Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity

Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity will help 164 families achieve the dream of homeownership in 2011

Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity announces home-building award for 2011

2011 Thrivent Builds-PAHH Homeowner Rebecca Richardson (pictured above) An Artist’s Portrait

by Christine Mack

When quilter Rebecca Richardson learned she had been accepted into the program to earn a Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity (PAHH) house, she was ecstatic.  “I felt like I was on cloud 9.  It was like Christmas.  I knew my life would improve so much,” she remembers.

Rebecca has been selected as the 2011 Thrivent Builds-PAHH homeowner, and the improvements that will bless her life in the fall, when she moves into her house, will be monumental and life-changing.  For the past 23 years, following a critical spinal cord injury, Rebecca’s life has been lived from a wheelchair.

The accident occurred in Weaverville, CA, where Rebecca lived from 1986-2002.  Following her hospitalization and rehab, she helped start a public shuttle system in Weaverville, which is the county seat of Trinity County, CA.  She served on the Planning Board for Transportation and focused on the transportation needs of the disabled.  “This was long before the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed,” she states.

President Jimmy Carter’s involvement with Habitat for Humanity brought the organization and its mission to Rebecca’s attention while she lived in Weaverville.  She donated to the local HFH affiliate and thought she might apply to begin the process of home ownership.  It was not until she returned to Arizona, where she had lived between ages 8-21, that her journey towards home ownership with HFH began.

Rebecca is an artist whose passion is working creatively with her hands as a quilter and a beader.  Both mediums are challenging to do in the small low-income senior housing unit where she lives in Prescott Valley, AZ.  It was adapted from a standard apartment to be minimally ADA-accessible.  It is difficult for Rebecca to navigate its tight spaces (she broke her leg last year when her wheelchair got stuck making a turn), work at many tasks (such as food preparation, hand washing, etc.) on counter tops that are too high, or reach cabinet shelves that are too high.  The unit is too small to house a service dog, and a beloved service dog was an integral part of Rebecca’s life for many years following the accident.

Rebecca applied for, and was accepted into, PAHH’s home ownership program in 2007.  She has completed her mandatory 250 sweat equity hours by working in the administrative office, the Re-Store, and at special events in the community, and she will complete 50 construction hours working on her own home this spring.

She has waited almost 3 years for a lot assignment while PAHH searched for land to purchase in Prescott Valley.  “I began to feel depressed and to lose faith that I would ever see a home built for me,” she reports.  Then, one day, she knew in her heart that God is in charge of the process, and her faith was renewed.

In 2010, PAHH purchased a lot in Prescott Valley that will meet the criteria of building an ADA-accessible 2-bedroom house in Rebecca’s current neighborhood.  Our 2011 Thrivent Builds award will enable us to build Rebecca’s house to all the appropriate ADA specifications.

From an early age, Rebecca wanted to be a quilter.  “The auto accident and subsequent injuries provided me the opportunity to realize my early dream,” she says.  Approximately 4 years after the accident, she took her first quilting class in Weaverville.  “I became hooked,” she recalls.  “It saved my life.”  Her first sewing machine was purchased for her through a vocational rehabilitation program, and her passion for quilting has been burning brightly ever since.

The improvements that will occur in Rebecca’s life due to Thrivent Financial’s sponsorship of her ADA-accessible house will be many:

• Enormous stress will be removed when she will be able to comfortably and safely move around in her own space;
• a service dog will be able to live with her again;
• friends will be able to visit;
• food will be prepared and cooked safely and with a degree of ease that has not been experienced for many years;
• a garden will be possible; and – most importantly –
• freedom to have a normal and creative life in her own space will be hers at last.

To all those connected with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Rebecca says, “God bless you for thinking about those of us who need your help, energy, support, and skills.  I am heartened that as a Fortune 500 company, Thrivent members and employees have a consciousness that directs financial assistance to help people in need throughout our society.  I am grateful for the services of PAHH and Thrivent Financial on my behalf.  It is an honor and a blessing to receive the gift of my life back and to balance the scales towards success in my life with your help.  Thank you so much.”

The pattern of Rebecca’s most significant quilt, her life, is becoming ever more vibrant and intricate as she moves forward towards home ownership under the auspices of Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.   We are excited to be part of this quilt.

February 18, 2011

Thanks to nearly 450,000 members of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and local Lutheran congregations joining forces with Habitat for Humanity affiliates, Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity has helped more than 2,500 families in the U.S. and around the world to achieve the dream of homeownership.

Thrivent Financial announces ongoing commitment in 2011

Thrivent Financial has announced that it will continue to support Thrivent Builds with a $10.4 million commitment in 2011 – which means its total commitment over six years will surpass $150 million! This generous support will result in the construction of an additional 164 homes in 33 states. Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity has been awarded a capacity building grant for the fifth consecutive year to construct 1 house with Thrivent Builds in Prescott Valley, AZ as part of this 2011 commitment.

From the first nail to the last, building a home through Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity is a profound experience. It’s not just concrete and wood, it’s tears and smiles, born of hard work and faith. It is also the knowledge that lives have been substantively changed for the better, adding to the vitality of our community.

Please join us in our 2011 Thrivent Builds with Prescott Area Habitat program. Call Gail Martin, Prescott Area Habitat Director of Volunteer Services, at 928-445-8003, ext 14, or visit ThriventBuilds.com.

We can help end poverty housing through Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, a multi- million dollar financial, volunteer and advocacy partnership between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity International®.