Habitat chapter dissolves, new group forms

By: 
Stephanie Taylor Ferriell, Print Editor

Habitat for Humanity Washington County has dissolved, but another organization has formed. Washington County Helping Hands, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit Christian organization whose mission is “to give a helping hand to those in need while putting God’s love into action by repairing homes and people’s lives as Jesus adds hope, love and joy back into our communities,” said Tracey England, president of the Helping Hands board of directors.

England said Washington County dissolved its affiliation with Habitat in May. He said the current board agrees the greater need locally is home repair, not new home construction. The local Habitat affiliate formed 15 years ago and orchestrated construction of three homes.

England said the dissolution decision wasn’t made lightly.

“After many hours of meeting and research, the board determined that building homes in Washington County is just not the answer to solving our housing issues at this time,” he said. “We have found that the number of housing repairs needed outweigh the need for new homes.”

England said the change took quite a bit of time and effort. He credited attorney David Allen and Angie Wilson, a paralegal at the Allen Law Firm, for their assistance. “We thank David Allen and Angie Wilson for their dedication to our organization and providing us with transfers of property and all legal matters free of charge.”

Helping Hands will assist low-income, elderly and disabled families in repairing or rehabilitating their homes, providing a more secure and safe place to live. “We believe that these actions will help the betterment of our community,” England said.

See the full story, and how you can get involved, in The Salem Leader, on newsstands this evening.

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