Opinion: One corner of the earth at a time
By STEVE BOCZENOWSKI
Think globally, act locally. That phrase, a bumper sticker favorite of mine, squeezes a lot of wisdom into four words. If I improve my little corner of the earth, and if enough other people improve theirs, the world will be a significantly better place.
Substandard housing is one of today’s greatest problems. People worldwide lack safe, decent, affordable housing, thirty million households in the U.S. alone. And as the number of poor families grows, the number of affordable rental units is shrinking. Most families who qualify for government housing assistance receive none.
Anecdotes tell the story better than statistics. A struggling family of four in this region found themselves in difficult circumstances a few years ago. The family was living in an unsafe, dilapidated 3 story building. The top two floors were uninhabitable. The struggling parents tried to improve their living conditions with their own funds, but leaking water, lead paint, ill-fitting windows, rodents, and mold created an intolerable situation. The family thought they might never escape their dire circumstances.
Then they found Habitat for Humanity, an international, ecumenical organization formed to end the problem of substandard housing worldwide. It solicits cash, volunteers, and material donations to build a home for a designated family in need. The family is required to spend hundreds of hours helping to build their new home. The completed home is sold at no profit to the family, and Habitat provides a no-interest loan. As the family makes their monthly mortgage payments to Habitat, the funds are recycled to build more homes.
Habitat for Humanity’s worldwide offices, allow us to think globally but to build homes locally. Habitat has affiliates in more than 100 countries, 17 of them right here in Massachusetts. Your local Habitat affiliate, Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts, was founded in Fitchburg in 1988 and is in the midst of a building surge; HFHNCM has built seven houses in the past four years, with two more under construction. There are plans to start three more in the spring.
Supporting your local Habitat affiliate, either with your time or donations, is a way to act locally. Each time HFHNCM completes a home in its local area, it funds one international Habitat house. Your local actions directly address the global problem of substandard housing.
We at HFHNCM are grateful for the generous contributions that have allowed us to increase our building rate over the past four years. Each home we build represents an opportunity to partner with two deserving families – one locally and one internationally. With your help, we can continue this important mission.
Today the young family of four has comfortably settled into a modest, but cozy, 3 bedroom home.
Steve Boczenowski is the President of the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts. Please consider the local act of making a cash donation to Habitat. Please send your check to Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts; One Oak Hill Road; Fitchburg, MA 01420.
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