Who We Are

Quick Links

About Us

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.

 

History

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 has built 60+ houses year-to-date and is in the process of completing more. Stay tuned on upcoming builds, including 12 homes planned for Hope Village in Mossy Head. Houses 64, 65, and 66 are currently under construction!

 

Directors

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

Committees

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.

 

Sponsors & Supporters

Our success is only possible through the generous support of our partners and sponsors.

A BIG THANK YOU to the following:

Non-Profit Partners

United Way Emerald Coast

 

Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation

 

Home Build Sponsors: 

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

 

Women Build Sponsors:

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

@2019 Habitat for Humanity Walton
County Florida. All Rights Reserved.
Equal Housing Opportunity
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram