Gainesville – Santa Fe College Student Builders Association and Habitat for Humanity invite the community to celebrate the Topping Out of the Santa Fe II house on Thursday, March 1, 2012 from 4-7pm at the Charles R. Perry Construction Institute (Bldg O) at Santa Fe College.

The Santa Fe II home, currently under construction, is a collaboration of the Santa Fe College Building Construction Program, Habitat for Humanity and the BANCF Apprenticeship Program. This is the second home built at the college through the partnership. The plan is to build one home a year at Santa Fe through this collaboration. Developing the funding for each home is an ongoing annual process. This home was funded entirely by a Bank of America grant of $65 thousand.

 Habitat volunteers work alongside Santa Fe students and apprentices in building the home inside the Charles R. Perry Institute of Construction and then the home is loaded on a truck and transported to the home site. Habitat selects the homeowners through the Habitat family selection process.

 In building construction the “Topping Out” Ceremony is held when the roof of the building is complete. Folklore proclaims that “topping out” is for shelters being constructed of wood. Before cutting the first tree, the builders would formally address the forest, reminding it of the consideration and respect they had toward trees, and ask the forest to grant use of a tree for construction of their home. When the house was complete, the top leafiest branch of that tree would be set atop the roof so that the “tree spirit” would not be rendered homeless. The gesture was to further convince the “tree spirit” of the sincere appreciation of the people building the home and hopes that those living or working in the dwelling would flourish.

Please join us for this rite of passage in welcoming the “tree spirit” to the Charles R. Perry Institute of Construction at Santa Fe College. Proceeds from the bar-b-q will support the Student Builders Association.

The COWBOYZ catered barbecue tickets are $10 and available at the Santa Fe O Building.  For more information call 352-395-5361.

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“Habitat for Humanity: What We Build!”

Find out more about Alachua Habitat and whether you may qualify for a home. If you are currently employed and interested in our homebuilding process, please join us  to find out more.

The report is available as a Microsoft Word Document.  If you would like to download a copy of the report, please click below.

AHFH 2010-2011 Annual Report

Santa Fe College will also participate in this build, providing much of the work and design on the project. Volunteerism is a basic aspect of completing all Habitat homes. Santa Fe students, faculty, and apprentices work on this home during the week, and volunteers work on weekends. As part of their participation, Bank of America will establish three to four group volunteer days for local bank employees.

The UF Habitat Club will provide student volunteers every Saturday. The UF Habitat Club has a very active and dedicated group of volunteers who come out on weekends to assist.

Mr. Alexander’s family and friends will also be putting in required homeowner hours!

Habitat also provides a source for contractors, retailers and individuals to donate building materials that would otherwise wind up in landfills. Many items that we sell are not taken by other area thrift stores.

Please contact us if you have leftover items from remodels or builds that you are willing to donate.

Our store is always looking for new volunteers. We need help with customer service, inventory, item pickup, and showroom upkeep and design. Do you love building materials, clothing, books, or electronics? We are seeking individuals or groups that want to improve the look and customer service of our departments. Come join us and donate your time in a friendly, appreciative atmosphere.

Alachua Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store (soon to be “ReStore”) Location: 2317 SW 13th St.                                                                                       Open:  Monday–Saturday, 9:30 am—5:30 pm (excluding holidays).                                                                                                                                    Tel: (352)373-5728  

The Opening included:
• Ecumenical prayer and musical offering.
• Scripture quotations by representatives of the three participating faiths.
• Presentation to homeowners of a book of holy scriptures from each tradition.
• Ribbon cutting ceremony with homeowner and elected officials

• since 1986, Alachua Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit Christian housing ministry, has sought to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action; and

• Alachua Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need; and

• through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Alachua Habitat has continued to prosper in its mission to make a difference. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans; and

• Alachua Habitat has constructed more than 100 homes. Building efforts have spanned Alachua County to include: Gainesville, Micanopy, Archer, High Springs, Hawthorne, Waldo, and all rural areas; and

• Alachua Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor (sweat equity) into building their Habitat house and the houses of others; and

• in celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year, Alachua Habitat for Humanity continues to impact lives and address the problem of poverty housing in our community by making the dreams of so many individuals in the community a beautiful reality. After all, change is in the hands of all those willing to not settle for mediocre but dream of the impossible.