Sunday, October 19th was St. Luke’s Day, the annual celebration of the church’s patron saint, and Bishop Geralyn Wolf conducted the service at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, East Greenwich. It was also a significant moment in the continued outreach and support given by St. Luke’s to Habitat for Humanity of West Bay and Northern Rhode Island as Ken MacDonald, Sr. Warden of the church, presented a check for $20,000 to Evan McCarthy, President of Habitat West Bay.
    
The check was presented as part of the church’s larger outreach program. Ken said that “the Vestry, together with the Stewardship and Finance committees, recognized that many in the congregation want to make a difference, not just within the walls of St. Luke’s, but in the community beyond.”

Through donations of time, volunteer help, and tax-deductible donations of money and building materials,
Habitat of West Bay and Northern RI builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit, financed with affordable, no-interest loans. The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are recycled into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more houses.

Whether in the U.S. or overseas, families in need apply to their local Habitat affiliate. The affiliate's family selection committee considers applicants' level of need, their willingness to become partners in the Habitat program and their ability to repay the no-interest loan. Every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing Habitat homeowner families.

If your family, or a family you know, is in need of decent, affordable housing, please check our Home Ownership page where you will find information on the requirements for Habitat houses in our area, as well as information on the application process.

Habitat for Humanity International was founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller as a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people from all faiths and walks of life to work together in partnership, building houses with families in need.

Habitat is a worldwide movement with more than 2,100 active affiliates in 100 countries, including all 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Concerned citizens from all walks of life come together as volunteers to form a Habitat affiliate in their community. Fundraising, house construction, family selection and other key decisions are carried out by the local affiliates. HFHI headquarters, located in Americus, Ga., provides information, training, support and other services to Habitat affiliates worldwide.

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