Must be a current Shawnee resident.

Need: based on current financial and housing situation.

Ability to Pay: family must demonstrate ability to pay for the house, including a low down payment, closing costs, and no-profit, zero interest mortgage payments.

Partnership Commitment: must agree to complete

350/400 hours of “sweat equity,” including

construction and other work on, or in support of, Habitat homes.

HfH Office at University Baptist Church

Since Habitat for Humanity of Shawnee began, University Baptist Church has served as its official address and provided daytime reception services. UBC continues to serve in this capacity. In June 2003, Habitat requested use of a separate office at the church and expanded use of office equipment, for which the affiliate pays a nominal fee. In addition, the UBC secretary is the Habitat Administrative Assistant. Though the Habitat office is located at University Baptist, it is a separate nonprofit organization from UBC.

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of the United States policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, financial status, or national origin.

Habitat for Humanity of Shawnee

Phone: 405-214-0434

Fax: 405-275-1995

Web Site: www.shawneehabitat.org

E-mail: office@shawneehabitate.org

2515 N. Kickapoo

Shawnee, OK 74804

Office located at University Baptist Church

Habitat for Humanity of Shawnee History by Pat Terry

History. HFHS was organized under the leadership of Dr. Rick McClatchy, then pastor of University Baptist Church, in the summer of 1994. The group incorporated, elected a Board of Directors and was granted Affiliate status on June 1, 1995 with HFH International.

Prior to receiving Affiliate status, volunteers painted five houses for Shawnee citizens and repaired a number of others. Once approved as an Affiliate, fund raising and construction planning began in earnest. The first project was an existing house that had to be completely gutted before reconstruction began.

Since then, all houses have been new construction. A total of ten homes have been provided for partner families. In addition, Habitat volunteers during summer 1998 worked with the Shawnee Community Development office and painted ten homes.

One of the early homes built was in honor of the father of Wade Hayes, country music entertainer from Bethel. Hayes, Wal-Mart and Sony, Inc. provided $40,000 for its construction and Hayes came to Shawnee for its dedication. Habitat received wide public recognition as a result of this gift and a concert given by Hayes at the Shawnee Expo Center.

In 1999 another house was funded by a gift from John and Gloria Slavens. The W. P. Wood Trust, a local organization, also made a major gift to HFHS during its early years. White Lumber Company has donated numerous materials and sells additional materials to Habitat at cost.

The annual Fiesta Dinner was begun in March 1997 to raise funds and publicize the work of Habitat. Other donations have come from Shawnee individuals, churches and businesses.

Moving forward. An eleventh partner family has been selected. The family has over 100 hours of sweat equity completed and construction of their home will begin soon. Two additional building sites have been given, and the Family Selection Committee has approved the twelfth family.

History of Habitat for Humanity

The concept that grew into Habitat for Humanity was born at Koinonia Farm, a small, interracial, Christian farming community founded in 1942 outside of Americus, Ga., by farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan. Millard and Linda Fuller first visited Koinonia in 1965, having recently left a successful business in Montgomery and all the trappings of an affluent lifestyle to begin a new life of Christian service. At Koinonia, Jordan and Fuller developed the concept of “partnership housing,” where those in need of adequate shelter would work side by side with volunteers to build simple, decent houses.

The houses would be built with no profit added and no interest charged. Building would be financed by a revolving Fund for Humanity. The fund’s money would come from the new homeowners’ house payments, donations and no-interest loans provided by supporters and money earned by fund-raising activities. The money in the Fund for Humanity would be used to build more houses.

In 1968, Koinonia laid out 42 half-acre house sites with four acres reserved as a community park and recreational area. Capital was donated from around the country to start the work. Homes were built and sold to families in need at no profit and no interest. The basic model of Habitat for Humanity was begun.

In September, 1976, the Fullers called together a group of supporters to discuss the future of their dream. Habitat for Humanity International was born at this meeting. The eight years that followed, vividly described in Millard Fuller’s book Love in the Mortar Joints, proved that the vision of a housing ministry was workable.

In 1984, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn took their first Habitat work trip, the Jimmy Carter Work Project, to New York City. Their personal involvement in Habitat’s ministry brought the organization national visibility and sparked interest in Habitat’s work across the nation.

Through the work of Habitat, thousands of low-income people have found new hope in the form of affordable housing. Churches, community groups, and others have joined together to successfully tackle a significant social problem--decent housing for all.

Today, Habitat for Humanity has built over 300,000 houses, sheltering more than 1.5 million people in more than 3,000 communities worldwide.