Frances Hardy, Director of Resource Development for the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity was a great ambassador to share the new Rotary International partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Frances has been familiar with Rotary since she was young, being a Rotary Exchange Student in France when she was living in North Carolina. She said she learned a great life lesson from being an exchange student that opened her eyes to see more than just her immediate surroundings.

Frances talked about how Habitat for Humanity is a global housing ministry that partners with local communities worldwide to build homes for members of their community that changes lives. Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has served more than 134 million people in 70 countries and 50 states in the USA. The San Gabriel Valley chapter covers 31 cities and 400 square miles. Habitat for Humanity does not give homes away, the families who receive homes from them put in at least 500 hours of sweat equity, are currently living in substandard living conditions and pay the mortgage once they move into their Habitat house. Habitat makes sure the mortgage is not more than 30% of their monthly income since research shows that if a family spends more than 30% of their monthly income on housing they are in jeopardy of not being able to put food on the table, pay for medical bills, etc.

So far, there have been zero foreclosures of Habitat for Humanity homes in San Gabriel Valley. The 2019 goals are to double what they are currently doing. So, that means engage 8,000 volunteers and double the number of homes built in 2019. With Habitat’s partnership with Rotary International and hopefully the Arcadia Rotary, they will surely reach that goal!