Renee Rivera fundraising for Portugal - '19 Rodrigo Team
Renee Rivera
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From Renee Rivera
For years I have dreamed of working with Habitat to assist other people with building safe housing for their family. Please help me to support this worthy cause by donating today.
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About Me
I have been an active volunteer reaching out to my local community by working with families to find clothing, food, and other basic resources for those in need. Much of this work has been done while working as a teacher at elementary schools over the past 20 years and donating my time to local civic and church organizations. I have participated in Mud Runs and Cancer Walks, worked in soup kitchens and food co-ops, organized yard sales, and made quilts for teens with cancer to name a few. Those of you who know me well understand my love of construction, my passion for helping others, and my dream of traveling and experiencing other cultures. This year, I have the opportunity to consolidate my passions and dreams into one single event by by traveling to Portugal to help construct a home for a family in need. I have been blessed in this life with an amazing collection of family and friends who also actively, lovingly, and willingly reach out to support others in need.
More Info
Housing is a major concern of poor Portuguese families, who often live in dilapidated homes in rural areas or shacks in the big cities. Successive governments have liberalized key areas of the economy over the past 20 years after decades of military dictatorship, but economic growth has been slowing since 2001. The recent financial crisis left many people without jobs or savings to improve housing conditions.
At the same time, the need for housing is growing, especially in urban areas. The state cannot support the development of new social housing units. And Portugal has been a destination for emigrants since the late 1970s, when people from former African colonies and Brazil began arriving. More recently, in the 1990s, emigrants from the Soviet Union found refuge there.
Habitat for Humanity helps low-income families in Portugal by building new homes on family-owned land and by renovating houses in the towns of Braga and Amarante. Homes are made of traditional local materials: bricks, red roof tiles, shutters on the windows, and ceramic tiles inside. Recently, the Habitat Portugal has been looking for local opportunities to raise funds to build more simple and decent homes.
Global Village is Habitat for Humanity’s international volunteer program. Teams travel to over 40 countries to work alongside communities, build housing solutions, and experience local culture. Our goal is to change the lives of the people we serve, as well as the lives of the volunteers.
To join a team or learn more, visit www.habitat.org/gv.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.
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