All posts by Teton Habitat

Teton Habitat Announces the 2023 Dream Builder’s Luncheon

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Teton Habitat is excited to announce the annual Dream Builder’s Luncheon on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 on the lawn at Calico Restaurant. From Executive Director Kris Greenville, “This is Teton Habitat’s largest fundraising event of the year, and this year our goal is to raise $375,000. This amount is the total cost of construction for one unit in the 18-unit Parkside project in east Jackson.”

 

Parkside at Benson-Brown Station will be an 18-unit housing development built in partnership with Teton County and the Jackson/Teton County Housing Department. Parkside will be completed in three phases, with six units in each phase. This project includes a mix of 2- and 3-bedroom townhomes to better address the diverse needs of local families and individuals earning up to 80% AMI. With your support, Parkside homes will help working individuals and families achieve strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable homeownership.

Founded in 1995, Teton Habitat has built homes for individuals and families to address the housing crisis in the Greater Teton Area. Teton Habitat is the only housing organization in Teton County exclusively serving individuals and families earning up to 80% of AMI. In Teton County, 80% AMI for a family of four is up to $89,400.

Tickets are available for purchase at tetonhabitat.harnessgiving.org/events/349 . The Teton Habitat team is also looking for Catalyst sponsors to help raise $200,000 prior to the event.

 

Please contact Kelsey Yarzab at kelsey@tetonhabittat.org for more information or to make a donation.

 

Winter Warrior 2023 is ON!

Calling all winter warriors! Habitat for Humanity is recruiting volunteers for construction at our newest affordable neighborhood: Parkside at Benson Brown Station! We are building 18 affordable homes in partnership with the Jackson/Teton County Affordable Housing Department.

Put your skills to work OR learn something new! The Habitat construction site is a great place to meet new people and give back to your community. We welcome volunteers of all abilities on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays! Full and half day shifts are available.

Are you up to the challenge? Every time you volunteer between January and March, you’ll be entered into our monthly gift card drawing! Come out to volunteer 3 times between January and March and win a Habitat beanie!

Partner Spotlight: Wells Fargo Builds

Did you know Wells Fargo helps build Habitat homes across the United States?

In the last two years, Wells Fargo has Wells Fargo helped Habitat for Humanity build, renovate and repair more than 770 homes across the United States through the Wells Fargo Builds℠ program. Additionally, Wells Fargo has committed $7.75 million in grant funding for local Habitat affiliates to increase the supply of affordable homes nationwide.

Right here in Teton County, we are so grateful for the support of Wells Fargo throughout our development of The Grove, during which time Teton Habitat was awarded over $800,000 in grants to build truly affordable housing in our community.
Just last month, we were thrilled to welcome our local Wells Fargo branch to our newest build site, Parkside at Benson & Brown Station.

Thanks to Wells Fargo Builds and the support of our local branch, 3 Habitat homebuyers are one step closer to strength, stability, and empowerment through shelter.

 

Homeowner Spotlight: Tait Graham

 

How did you first hear about Habitat for Humanity?

I heard about Habitat for Humanity when my friend Jim Wolfgang was chosen for a home about 10 years ago.

Can you tell us about your current housing situation?

It is difficult. I live with my daughter and our dog Cookies in employee housing in the basement of the building I work in. My rent is 50% of what Community Entry Services, my employer, pays me. The biggest problem is the flooding. Every March or April when the snow starts to melt the groundwater raises and our apartment floods. Then the snow from the parking lot and roof melts and makes the problem much worse. By May, there is usually two inches of water in my daughter’s room and my carpet is completely soaked. Two years ago, I woke up to water pouring from the ceiling onto my bed, desk, and in my closet. It was coming through the seams in the sheetrock. The ceiling nearly collapsed from the weight of the trapped water. My daughter’s room and the bathroom were also flooding from the ceiling.

By July, it’s usually dry after Servpro comes and installs two huge loud dehumidifiers but the horrible smell persists into August. At that point, we have to move everything into the kitchen so they can replace the sheetrock and carpet in the bedrooms and bathroom. Last year that took a week. We have done this for 5 years. My employer Community Entry Services has tried to fix it but apparently, there is nothing that can be done. I still felt grateful for consistent housing after moving so often before we got this apartment.

What is your favorite task on the job site?

I really like doing siding and flooring. It is great to see the progress. It is also fun to use saws and nail guns and it feels so much like building something. Siding was especially fun on the scaffolding when the weather is warm.

Do you have any stories about getting your volunteer hours in?

When Covid hit, I was worried about completing my friends and family portion of my volunteer hours. I had a lot of family planning on coming throughout the summer and they were not able to. In general, it was difficult to ask anyone to put themselves or family at risk by volunteering. (Editors note: the risk here is in reference to the pandemic) By the time we were shut down for a second time, my friends and family hours were completed. It really was unbelievable and such a relief. Wonderful people like Don Cushman, Matt Hare, and Augusta Friedsmith had made large contributions to my hours through their hard work. I have completed all my volunteer hours and now the hours I will earn before closing can be donated to my neighbors and I am grateful for that opportunity.

 How will you decorate your home/make it your own?

I haven’t had the time to give that very much thought. I have agreed to give my daughter complete control in that department. People are so generous with furniture and other items that I am not worried about furnishing our home at all. I am very relieved to have saved enough for the appliances that Habitat has arranged.

 Is there anyone you want to thank?

It’s so hard to even know where to start. Unfortunately, I’m sure I will forget someone that has been crucial to this miracle. It has been such a fun time building my neighbors and my home with everybody from Habitat and the volunteers. I am so grateful for this home and it makes me so happy to see how happy my daughter is. Specifically, I would like to thank- Don Cushman, Kaeli McClenahan, Kai and Simone, Brandon West, Peter Wood, Nick, Tony Cross, Olga Salmina, Matt Hare, Wendy Martinez, Nick ‘Styx’ Staron, Kris Greenville, Augusta Friendsmith, Elizabeth Ferguson, Jackson Hole High School Honor Society and my nephew Robby Gilmore. I would also like to thank all the sponsors, builders and I am unendingly grateful to the Board of Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Dedication 2021

This year we decided to host the dedication celebration in stages to spread out the risk of spreading the virus.  We also wanted to give more time to each of our hard-working homebuyers.  Nine homes were finished on time and on budget!

May 20th we hosted tours of the Grove that were open to the public.

May 25th and 26th we held two separate home dedication ceremonies at building 12 and 11 respectively.

June 3rd marked the release of our dedication video!

We are tremendously proud of our homeowners, construction crew, ReStore team, sponsors, donors, volunteers, board, and office team for making dreams come true.

445 E. Kelly Ave

Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area is proud to announce our newest project in collaboration with the town and county. 445 E. Kelly Ave is the future home of 18 affordable units. In addition to being right next to a Mike Yokel park, the bus stop is steps away, as well as access to nature trails. Which makes this an idea space for new homes.

Our goal is to provide safe, stable, and sustainable affordable housing to individuals and families in the 30% to 80% of the Area Median Income range. This project offers the opportunity to diversify our housing supply by providing one and two-bedroom units in addition to more of our typical three-bedroom sizes.

Buildings will be built in stages of 6 units at a time. Habitat relies on volunteer labor, donated materials, corporate sponsorship, and private financial donations in order to build affordable homes for the workforce in Jackson.

Summer 2021 Homeowner Spotlight

How did you first hear about Habitat for Humanity?

I learned about Habitat through a coworker.

Can you tell us about your current housing situation?

My current housing situation is that where I live is 78 miles away from where I work.

What is your favorite task on the job site?

My favorite task on the job site was painting baseboards, shelves and window seals (everything that needed to be white!).

Do you have any stories about getting your volunteer hours finished?

Not a story but I absolutely loved working at the ReStore with Chad, Nicki, Nate, Forest and Oliver!

How will you decorate your home/make it your own?

Still undecided but I want it to be comfortable and open for entertaining friends/family.

Is there anyone you want to thank?

I want to thank Habitat for choosing me to be a part of this incredible program, my advocate Jean Day and my family for all of the support. Especially my mom and dad for taking care of Eli while I was in Jackson not only working at my full time job but when I was working to gain my sweat equity hours also!

Do any of your kids have something to say about getting their own room/a house? (If so, please let us know which child).

Eli: I am excited that I get to paint my room whatever color I want with Blackhawk and Penguin wall stickers, I’m going to get to have an air hockey table and we will be able to get a dog! I’m also excited to make new friends, go to a new school and play hockey in Jackson!

Grove Tours

Tour The Grove

Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area has been building at the Grove since 2017. This month we are celebrating the competition of our largest project to date. Join us on a walking tour of the Grove to see what hundreds of volunteers, donors, and community members can accomplish.

Tours will take place from 2 – 6 pm on May 20th. Please sign up in advance. We are restricting the group size to 5 people per tour. Please wear a mask and bring lots of questions. Parking is going to be located at the north end of the library’s parking lot in the spaces closest to the chain-link fence.

Please email our Community Engagement Manager at nick.staron@tetonhabitat.org if you have any questions!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Women Build 2021

Women Build is an international effort encouraging women to build on the job site and get involved with housing advocacy. Usually, we have a week-long build event on the job site. Due to COVID 19, we are trying something new.

We are celebrating by highlighting three women who are working to build a brighter community. We will post their interviews on this site and our social media platforms.

You can also build along with us from home. Our construction crew has built bird feeders that can be assembled at home with our easy video and print instructions.

Here is the first of our video celebrations. This one highlights our Construction Supervisor Kaeli McClenahan.

Next up is Anika Youcha. She is an artist, mother, and future Habitat homebuyer.

And for our Friday, March 12th release, Augusta Friendsmith stopped by to tell us a little bit about being an all-star volunteer.