I hope everyone is enjoying their summer in the Okanagan and enjoying the great outdoors. Let’s hope the occasional rainfall helps to keep the fires away this year.
Lots of great news to share in this update!
Let’s start with the 50/50 results. Both draws did amazingly well again! The ReStore 50/50 lottery was a sell-out for the 3rd time running, with the winner taking home $ 7,500! The You Win We Build lottery broke our previous July draw record, reaching a whopping $169,800, and both local winners were delighted to say the least.
We have already started selling tickets for the next draws and are looking forward to sharing more funds. Thank you to everyone who purchases tickets and to our community partners who allow Habitat to attend their events; it makes a big difference to our mission.
A couple of weeks ago, I was very honoured to be invited to the grand opening of the Lavida Apartments in Kelowna, built by Traine Construction and managed by Mainline Living. It was especially lovely for me to be invited, as it gave me the opportunity to reunite with some of the staff that I once shared office space with during my five years as the manager of operations. Traine is one of our most treasured donors and supports Habitat Okanagan in many ways. To mark the occasion, they donated $19,000 and with contributions from their trades and suppliers involved with the project, we received donations totaling $30,000. Thank you to everyone who made this a memorable day!
In the coming weeks, we look forward to welcoming a new family into our homeownership program through our buy-back process. This home was previously occupied, and thanks to the support of our program, the former homeowner was able to transition to a market-based property with a commercial mortgage after just nine years. It’s a powerful example of our model at work: while we celebrate one family’s successful transition, we are delighted to begin this journey anew with another deserving family.
At a time when affordability is in short supply, the ReStores are there to help you make your dollars go further. Whether it’s housewares, furniture, building materials, or art, they are stacked full of products that are budget-friendly and sometimes brand new. Check out your local store before shopping elsewhere; you’re sure to find it and much more at a fraction of the cost.
We recently became a beneficiary of a significant donation, which really put a smile on our faces. We can’t thank the very kind donor enough for their consideration, support and recognition of the work we are doing in the community. This is one of the many ways you can donate and help give families hope for a better future. If you would like to make a difference, please refer to our website for details on how you can support us.
Enjoy your August, folks, fall will be here before we know it!
Andrea Manifold
CEO Habitat Okanagan
