FeedsA helping hand-up, not a hand-out
I’ve attended plenty of ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings, but none like the one I went to last Thursday.
It was in Westland, the dedication of a new Habitat for Humanity home off Newburgh Road.
It had the usual components: speeches from city dignitaries and organization board members. Regional politicians were on hand, mugging for the camera and waving in recognition. Certificates were exchanged-as were hugs-and there were plenty of smiles and handshakes.
There was also singing and prayer, plenty of prayer. All in all, it was a feel good event, the kind of thing we need to hear more about.
I have a healthy respect for the Habitat for Humanity organization. It is one that seeks to help out in the right way. The core principle is that it seeks to help people help themselves.
In most cases, the homes are newly constructed and put together through donations and volunteer labor. The homeowner-usually a family that is struggling for one reason or another-has to buy into the concept, both literally and figuratively. They have to put in the volunteer hours to build the house. They have to be willing to pay the mortgage on it-the homes are not free, they are merely financed through zero-interest loans. They have to keep the property up, to be responsible homeowners. All of that is evident in one of their mottos: it’s a hand-up, not a hand-out.
I learned a few things about the organization last week, too. They track the progress of the families that receive this hand-up, not in a Big Brother way, but to show the positive impact it can have on a family. Previous recipients reported less strife at home, better grades for children-even an increased income that can come from the confidence of having a stable foundation.
I learned how far-reaching the organization is, and how many different types of organizations support it. Thursday, although the house was in Westland, thanks went out to churches in Plymouth and Canton, as well as the Wayne-Westland community.
The Westland home was also a bit of a new thing for the organization in that it was the first Habitat house in Westland, and one of the first that was a renovation, not a new construction.
This is where the organization can have an even larger impact on the community.
With the growing number of foreclosures throughout every municipality, there is the potential to do more work, help more families, at the same or a reduced cost. With responsible, dedicated homeowners taking over those abandoned houses, the neighborhoods will look better, and we can all inspire each other to make our streets look better.
Hopefully, this is just the start of something bigger and better-in the City of Westland, and beyond.
