Photo by Pedro Gonzalez
Thrivent Builds
Two homes in 2009 with Thrivent Financial and local Lutherans!
After funding and building three Central Oklahoma Habitat homes in the last three years, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and our local Lutheran church partners doubled their numbers and built two houses in 2009! Lutheran volunteers built the first of these homes in the spring for Anita C. and her daughter and five grandchildren, and the second home was constructed from September 19 through October 10 for Janee N. and her two daughters. (See photo album.) Both homes were built in Central Oklahoma Habitat’s new neighborhood, Hope Crossing.
Both Anita and Janee worked so hard to provide a better life for their families, and with the wonderful help of all our Thrivent and Lutheran friends, their dreams and the fruits of their labors are now being realized. Moving from high-rent apartments into quality new energy-efficient homes has meant a lot more room and a safer, more stable environment in which their families can grow. The Hope Crossing neighborhood park areas and playground are now safe places to rest and play, and the dozens of other Habitat families in this neighborhood - all owners of their homes and members of an active association - mean greater stability and opportunity for long-term, supportive friendships. Most of all, affordable zero-interest house payments and extremely low utility bills in these very energy efficient homes will make possible for these families a standard of living beyond that of bare subsistence with more opportunity for the future.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is contributing $100,100 towards the two-house project as part of its Thrivent Builds program with Habitat, and the Lutheran community in Oklahoma County has raised another $15,400. Some 150 Lutherans and Thrivent members from more than a dozen participating Lutheran congregations helped build both of this year’s Thrivent homes.
Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity is a four-year, $125 million alliance designed to substantially increase Habitat’s capacity to serve more families in need of affordable housing. Since 2005, the Thrivent Builds alliance has given more than 1,000 families an opportunity to achieve the American dream of homeownership, and in 2009, Thrivent Builds will contribute more than $24 million to help build another 314 affordable homes in 37 states and the District of Columbia.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping nearly 3 million members thrive in life. Thrivent Financial and its subsidiaries offer a broad range of financial products and services including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, disability income insurance, bank products and more. As a not-for-profit organization, Thrivent Financial brings its members together for social, educational and volunteer activities that support congregations, schools, charitable organizations and individuals in need. For more information, visit www.thrivent.com.
Thank you Thrivent Financial and all our wonderful Lutheran friends!
Dedication day after the fall build. (More photos here.)
