2440 U.S. 98 W
Santa Rosa Beach
Florida 32459
Walton County Habitat for Humanity is an active affiliate of Habitat for Humanity Florida, Inc. We follow the vision and mission of the organization, which is outlined below.
Habitat for Humanity Florida, Inc.
A formal State Support Organization (SSO) of Habitat for Humanity, International
Our Vision: A world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Our Mission Statement: Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
Introduction to Habitat for Humanity of Florida, Inc.
Florida SSO programs and services are designed and developed to meet the expressed needs of affiliates in our state. SSO programs and services are not meant to replace programs and services provided by the U.S. Office, and SSOs complement or supplement U.S. Office and HFHI programs and services through a collaborative effort to serve more families.
The Florida SSO was started in June of 2009 by a group of Florida Affiliates who recognized and expressed the need to form the organization to offer a central place to carry out the variety of functions needed to provide a unified voice, garner statewide attention, solicit group discounts, solicit statewide funding opportunities, advocate for legislative change, facilitate training opportunities and more. Habitat Florida participates in the State Support Organization Alliance, a national organization of Habitat SSOs who meet regularly to share program ideas that will help develop our state’s Habitat affiliates.
Below you will find information on the major focus areas of SSO operations. Each section provides a brief description of the focus area followed by a listing of programs.
As your SSO adds new programs, we will make them available to Florida Affiliates. In the meantime, if you have suggestions please forward to Barbara Inman, Executive Director, at ceo@habitatflorida.org.
Advocacy
Your Florida SSO coordinates advocacy and education on state legislative issues and provides support, training and education for affiliates. We are uniquely positioned to act as a statewide advocate on affordable housing issues. Working within Florida and regional agencies/governments and finance organizations,we advocate and provide information about the need for affordable housing. In addition, Florida’s SSO can articulate the impact Habitat for Humanity has on economic development, community reinvestment and taxes. Florida’s SSO works in partnership with HFHI’s Government Relations and Advocacy Office on federal legislative priorities. Lastly, your SSO has the ability to mobilize our constituent affiliates around national or state issues as well as build relationships with state legislators to further our collective work.
Resource Development Programs
SSOs supplement individual affiliate development activities rather than replace or duplicate affiliate efforts by creating statewide funding programs and partnerships to enhance affiliate operations.
SSOs are uniquely positioned to access statewide resource development opportunities that would not be available to individual affiliates. In some instances, both affiliates and funders see the advantage of having a single entity to coordinate and communicate development activities. One such program now active in Florida is the CCTCP-tax credit program. Under this program, Habitat Florida coordinates the efforts of Habitat affiliates working with corporate donors in applying for the aforementioned tax credits.
Training and Technical Assistance Programs
Florida’s SSO hosts a Statewide Conference occasionally to complement the HFHI training conference held in odd years. Florida has six SSO Districts that meet throughout the year and they also host trainings and workshops at convenient locations around the state throughout the year. Trainings will be held on a regular basis covering topics such as Advocacy, Media Relations, Grant Writing, Leadership, Family Services, Resource Development, and Volunteers.
Disaster Preparedness and Response
Florida’s SSO serves as the state-level contact to interface with relief agencies and to assist affiliates in developing disaster response programs. As the SSO community has grown in numbers and engagement over time there has been a natural evolution in bringing SSOs into a formal support level with HFHI and individual affiliates. Disaster preparedness has been identified as a part of the continuing evolution of the scope of SSOs. Florida’s SSO has an active committee working to provide State-wide Disaster Preparedness and Response Programs.
About Habitat for Humanity International, Habitat for Humanity of Florida, and Habitat Florida affiliates
Habitat for Humanity is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization operated on Christian principles that seeks to put God’s love into action by building homes, communities, and hope. Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally, statewide, and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. Habitat for Humanity was founded on the conviction that every man, woman, and child should have a simple, durable place to live in dignity and safety, and that decent shelter in decent communities should be a matter of conscience and action for all.
All are welcome
Habitat for Humanity of Florida has an open-door policy; all who believe that everyone needs a decent, affordable place to live are welcome to help with the work, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, political views or any of the other distinctions that too often divide people. In short, Habitat welcomes volunteers and supporters from all bacckgrounds and also serves people in need of decent housing regardless of race or religion. As a matter of policy, Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliated organizations do not proselytize. This means that Habitat will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must either adhere to or convert to a particular faith, or listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Founded in Americus, Georgia, USA, in 1976, Habitat for Humanity today operates around the globe and has helped build, renovate, and repair more than 600,000 decent, affordable houses sheltering more than 3 million people worldwide
Habitat for Humanity has a policy of non-proselytizing.
Habitat for Humanity International was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller.
Your local Habitat for Humanity affiliate was formed in 1996.
Habitat for Humanity of Walton County, Fl., Inc. is proud to have the following individuals serve on our Board of Directors:
Executive Board:
Jay Woerner, President
Donald Slappey, Vice President
Ken Bryant, Treasurer
Jane Kerrigan, Secretary
Board Members:
Bill Rennicke
Bryan Osborn
Casey King
Don Cheek
Michael Granberry
Emily Cowen
Janie Riordan
Jennifer Jones
Kim McIntosh
Megan Waldstein
Mendy Gregory
Steven Franco
Tom Baker
Tracy Louthain
Habitat for Humanity Walton County currently has the following Committees in place that help server our Board of Directors and Executive Board:
Events Committee
ReStore Committee
Construction Committee
Family Selection Committee
If you are interested in being part of a committee to serve your local Habitat for Humanity Walton County, please let us know how you would like to lend a hand.
Our success is only possible through the generous support of our partners and sponsors.
A BIG THANK YOU to the following:
Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation
Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, Inc.
Rex Lumber
The Alys Beach Foundation
Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc.
Rosemary beach Merchants Association
Centercore Destin Market, LLC
Specialty Roofing Incorporated
Coastal Cabinets
Anderson Engineering
Hand Arendall Harrison Sale LLC
Watersound Closings & Escrow, LLC
Carter & Company
Destin Flooring
United Way
Vulcan
California Closets
Board of County Commissioners (Walton County)
Wells Family
Master Gardeners
A Simple Faith Church
Resurrection Catholic Church
Emerald Cup Golf Tournament
Ms. Marilyn Levesque
Green Thumb Garden Club, Inc.
BancorpSouth Foundation
Ms. Karen Daniels
Mr. Ken Fellows
Good News United Methodist Church
Mr. Paul Swan
The Ecumenical Choir of Walton County
Clay 30A
Archer Construction
VACASA
Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation
The Merchants of Rosemary Beach
The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa
Sandestin Ladies Golf Association
United Community Bank
Community Bank
Watersound Closings & Escrow
Scenic Sotheby's International
Renovation Flooring