March 2019 | 75
Tell us about your involvement with Habitat for Humanity of
Walton County.
Ten years ago I was asked to join the Habitat for Humanity
Board. I served on the board for two years and had the position
of treasurer before accepting the job as the Executive Director in
January 2011.
What is the most rewarding part of your involvement with
the organization?
Everyone always teases me about how emotional I get when
we finish a home and celebrate our new homeowners. However,
it’s hard not to get emotional when you see families in our
community work so hard to achieve a dream and then see it come
to fruition. You spend a lot of time with the families while they
are putting in “sweat equity” on their home that you can’t help
but become invested. I truly mean it when I say that my heart
and family gets bigger with every house that we build.
Since our homeowners are local families that live and work right
here in our area, I see many of them out in my everyday life. My
child plays soccer against their children. I run into them grocery
shopping, at the playground, or at local events. You wouldn’t
believe how many current Habitat families continue to attend our
Habitat events and volunteer with us. It fills me with a sense of
pride as we watch homeowners get promoted, kids make sports
teams, be the first ones to attend college in their families, and
many other milestones.
What are some ways that the organization fundraises? What
is ReStore?
Many people think that we receive funding from Habitat for
Humanity International, but the truth is all of our money is
raised locally. We wouldn’t be successful in building affordable
housing without our community partners and volunteers. Many
businesses sponsor our Habitat homes by providing materials or
labor, which avoids having to fundraise to pay for those services.
We have also been blessed to be a part of many local events like
the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, Rosemary Beach
Bocce Ball Tournament, Rosemary Uncorked, and the Market
Shops Bloody Mary Festival.
Many people may be surprised to learn but our largest
donor is our Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Our ReStore is
a building supply resale store located in Santa Rosa Beach. It
accepts donations of new and gently used building materials and
household furnishings. In turn we are able to provide these items
back to the community at a reduced cost. This process helps
keep useable material and furnishings out of the landfill, along
with funding our daily operations and build program. Since
our ReStore pays for all of our operational costs, every dollar
donated to our affiliate goes directly to building houses and not to
overhead. Not a lot of nonprofit organizations can say that.
In 2018 our Habitat ReStore, located in Santa Rosa Beach,
served more families than ever before.
Are there any upcoming events?
We have two Women Build Days scheduled for March 6 and
April 6, along with celebrating International Women’s Day by
having our Annual Hard Hats and High Heels Luncheon on
March 8. There are also weekly volunteer opportunities at our
Habitat homes, the ReStore and in our administrative office.
What is one thing you want readers to know about Habitat
for Humanity – Walton County?
Our homeowners typically pay 46% less per month for their
mortgage than they were previously paying in rent. That is
with monthly escrow payments built in for annual property
tax payments and homeowners insurance premiums.
How can a person or business become involved or help with
Habitat for Humanity Walton County?
There are several ways that you can support us. You can donate
directly to our organization or ReStore, volunteer your time, or
sponsor upcoming events. To become involved or donate, please
phone 850-660-1681 or email admin@waltoncountyhabitat.org.
Interview with Teresa Imdieke
Habitat for Humanity of Walton County
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