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Habitat for Humanity campaign reaching out to women

Fundraising campaign seeking 100 women to donate $1,000 each to help fund a new home for a single mom and her children.

Habitat for Humanity Victoria launched an innovative fundraising campaign last week seeking 100 women to donate $1,000 each to help fund a new home for a single mom and her children.

Called $100k in 100 Days, the campaign runs to May 14.

The campaign will help a single mom of two young boys. Despite having a good job in health care, the woman has had to uproot her family 10 times over the past decade because of unfit living conditions and increasingly unaffordable rents – at times spending upwards of 70 per cent of her income on housing.

When the woman learned that she had been accepted into Habitat Victoria’s Homeownership program, she was over the moon

The woman quickly set about working on her sweat equity contribution to the program by helping out on the work site, in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and at events on her days off. She plans to continue volunteering with Habitat for the long term to help other families in similar circumstances.

Campaign chair Sybil Verch knows from her experience mentoring women in financial planning how challenging it can be for a single mother to provide a safe and decent home for her children and have something left over for food, clothing and her children’s future.

“I want women to feel empowered and in control of their finances,” says Verch. “Rather than handouts, I love helping people help themselves. The impact is more profound and lasts indefinitely.”

Greater Victoria has one of the most expensive residential markets in the country.

Once her home is complete, the woman will purchase it through a no-interest mortgage and begin to build equity in her home. Habitat families make mortgage payments that are set at 25 to 30 per cent of their household income and adjusted annually. Payments go into a revolving fund called the Fund for Humanity, and are then used to help build homes for other families in need.

To be one of the 100 Women, please go online to habitatvictoria.com/100 or call 250-480-7688 (Ext. 105).