,Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a very enjoyable time over the festive season. My Christmas vacation in the sunshine was very enjoyable and special as I was able to share it with some family members.
Receiving the news, while basking on a beach, that our 50/50 raffle had reached an astonishing total of $263,950 took my breath away, I just had to celebrate with a pina colada! What an amazing record breaking jackpot. We have placed a lot of focus on this raffle, attending many community events to raise awareness and boy did it pay off. Combined with our July raffle the total for 2025 was a staggering $433,750, an amazing achievement for the Habitat team. Congratulations to our winner Sharon.
Another happy winner received $7,500 in our ReStore 50/50 draw, not a bad investment for a $3 ticket. This raffle sold out early every quarter in 2025 and we hope to continue the trend this year.
A big thank you to the many ticket buyers that support our mission this way. We’ve now set the bar for 2026!
The ReStores had a slightly better year than we expected and we hope this continues. We rely on donations and are grateful for the community who take advantage of the service. This is the time for decluttering and Habitat Okanagan is unique as we have lots of capacity that allows us to take furniture, appliances and building materials as well as other household items.
As I reflect on 2025, I’m reminded of the teams’ achievements specific to our mission, three new families got to celebrate their first Christmas in Habitat homes, four families went onto mortgages, a family that were financially stable enough exited the program. This is why we work so hard to make a positive impact on families struggling to afford an affordable home.
Thank you to the staff, volunteers and donors that contributed to Habitat Okanagan’s 2025 success.
Andrea Manifold
CEO Habitat Okanagan
