BERTHOUD HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
NOTES & HISTORY

Picture, if you will, a seed that started many years ago (1965) in one couple’s mind (Millard & Linda Fuller in Americus, Georgia) to the spreading of that dream into the building of more than 200,000 houses sheltering more than 1 million people in 3,000 communities worldwide to the falling of that seed along the way in one of our church’s Sunday School classes to the planting of that seed within the will of each and every one of our volunteers and donors, this is our history:

1996 – The seed falls on a SS Class: Peter Bridgman, who participated in a one-week house-build in Loveland, is given the spark by a friend who happens to be a Lutheran Pastor and who started the Loveland Habitat chapter.  Peter then challenges his SS class to “put our faith into action.”  It’s easy to talk about faith in class, but how does one make it show?  I didn’t know the difference between a framing hammer and a finishing hammer.  Peter had a big hammer but no real knowledge of construction.  He and I brought the concept to the congregation.  Stu Boyd suggested Tom Patterson from the Presbyterian church and spoke with him.  Tom, Rick and Peter talked and recruited Thomas Jones.  Then the Baptist church minister, Ron Rice, was brought in.  With the help of Habitat’s Denver Regional office the spark continued to grow.

1996 Sept 21 – Gary Maggi, Trudi Hershman, Tom Patterson, Peter Bridgman, Jordan Bebo, Karen Shutt, Ron Rice, Cecilia Bessette, Dick Smeeding, Nora Voytko, Helen Fickle and Ricardo Haskins.  Our very first meeting for the community at the Baptist Church (4th and Bunyan) where several people attended and divided themselves by their interests into 4 committees: Construction, Land Acquisition, Family Selection and Fundraising.
1997 – Started the formal application process with HfHI.  October – Did work on “Chente Bustos House Project” renovating roof and doing some minor renovation inside the house.  The house has since been demolished.
1998 – Purchase of 5 ½ acres of property on North 4th St. thanks to the donation of Doc and Helen Fickle. Thomas Jones saw the land was for sale, went to the company selling it and secured it with his personal credit card which had a $1,000 limit.  He had no idea how we’d purchase it but knew it was what we needed.  Helen, upon finding out, said, “We’re going to do it, Doc” and each donated ½ of the funds needed for the purchase.  That was Helen’s way: quiet, attracting no attention, but firm and giving.  Thus, the access road that will be behind all the BH homes will be called “Helen’s Way.”– Donation also of Yellow House by the then Berthoud National Bank (Centennial and not Guaranty)
1999 – Engineering work on property.  Work on Yellow House throughout the year.
2000 – Yellow House finished and sold to obtain seed money for our first build.  March 2000 Berthoud Habitat is approved as an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, after more than   2 ½ years of processing.  Begin process of asking the Town of Berthoud to approve incorporation and sub-division of 4th St. Property.
2001 – Jan 1st Annual Mtg to begin Fam. Selection Process.  Selection of Almeida family for 1st Home.  Ground-breaking in September.
2002 – Work focused completely on the Almeida house.
2003 – July Home finished and Almeidas move in, 23 months after house was started.
2004 – Focus on Sub-Division process with town.  Nov: Thrift Store becomes a concept for discussion.
2005 Jan – Town approves Sub-Division, after BHfH spent more than four years of meeting demand after demand and more than $30,000 in engineering fees + July: Thrift Store opens formally + August: Almeidas close on their home

2007 March – Beginning of Second Home

2009 February – Completion of Second Home

OTHER

The Mission Statement of Habitat for Humanity, which the Berthoud affiliate enjoins, notes, “Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with God and people everywhere, from all walks of life, to develop communities with people in need by building . . . . houses, so that there are decent houses in decent communities in which every person can experience God’s love and can live and grow into all that God intends.”

The intent of Berthoud Habitat for Humanity (BHFH) is to build affordable homes for families who live in the Berthoud and Campion areas.

WHAT IS HABITAT INTERNATIONAL?                WHAT IS BERTHOUD HABITAT?

Berthoud Habitat for Humanity - 970-532-2870
P.O. Box 1227 Berthoud, Colorado 80513