Embassy Events 2003

Embassy Staff Build Bridges by Building Homes for Habitat for Humanity

Jozefoslaw, Poland
7 June 2003

Employees and family members from the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw engaged in constructive -- or rather, construction diplomacy on June 7 in Warsaw. More than a dozen members of the U.S. mission volunteered their time to help Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) build six apartments for low-income Polish residents.

HFHI began building its first homes for families in Warsaw in May. Founded in the U.S. in 1976. HFHI is an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing simple, decent, and affordable housing to people in need. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, HFHI builds and rehabilitates houses with help from the families who will own them. The owners are selected from among many Polish families in need of housing in the Warsaw area. The houses are sold to them at no profit, financed with affordable, no-interest loans.

The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more HFHI houses. In addition to a down payment and mortage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor -- sweat equity -- into building their house and the houses of others. Over the past 27 years, HFHI has constructed over 125,000 homes worldwide providing homes to more than 625,000 people.

In the inaugural effort in Warsaw, Embassy volunteers worked side-by-side with the new owners, learning construction techniques on the job. Some of the tasks completed included preparing and laying concrete flooring, building exterior brick walls and cutting insulation. Through their work, the volunteers helped build not only six houses, but futures for six families.

 

U.S. Embassy volunteers help install flooring in one of the homes	More than a dozen Embassy staff volunteered their time and energy
A prayer circle at the construction site	Embassy staff worked on six homes during "American Building Day" on June 7
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