Release No. 01062005

Date: January 6, 2005                                                              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Romey Brooks, Public Relations
             Dee Danmeyer, Executive Director
             Habitat for Humanity of Frederick County, MD
             4 East Church Street
             Frederick, MD 21701

Phone: 301/846-0430 (Brooks) or 301/698-2449 (Habitat)
Fax: 301/846-9991 (Brooks) or 301/698-1697 (Habitat)
Email: romey.brooks@adelphia.net or director@frederickhabitat.org

Habitat for Humanity Receives $32,000 Grant

Habitat Board President Billy Shreve announced that the Marion I. and Henry J. Knott Foundation has awarded the Frederick chapter a $32,000 grant to hire a full-time person to manage day-to-day office business. The Foundation is a Roman Catholic family foundation committed to honoring the founders' legacy of generosity to strengthen the community. Working as a family, the Foundation seeks to understand and respond to the needs of the community through grant-making while respecting the values of the Catholic Church.

In requesting the grant, President Shreve had told the foundation that this new position “will free our executive director to pursue tasks like strengthening alliances in the community, expanding our volunteer base, obtaining land on which to build, overseeing building projects and fundraising.”

The new hire will be only the second paid, full-time person on the Habitat staff. So far, Executive Director Dee Danmeyer has been the sole paid employee. Volunteers make up the board of directors and serve as personnel for all affiliate projects. Because of recent organizational growth, the board of directors had urged applying for funds to staff the new office manager position to allow the director to devote more attention to other more critical tasks.

In late 2004 Habitat dedicated three homes in Brunswick, Walkersville and Frederick. Dozens of local churches and businesses were involved in the three projects. Following its custom, Habitat purchased and developed the lots on which the participating groups built. To date Habitat has built 22 homes in the county since 1995.

Habitat, the United Methodist community of Frederick County and Mount Saint Mary’s University are teaming up to build a 23rd home in Emmitsburg this year. Planning has been under way for some time with groundbreaking tentatively scheduled for late February and construction due to start in March. Habitat has selected Ms. Sara Lee and her four sons to be the partner family.

The churches and the university are planning various late-winter and early-spring fund-raising activities. To date, approximately $ 9,000 has been raised to help defray costs of the various permits and pay fees required by Frederick County and Emmitsburg. Steering Committee Co-chair Larry Snody estimates another $ 86,000 in funds, materials or services will be needed for completion of the new home. “Based on our recent success in Brunswick, I am confident we can do it again,” he said.

Habitat is conducting its annual giving campaign through February 2. Persons interested in donating to the Emmitsburg project can do so on line (www.frederickhabitat.org) or by mail (Habitat for Humanity, 4 East Church St., Frederick, 21701).

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