2002

October 12, 2002: Hemet: Eunicia Reburiano, Danh Chi, Dominic Nahas, and Luis Paniagua

October 19, 2002: Hemet: Eunicia Reburiano, Dan, Chi, Dominic Nahas and Luis Paniagua

May 28, 2003: Raise A Roof at Tremors

Habitat Awareness:

November 9, 2002: Occidental College; Eunicia Reburiano and Dominic Nahas

May 3, 2003: Teen Expo: Mike Sugar and Moni Bhattacharya

Affiliates Events:

June 2, 2003: A program to recognize Habitat for Humanity at UCR and other outstanding

Habitat for Humanity Recognition Award 2002-2003:

Habitat for Humanity at UC Riverside proudly presents a recognition award plaque to our volunteers and sponsors:

Volunteers:

Alpha Phi Omega, Beta Phi Delta, Delta Tau Delta, Omega Zeta Chi

1994: Former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp helps at fastest house build in America: 5 hours, 57 minutes, and 13 seconds, in Pensacola, Florida.

1988: HFHI celebrates its 12^th anniversary with the Walk from Portland, Maine, to Atlanta, Georgia (1200 miles).

1986: HFHI celebrates its 10^th anniversary with its Walk from Americus, Georgia, to Kansas City, Missouri (1000 miles).

1984: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, became Habitat partners and began the first Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP) in New York City.

1983: HFHI celebrates its 7^th anniversary with the Walk from Americus, Georgia, to Indianapolis, Indiana (700 miles).

1976: Habitat for Humanity International is founded in a chicken barn at Koinonia Farm by Millard Fuller along with his wife, Linda, and a small group of friends.

Reflections on 2001-2002

I thank you for putting your time, your effort, and your heart into Habitat, especially in context of our hectic academic and social lives. No matter how small your job was, may it be hammering a nail, cleaning the bathroom, putting up a flyer, or telling a friend about our fundraisers, they all amount to helping a family build a home. Just reflect on how you have helped three families with their homes: one in Redlands, another in Colton, and finally in Hemet.

Mother Theresa once said: "We can't do great things, but we can do small things with great love."

I had been fortunate to have been with Habitat for four years. There had been a lot of firsts for us:

first website (actually we have 2)

first to provide shirts for our members

first to establish an account with ASUCR

first to have business sponsors (in fact we have 8: Coco's, Shakey's, Ben & Jerry's, Juice It Up, Krispy Kreme, Sub Station, KGGI 99.1-FM & Archetype)

first to have numerous fundraising events

first to have our fundraisers broadcasted on radio

first to have committees

Because of all these firsts, it had been difficult for our chapter to find its momentum, equilibrium, and organization. However, just like anything else, it was a working progress. Because of all the mistakes and successes we made this year, I see great prospects for the following years.

Sometimes, with all these events and fundraisers, it is easy to lose sight of what Habitat is about. Be proud of being a part of something so simple, ingenious, and revolutionary that allows us to help each other with our own hands and feet. Imagine helping out a friend and multiply that by a 100-fold because your effort will not only help that one family but also generations thereafter. Not only does Habitat provide a home, it also gives the families a sense self-worth and a sense of accomplishment after building their own house.

There always has been a controversy concerning federal welfare, which is stigmatized as "hand-me-downs" because people could easily depend on it. It is said that it could even worsen their socioeconomic status. Habitat has provided an alternative solution to decrease the socioeconomic gap by endorsing the idea of a mutual aid society, in which community members support each other socially and financially. It allowed welfare to be taken into the hands of the community (your own neighbors!), instead of the (faceless and impersonal) federal government.

Being with Habitat is helping ourselves build the sort of community and society we and our kids would want to live in. In a world where individualism is rewarded and celebrated, our need for a community, or simply a group of people who cares for us, is often neglected.

Again, thank you for being a part of something so good. I had been blessed to have met, worked with, and known you all, who care so much for each other, for others, and for our future that you were willing to contribute to Habitat's cause.

So...please support Habitat wherever you will be, and may Habitat be close to your heart as it is to mine.

Sheryl Militar