Theresa Lyde’s Safe Haven

It Takes a City to Build a Home

Theresa Lyde will never forget the night she was accepted as a Habitat-NYC homeowner.

Joy – and immense relief – swept over her as she returned to her crime-ridden neigh-borhood to tell her 17-year-old son Olufemi that they would soon be living in safety.

Later that night, as they slept, a young man was murdered on their doorstep.

That’s why you’ll see Theresa and Olufemi on Habitat-NYC construction sites whenever they can squeeze a few free minutes out of their lives. Every panel of drywall that goes up, every brush full of paint, every drop of sweat equity brings them a little closer to an affordable home and a safe haven.

The Lyde family will be living in a two-bedroom condominium, one of the 16 Habitat homes now under construction in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

The city is alive with the sound of . . . hammers, saws and screw guns!

It’s music to the ears of low-income fami-lies, as walls rise rapidly on Habitat-NYC homes in Brooklyn and the Bronx.

In the first half of the year, more than 3,000 dedicated New Yorkers volunteered their time to help build affordable homes or to “brush our city with kindness” by repair-ing and repainting community centers and schools in neighborhoods where we build.

Every volunteer makes a difference to families in need of safe homes they can afford, and Habitat-NYC draws people from every walk of life.

Among our recent and more unique builds, Habitat-NYC hosted:

n Filmmaker Spike Leen Actresses Emily Bergl (Men in Trees,

Gilmore Girls)n Actress Taylor Schilling (Mercy)

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Habitat-NYC TIMES>>Inside

A Conversation with Spike Lee Page 3

Women Build 2010 Page 5

“I’m here to honor my Mother Alice, who died at the age of 100 in January. She loved her home,

welcomed many who loved her – and I want to help provide a loving home for another family.”

Bed-Stuy Kids Enjoy a Garden Party Page 6

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Family Partner Theresa Lyde

Robert LiMandri, Commissioner, NYC Department of Buildings

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—Sister Ancilla Maloney

From the Executive Director

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Habitat-NYCBoard of DirectorsRev. Mark Hallinan, ChairSociety of Jesus (Jesuits), New York Province

Karim Hutson, Vice ChairGenesis Partners Real Property, LLC

Nia Rock, Vice ChairSovereign Bank

Neil Bader, Treasurer

Christine McGuinness, Secretary

Schiff Hardin LLP

Jennifer ArmstrongHemlock Group

David BachFinishRich Media

Evan BauerEvan Bauer Information Technology

Robert BurchA.W. Jones Company

Charisse FordThe Estée Lauder Companies, Inc.

Carmen GellineauJPMorgan Chase

Aileen GribbinForsyth Street Advisors, LLC

Chris HoeffelInvestcorp International Inc.

Jeff InfusinoOliver Wyman Financial Services

John IsaacsCB Richard Ellis

Rabbi Bob KaplanCAUSE-NY / JCRC

Peter Knitzer

Shauna LongFUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation

Peter MurrayLowen Development

Martha Parrish

Doug PaulCredit Suisse

Douglas Renfield-Miller

Connie Sargent

Andie SimonWarner Brothers Records

The Rev. Thomas SynanChurch of the Heavenly Rest

David TerveenDK Display Corp.

Zali WinCredit Agricole

Rev. Johnny YoungbloodMt. Pisgah Baptist Church

Josh LockwoodExecutive Director

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

Today I spoke to a family partner, Jennifer Jackson, who had just closed on her Habitat-NYC home. The move to a

safe, simple home built with environmentally friendly materials will change her family’s life forever.

“I am just so grateful and so excited!” Jennifer smiled.

Currently, Habitat-NYC is implementing sophisticated tools to track the impact of our shared work. But we already know that Jennifer will enjoy a brighter future:

n Jennifer’s children will do better in school;n Her family will be healthier;n She will be more involved in her community;n Her family’s financial circumstances will improve;n She will count building and moving into her new Habitat-NYC home as one of the

proudest achievements of her life.Habitat-NYC’s work extends well beyond our families and home. Our neighborhood stabilization work is strengthening entire low-income communities.

Every home we build generates $50,000 in new neighborhood economic activity and more than two full-time jobs – during the construction period alone.

The remarkable impact of our “Brush with Kindness” program, which repairs dilapidated public schools, parks and community centers, is eye-popping. The dozens of spaces we rehabilitated in the past year are now used by tens of thousands of low-income families. Our “Loan Rangers” financial literacy campaign has helped stabilize finances for hundreds of low-income families in the communities we serve.

As Jennifer Jackson joyfully moves into her new home, we know that Habitat-NYC’s impact will go far beyond her condominium. Through your support, our whole city benefits.

We are all grateful!

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.

Help More Families Come Home!Your tax-deductible gift helps build homes — and

opens the doors to better lives for low-income New York City families.

Please help more families in need.You can give securely online at www.habitatnyc.org or

by mail with the envelope enclosed.

“I am just so grateful and so excited!”—Family Partner, Jennifer Jackson

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Spike Lee Visits Habitat Homes in Bed-Stuy

Seen On-Site: Photos from Habitat-NYC Builds

F ilmmaker Spike Lee recently visited Habitat-NYC’s new homes on Lafay-ette Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant,

Brooklyn, only a few short blocks from the Fort Greene area where he grew up.

He shared his thoughts on Brooklyn, affordable housing, gentrification and Habitat for Humanity:

“We need affordable housing, not just in Brooklyn, but in all five boroughs.”

“We’re getting to be like, if you don’t got mad bank, you know you got to move back to Puerto Rico, or down South or way, way, way out.”

“My mother said she got tired of renting, and ‘I’m going to buy a home.’ So for $40,000 she bought a brownstone in Fort Greene. Now this is back in the day — 1968 — when Fort Greene was Fort Greene.”

“It’s a shock for me today, just walking in Fort Greene. I’m not going to get into gentrification, but . . . white linen, sidewalk

tables all up and down DeKalb and Lafay-ette Avenue . . . some people might call that gentrification.”

“I’ve seen Habitat’s work, firsthand in

New York City and more in New Orleans and the great work you did down there after Hurricane Katrina and the breaching of the levees.”

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Spike Lee pens a welcome note

DOB volunteer tee shirt

n Artist Todd Oldhamn Staff members from “nyhomes,” New

York State’s housing agency, and its Chairman Judd Levy

n New York City Buildings Commis-sioner Robert LiMandri and members

of his staffn Goldman Sachs President Gary Cohen

and volunteers from the company; andn Unity Build volunteers, a group of

longtime supporters from New York City’s LGBT community.

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Todd Oldham NYC Buildings Department volunteers

Left to right, Les Bluestone, Judd Levy, Josh Lockwood and Marian Zucker at “nyhomes” build

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LaCrosse Global Fund Services, LLCLamb & Barnosky, LLPM&T Charitable FoundationMasterCard WorldwideMcGraw-Hill CompaniesMcKinsey & Company, Inc.Mellam Family FoundationMoody’s FoundationN.S. Bienstock IncNew York Mets Baseball ClubNYSE EuronextOliver Wyman Financial ServicesParadysz Matera Co., Inc.Polo Ralph Lauren FoundationPricewaterhouseCoopersScripps Howard FoundationSo uthern Wine & Spirits of

New YorkTravelers Company, Inc.Wisiny Yandel La Revolucion TourVertical Design Construction Corp.

$5,000 to $9,999

AnonymousArtio Global Investors Inc.Avenue Capital GroupBrookfield Properties CorporationChurch of the Heavenly RestCommunity Development TrustCorbin Capital Partners LPE*TradeFreshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLPGreen Holland VenturesLiquidnet Holdings Inc.Marble Collegiate ChurchNew York Community TrustPa rk Avenue United Methodist ChurchRed Crane FoundationSony Corporation of AmericaSovereign BankStaten Island FoundationTurner Construction Co.U.S. Bank NAWarburg Pincus LLCWoodbourne Foundation, Inc.Yahoo! Employee FoundationYo ung Men’s/Women’s Real

Estate Assoc.

$1,000 to $4,999

Allen & Company LLCAviva InvestorsAvon Products Foundations Inc.Ayco Charitable FoundationBank Leumi USABridgemill FoundationCambridge Corporate ServicesCh ase Community Development BankingChurch in the GardensCommon Cents New York, Inc.Deutsche Bank Americas FoundationEnterprise Community Partners, Inc.Ernst & YoungFabric TraditionsGrace Church Brooklyn HeightsHealth PlusHirschen Singer & Epstein LLPHolborn CorporationHoulihan LokeyJacob Bluestein FoundationKreilick Family Foundation, Inc.Li ndabury, McCormick, Estabrook

& Cooper, PCLipton FoundationMalcolm Gibbs Foundation, Inc.Mariner Investment GroupMarks Paneth & Shron LLPMCR Restoration CorpMDG Design & Construction LLCMi zuho Trust & Banking Company (USA)Moen IncorporatedMorgan Stanley Matching GiftsNew York UniversityNewmark & Company Real EstateOwn Energy, IncPascal de Sarthe Fine ArtQueens High School of TeachingR.E.M.Ro chester Area Community FoundationRutgers Presbyterian ChurchVenable Foundation, Inc.Wearable Collection, LLCWells Fargo Advisors LLCWest End Collegiate Church

Institutional Donor List June 30, 2009 to May 31, 2010$100,000 and Up

Brooklyn Community FoundationCitiCorporation for National & Community ServiceCredit SuisseDelta Air Lines, IncGoldman, Sachs & Co.Ho using Partnership Development CorporationNe w York State Affordable Housing

CorporationNe w York State Division of Housing &

Community RenewalUnited Technologies

$50,000 to $99,999

American ExpressBank of New York Mellon CorporationBloombergGu ardian Life Insurance Company

of AmericaHorace W. Goldsmith FoundationThrivent Financial for Lutherans

$25,000 to $49,999

Deutsche BankNe w York State Energy Research &

Development AuthorityPlymouth Church of the Pilgrims

$10,000 to $24,999

Advent Software Inc.Alston & Bird LLPBingham McCutchen LLPBrick Presbyterian ChurchCollegiate Church CorporationComputer AssociatesCross County Federal Savings BankDebevoise & Plimpton LLPEstée LauderGeneral Electric CapitalHo pe For New York, Redeemer Presbyterian

ChurchHyde and Watson FoundationJewish Funds for Justice

Getting organized at Interfaith Advocacy School

Thanks to a generous $5,000 grant from Trinity Church, Habitat-NYC is creat-ing a new Interfaith Advocacy Training

School, with a curriculum aimed at helping our faith partners learn more about advo-cacy, housing and faith-based organizing.

“This training is a great opportunity for our partners to learn more about why affordable housing is so crucial and how

people of faith can raise their voices as well as their hammers to build a more just society,” says Matt Dunbar, Habitat-NYC’s Faith Associate.

Speakers, panel discussions and materials will be featured at three monthly sessions, each in greater depth and detail. This design allows groups to join in or suspend partici-pation, based on their level of development.

Sessions will be held on Oct. 2, Nov. 6 and Dec. 4, leading up to the launch of Habitat-NYC’s 2011 Housing Covenant and our annual Martin Luther King Jr. cel-ebration next January. Participants in all three sessions will mobilize members of their congregations to join Habitat-NYC in March 2011 for our annual Advocacy in Albany trip.

Founded 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.

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Women Build 2010: Honoring Women and Raising WallsTwenty women, including actresses Emily Bergl and Taylor

Schilling, joined Women Build 2010, Sheetrocking walls at our Prospect-Macy project in the South Bronx and gener-

ously raising more than $10,000 for Habitat homes.Because affordable housing is a women’s issue, Women Build

salutes Mother’s Day and all moms. Families with children com-prise 40 percent of New Yorkers who pay more than half their income for rent, live in substandard housing or are displaced against their will. Half of all city families headed by a woman live below the poverty line.

“I’m building in honor of my Grandmother

Joy, who helped build a school in

India.”—Actress Emily Bergl

“This is spectacular

. . . to see how women are taking

control of their lives.”

—Actress Taylor Schilling

—Alison Bregstein

—Sister Ancilla Maloney —Monique Sambula

“There is a pride of ownership that comes with living in a nice home . . . so it’s important to provide that kind of space for

people who cannot afford it on their own; a place where their family can come together and create memories that will last

throughout the generations.”

“I’m here to honor my Mother Alice, who died at the age of 100 in January. She loved her home,

welcomed many who loved her – and I want to help provide a loving home for another family.”

“I wanted to help build in honor of all the single mothers who work hard to provide a decent life

for their families and deserve quality housing.”

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Bed-Stuy Kids Go Green and Healthy

Lyde Family’s Dream Is Coming True

Bedford-Stuyvesant children gained gardening skills and learned about creative recycling and healthy eat-

ing at a community service day hosted by Habitat-NYC’s current AmeriCorps vol-unteers. The service project was held at the Heart to Hart Garden near our new Hart Street homes.

Annie Ledbury and Erin Congdon took on the theme “reimagine material possi-bilities,” focusing on recycling and creative reuses, transforming plastic bottles and other containers into planters. Samantha Shoenberger led a lesson on urban wildlife, bringing kids up close and personal with the resident chickens.

Spencer Edwards and Tristan Dreisbach taught kids the art of guerrilla garden-ing by making seed “bombs” comprised of wildflower seeds and dirt, which can be tossed into vacant lots. Kaydee Kreitlow and Chavon Edwards took a more traditional approach, showing how to farm or plant gardens in an urban environment.

Healthy eating was the focus of Sarah Shelley and Habiba Musah, who used a game show-style competition to introduce

“I go by my future home almost every day, just to look at it and make sure it’s real,” says Theresa, who will be trading the “crack house down the hall” for the peaceful com-munity garden bordering her new home. “It’s just so hard to believe that our dream is coming true,” she says.

Theresa is a typical New Yorker. Hard-working, enthusiastic, always smiling – a perfect temperament for her job with the city’s Transportation Department as a “traffic calming” agent, taking measures to slow down speeders and unsnarl traffic.

You would be hard-pressed to imagine the conditions in the building she and Olufemi call home: Ceiling leaks cause electrical wir-ing to spark, hot water is a rare treat, birds fly in through open windows. Worse, there’s no lock on the building’s front door and vandals remove the hallway light bulbs, leaving the tenants in frightening darkness.

healthy eating and exercise habits. They dis-played a variety of healthy snacks to try and even offered a smoothie station!

“This is the best day of my life,” said one enthusiastic child, who went home with a

Crime and violence are rampant.With New York City’s high cost of

housing, families like Theresa’s too often have to make untenable choices to afford a roof over their heads. As a Habitat-NYC family partner, she will pay only about a

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bag of seed bombs, custom planter, food pyramid magnet, belly full of healthy snacks and – most important – a brain full of knowledge about how kids can make a dif-ference in the urban environment.

third of her income for a home that is new, healthy and secure.

“I love the location,” she says of the quiet street where she and Olufemi will soon be going about their life – working, attending high school, enjoying friends – in safety.

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Theresa Lyde, center, painting during Women Build

Bed-Stuy kids gardening with help from AmeriCorps volunteers