USA

Hightstown

Working in partnership with the Habitat for Humanity NGO

Habitat for Humanity Millstone Basin serves the New Jersey communities of Cranbury, East Windsor, Hightstown, Plainsboro, Robbinsville and West Windsor as an independent unit of the national organization. Habitat for Humanity Millstone Basin Affiliate is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions.  

HOW IT WORKS

Habitat for Humanity has chosen to create opportunities for all people to live in decent and durable shelter.

Every person has something to contribute and something to gain from creating communities in which all people have comfortable and affordable places to live. The work of Habitat for Humanity transforms lives and promotes positive and lasting social, economic and spiritual change within a community especially in Hightstown; when it is based on mutual trust and fully shared accomplishment; and when it demonstrates responsible stewardship of all resources entrusted to us.

Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat for Humanity in Hightstown will build and rehabilitate simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit, financed with affordable, no-interest loans.

Throughout the world, the cost of houses varies significantly based on local materials and house styles.  Here in New Jersey it costs about $100,000 to build a Habitat house. That amount becomes the mortgage amount charged to the partner family.  Mortgages here are typically 20 to 30 years but are no-interest mortgages, keeping them very affordable for the families. People in need of decent shelter apply to local Habitat affiliates. The affiliate's homeowner selection committee chooses homeowners based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the no-interest loan. 

A decent place to live for 4 families

Somfy employees are commited to Habitat for Humanity in Hightstown

Unfortunately, even in developed countries, there is a housing problem and the differences can be striking. To  be able to help those in need in the local community is a very wonderful opportunity for everybody at Somfy North America.

Hightstown is a small town close to the Somfy North American corporate office in Dayton. Being that one of Somfy’s corporate values is proximity, the Hightstown Habitat for Humanity location is ideal as Somfy employees and the local HFH unit are able to meet often and to share talents and skills.

Somfy North America has already started some actions with Habitat for Humanity Higtstown, assisting them in an early analysis of their marketing actions.The objective is to continue finding Volunteers, Donors and needy families and give more notoriety to this independent HFH unit. Currently there are 3 projects of skills sponsorship:

- Redesign of the Habitat for Humanity website
- Advice and tips given concerning the Facebook page of Habitat Hightstown ;
- Flyers creation in several languages ​​to introduce Habitat for Humanity for immigrants who may need help but do not know it because of the language barrier.

The project will help the community of Hightstown and the surrounding areas. With the help of Somfy USA and Somfy Foundation, Habitat for Humanity will be able to build four houses to help families in need. From our first appointment with HFH MBA team late May, the contact is easily established. We arrived in full launch of the project to build four terraced houses, the building permit had been filed.

Throughout construction, near Somfy and surfaces available in the logistics space will be made available to MBA HFH a room for the storage of materials and supplies for the project or from donations. By coincidence, the ground-breaking ceremony took place on 1 September 2016, the day after the delivery of the check for $ 10,000 Somfy , ceremony in which most employees had answered present.

The action of somfy subsidiary in usa

The SOMFY subsidiary has chosen to commit to HFH MBA with 100% volunteer actions.

COMMITMENT

 SOMFY NORTH AMERICA

“The Somfy North America Business Area in support of the Somfy Foundation is proud to announce that we have joined the local Habitat For Humanity Millstone Basin Affiliate (HFH)  which serves the New Jersey communities in and around Hightstown, NJ, as an independent unit of Habitat for Humanity International.  As President & CEO of Somfy North America, it was important to me that we be able to not only contribute funds to HFH MBA, but to also involve our employees in many of the projects undertaken in our area.  Hightstown, NJ is just a 10 minute drive from our Dayton, NJ Somfy North America Headquaters facility, allowing for convenient participation in the future by Somfy employees interested in volunteering their time to support our charity project.

Founded in Americus, Georgia, USA, in 1976, Habitat for Humanity today operates around the globe and has helped build, renovate and repair hundreds of thousands of decent, affordable houses sheltering millions of people worldwide.  There are more than 2,100 active affiliates in 100 countries, including all 50 states in the US, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.  It is founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a simple, durable place to live in dignity and safety, and that decent shelter in decent communities should be a matter of conscience and action for all.

HFH MBA is starting a new project this summer, building four new homes on two open lots on South Academy Street in Hightstown, NJ.  The project will span about 2 years from start to finish, and will be sold to four partner families at no profit, financed with affordable, no-interest loans.  The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.  Habitat is not a giveaway program.  In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor & sweat equity into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.  During this construction period, Somfy will have the opportunity for its employees to volunteer for various activities, including building, Marketing, Social media, fundraising, and much more.  We are committed to a long term relationship with HFH MBA, providing consistent & sustainable support to ensure for the success of its mission.

I personally look forward to joining Somfy North America's active involvement in supporting HFH MBA in its exciting new building project and related activities in the days & months ahead!”

Michael Lee, CEO at Somfy North America

 

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY MBA

" "A House is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the Soul." Moffitt. 

As a volunteer member and Vice  President of Habitat for Humanity MBA, I believe in Habitat's mission to give someone a hand up, not a handout. Seeing the partner families put in their sweat equity, and connecting with all the volunteers working on their home, is a feeling that cannot be explained but experienced. 

One criteria for building a habitat home is it must have a front porch. The front porch represents community, and it is the sense of community that brings us together for this amazing cause.  We at Habitat MBA are extremely grateful for the Somfy Community.  We are a volunteer only organization. With the help of the Somfy Corporation we can reach out to the community with expertise, build our list of volunteers, assist in the success of building four new homes, and continue to grow as a community of positive action for the good of everyone."  

Ana Roberti, Vice  President of Habitat for Humanity MBA

 

    • Michael Lee

      CEO at Somfy North America

    • Ana Roberti

      Habitat for Humanity MBA