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Another 4 ENERGY STAR Homes Built in 2008

By building ENERGY STAR qualified homes, RVHFH is doing its part to help protect the environment while offering consumers new homes that are more comfortable and save money on utility bills.

This is equivalent to:

• Eliminating the emissions from 1.96 vehicles

• Saving 11,856 lbs of coal

• Planting 3.24 acres of trees

• Saving homeowners $1,788 on their utility bills

ENERGY STAR thanked RVHFH for the important contribution that your organization has made to energy-efficient construction and environmental protection.

Anne LaPlante - WINNER OF THE BERMUDA CRUISE RAFFLE!

Winning ticket was drawn April 26th at this year's Spring Dinner Dance
"Moonlight Flamenco". Anne and Ed LaPlante of Skillman are the lucky winners
of the Raffle Prize and will enjoy a 5-night Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas
cruise for two to the beautiful, sunny, pink sand shores of Bermuda.

Photo (l-r):
Lisa Fielding, Community Relations Manager
with lucky winner Anne LaPlante

25^th Anniversary Somerset County
2007 Annual Planning & Land Development Awards
In the past 25 years Somerset County has recognized projects that have served as examples of outstanding and innovative developments and planning efforts.  It is hoped that these projects will inspired citizens, developers, governmental leaders and planners to promote sound land development and planning for years to come.

Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity (RVHFH) is proud to have received the 2007 award
for the Residential Category for the Bernardsville Habitat for Humanity Homes. 

Supported by many individual, corporate and community volunteers, RVHFH built four modest, affordable homes in a Bernardsville neighborhood consisting of a mix of residential and commercial buildings.  Each home is 1,178 square feet in size. RVHFH faced several constraints at this challenging site including its location on a busy thoroughfare and a steep-slope covering roughly half of the property. 

 The houses are situated at the front of the property in conformance with the existing line of the neighborhood.  A common driveway creates a small neighborhood appearance for the homes with an easement across the front of the shared parking providing adequate off-street parking for the homeowners and a play area for the children.  Each two-story house sits over a garage.  To not only enhance the appearance of the homes but also provide additional living space for the families, a wooden staircase leads to a second floor front porch extending across the entire attached structure.   Decorative block retaining walls to the side and rear of the house create several terraces providing useable side and backyard space.  Completing the yard is an attractive garden landscape along the 200 foot frontage on Mine Brook Road established by homeowners working in partnership with the Master Gardeners of Somerset and Hunterdon counties.  This project illustrates how housing can be built which is both attractive and affordable. 

Site design was by Bill Hollows of Murphy and Hollows Associates.  The architect of the project was Mark Andrews of Beer & Coleman Architects and Associates.  RVHFH thanks them for their time and commitment to this outstanding project.

NHHS Technology Service Club Donates Mac Minis
to 2 RVHFH Homeowners

Turning their “gaming nights” into fundraising opportunities, students at North Hunterdon High School recently purchased two Apple Mac Mini computers and donated them to new Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity homeowners.

Jeff Dlouhy, former president of the NHHS Technology Service Club, explained that the club, which built a PC for an RVHFH family in 2004, held the gaming nights quarterly, which allowed them to raise the funds needed to purchase the computers.

“It went very smoothly,” Mr. Dlouhy said. “It was a pleasure to work with RVHFH and I hope the families are doing well and enjoying their new computers.”

Working with faculty advisor Richard Bergacs, director of technology at North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, and RVHFH volunteer Linda Bradway, Mr. Dlouhy and the club delivered the computers in June.

“They are a great group of young people with great initiative,” Mr. Bergacs said, referring to members of the NHHS Technology Service Club.

Mr. Dlouhy added that he hopes the club can donate more computers to other new RVHFH homeowners.

Cub Scouts recreate famous painting to support Bernardsville build

Pictured from left to right: Alex Rundella, Colin Kirst, Jake Cawley, Andrew Lynch, Jimmy Cawley, Connor Kirst and Kyle Verduin.

The Bernardsville Pack 150 Cub Scouts have found a creative way to raise funds for the Habitat homes being built in Bernardsville. Working with the Hands On Art Studio in Chester, Cub Scouts from Pack 150 have recreated David Hockey’s 2000 painting, “Going Up Garrowby Hill”. The project, a large wall mosaic, was framed by Helricks in Dover, and is currently being exhibited at Le Reve Gallery, located at 24 Main Street in Chester. A silent auction of the painting is being held through October 29th, when the highest bidder will be announced. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Habitat for Humanity project in Bernardsville.

Le Reve Gallery is located at 24 Main Street, (entrance on Perry Street), Chester, 908-879-8055. Please visit the gallery and support this worthy cause!

The Pack 150 Cub Scouts will also be bringing refreshments to the worksite on October 21st and to the Bernardsville house dedication ceremony next spring. All this activity is part of the Habitat Home Helpers program, a great way for kids aged 14 and under to support Habitat. See Habitat Home Helpers for more information.

Temperatures Soar at Bernardsville Site Dedication: July 29th

Humidity and high temperatures failed to dampen the excitement and emotion of the dedication of the two Bernardsville duplex sites on Sat., July 29. About 50 people – including the four families whose houses are being built – turned out for the dedication.

“This is about a lot more than nails,” said Dick Carr, president of Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity. “We all are sharing gifts of faith and the comfort of hope for the future. When we get together to partner with these families, it’s an act of love.” Lee Honecker, a Bernardsville councilman, echoed Mr. Carr. “Habitat means a little bit more than housing,” he said. “It means community." "Habitat fosters community by bringing residents together to help others become part of the community,” he said. “On behalf of the mayor, borough council and residents, to our soon-to-be new residents, may you live long, happy and prosperous lives in our borough.”

Chuck Coombs, co-chair of RVHFH’s family support committee introduced each family – the Broughtons, the Davises, the Jameses and the Robinsons.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Jessica Broughton, who will live in one of the homes with her sons Cameron, 11, and Sean, 4, and daughter Tyler, 7.  “I’m very grateful,” she added. “And I’m overwhelmed with the excitement and emotion and everyone who is part of the project.”

Representing the church partnership, Rev. Patti Weikart from Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church said hundreds of people had made "vital" contributions to bring the project to the point where construction is underway.

The two duplexes are expected to be completed in Spring of 2007.

Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.
Our Newest House Partner!

We are delighted to announce a major contribution from Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, a division of Johnson & Johnson. Ortho-McNeil has signed on as a House Partner for the home at 41 Hancock in Lambertville.   This partnership includes a cash donation of $35,000.  In addition, employees from Ortho-McNeil will also have the opportunity to work on site to help complete construction of this home. 

Thanks to Ortho-McNeil, the home at 41 Hancock is now fully funded.

Thank you from all of us at Habitat!!!

***Are looking to get your company involved in Habitat  for Humanity?
   Please take a look at our Business Partnerships section of the website.

New Jersey Builders Association
Sponsors a Lambertville Home

The New Jersey Builder’s Association has signed on as the Signature Sponsor of Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity’s first Women Build home in Lambertville.  The NJBA will be providing a total of $80,000 in cash and in-kind donations.   Mary Caporaso, past president of the NJBA and chair of the Women Build effort, is spearheading this project.    

The NJBA sponsorship includes a $30,000 cash donation from the Foundation for Housing, the philanthropic arm of the NJBA.  The Foundation for Housing works to assist people of modest income in obtaining the American dream---a home of their own.    By sponsoring a Habitat home, the NJBA will help another low-income family to fulfill their dream. 

Several women members of the NJBA are playing a key role in orchestrating the Women Build effort, including Mary Caporaso, Mary Anderson, Barbara Chiusano, and others.   These women are hard at work soliciting the support of their contractors for the Women Build project.   

From all of us at Habitat, and from the families in need of affordable housing in New Jersey----a big THANK YOU to the NJBA for your support!!!

United Way Supports RVHFH's First WOMEN BUILD

The United Way Women’s Initiative recently awarded RVHFH a grant of $2,000 to support Women Build 2005, our affiliate’s first Women Build program. The grant will be used to bring 24 Senior Girl Scouts onto the construction site this fall to help build a Habitat home. The girls will be trained and guided by members of the adult Women Build team. Senior Girl Scout Kelsey Newborn (second from right) and Habitat volunteer Kathy Tanaka will be organizing this event, which is scheduled to take place in early November.”

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