanity helps families in need
Habitat for Humanity helps families in need by giving them a path to homeownership that requires hard work and dedication, but ensures long-term success. Qualified families who are accepted to the program become homeowners through an interest-free mortgage that requires no down payment, volunteering a minimum of 500 hours with Habitat for Humanity in return. In order to qualify for a home through Habitat, families must be able to prove that they are in need of better housing, willing to volunteer their time with Habitat, and must be able to make affordable mortgage payments that don’t exceed 30% of their gross annual household income.
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Another way that Habitat for Humanity has been able to help families in need is through Habitat ReStores, which act as home and building supply stores. ReStores accept new and used building materials, reselling it to generate funds for local home building projects. Donating to ReStores is an environmentally conscious decision, helping to avoid products from ending up in a landfill. ReStores accept many items including furniture, home appliances, electronics, floor and tile, lighting, windows and doors, clothing, and so much more. Rather than putting these items to waste, you can donate them to your local Habitat ReStore and contribute to a building project!
Our involvement with Habitat
In 2017, Muskoka Window & Door Centre was lucky enough to get involved in a local Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North project. The new development was a duplex situated in Huntsville, and would house two families in need. The team was excited to be part of such an important community initiative, and went to work to provide families in need with quality windows. Our workers donated their time to install windows in the home, with all window units donated to the project by Andersen Windows & Doors. Andersen has a long history of supporting Habitat projects in the United States, and they were happy to help.
How you can help
The holidays are the perfect time to get involved with local and international charities. There are a number of ways you can give back to Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North, including making a holiday donation, volunteering your time with a local home building project, or donating new and gently used home and building materials to our local ReStore in Bracebridge or Huntsville. The Bracebridge and Huntsville ReStores are the perfect place to visit when clearing out holiday clutter before and after the new year, with your donations going a long way to support those in need. Our local ReStores can be found at:
Bracebridge ReStore
505 Muskoka District Road 118 West, Unit A3
Bracebridge, ON P1L 2G7
(705) 646-0106
Monday-Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
Huntsville ReStore
70 King William St,
Huntsville, ON P1H 2A5
(705) 788-0305
Monday-Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMSunday: Closed To find out how you can make a difference to families in need by making a donation or volunteering your time this holiday season, visit Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North’s website today.