Rotary gives lift to latest Habitat for Humanity project

Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington’s plans to break ground on its newest structure this year were boosted by a $11,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora.

The project will bring 32 new units with a mix of affordable and accessible housing to Garafraxa St. W, Fergus.

“This donation represents the efforts and dedication of so many Rotary members, past and present,” said Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora President Leanne Iravani in a press release. “At Rotary, we understand and believe in the value of affordable housing to our community—to our neighbors, families, and businesses. We are all stronger when we create opportunities like this for people in our community.”

Habitat for Humanity GW uses many different tools to provide security, stability and affordable housing for its partner families – all of whom depend on each other to be successful. Some of these include community-level fundraisers from groups like the Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora, housing construction, family finance, ReStore operations, and community and corporate partnerships, the press release added.

“We build safe and decent housing that local families can afford, but it’s more than that,” said Ryan Deska, director of community engagement and development at Habitat for Humanity. “By creating a way for families to own their homes, we provide a platform for people to invest in their community and make a meaningful contribution. Homeownership also offers families the opportunity to build wealth through equity and appreciation, creating security in housing today and for future generations.”

With over 70 new homes to be built over the next three years, Habitat for Humanity GW is seeking community support more than ever.

“It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a community to build a house,” Deska said. “It doesn’t take much if we all work together in Guelph and Wellington County. If 100 businesses, clubs, neighborhood groups, schools, friends and families all bought a Habitat Build Day (for $5,000), we could fully fund the cost of one unit. If we all continue like this and work together year after year, we would meet our fundraising goals and expand our impact to help more families in need later.”