UMES STAFF MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN HABITAT FOR HUMANITY MAGGIE HAYON 08/17/09 Grassroots movement provides housing for those in need SALISBURY, Md. - Four University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics employees participated in building the #53 house with Habitat for Humanity in Wicomico County on Saturday, August 8. Marcellus Connor (Residence Life/Operations), Neema Connor (Director of Compliance), Danita Townsend (Assistant Athletic Director of Academics and Student- Athlete Development) and ReVonda Whitley (Women's Basketball Associate Head Coach) were on hand during the first week that volunteers were allowed to participate. The home is the first to be built for a couple that is both blind and deaf. "We had an amazing bonding experience, one I will not soon forget," remarked Townsend. Founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, Christian housing ministry that is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and works to make ownership of decent, affordable homes a matter of conscience and action. Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County was founded in 1987 by local residents Alice and Wally Howard, Jim Leonard and Duke Shannahan. Since then, our affiliate has built 50 homes locally and financed the building of 55 homes in Ghana West Africa through Habitat International's global building program. The homes are products of volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials. Habitat builds and revitalizes houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. They are then sold to partner families at no profit, financed with affordable, no- interest loans. The monthly mortgage payments come back to the affiliate to help build more homes for more families. The organization is a worldwide, grass-roots movement. There are 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. Use the Habitat for Humanity International affiliate search to find Habitat affiliates in other areas. Whether in the U.S. or overseas, families in need apply to local Habitat affiliates. 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. Concerned citizens from all walks of life come together as volunteers to form a Habitat affiliate in their community. Fundraising, home 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.