Executive Director, Diana Walker-Smith with State Assembymember Yamada and Woodland City Councilmember Dote at dedication event

On July 16th, 2011, Habitat for Humanity Yolo County held a home dedication ceremony for the Allen and Villalobos families. Dignitaries such as State Senator Lois Wolk, State Assembly member Mariko Yamada, Yolo County Supervisor Matt Rexroad, Woodland City Councilmember and Habitat’s Honorary Chair of Women Build, Martie Dote and Woodland City Manager Mark Deven were on hand to welcome these families home. Winston Hu, congressional representative for Congressman Mike Thompson presented Habitat with a congratulatory letter stating that these two homes were “significant investments in our community that go a long way toward helping reduce poverty and encourage local economic development.”

These two homes would not have been possible without the financial support of over 300 corporations, foundations, businesses and individuals and without the volunteer efforts of over 1,000 individuals who helped build these two homes. We raised money for these homes right-up to the end. Our major sponsors for this build were E & L Company, City of Woodland, KB Home, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, PG&E, Campbell Soup, The Home Depot, Nugget Markets and Women Build/Ferland Foundation.

Since March of 2010, Habitat for Humanity Yolo County has been working to develop a neighborhood revitalization initiative for the Bryte/Broderick communities of West Sacramento. Habitat has built homes in Davis and Woodland. We felt the time was right to focus our work in West Sacramento. We began meeting with the Bryte/Broderick Community Action Network (BBCAN) and this led to a partnership between our two organizations. This initiative is a three-year program designed to help low-income families who already own their own home with repair and weatherization services and to create new housing opportunities for low-income families by purchasing and renovating existing homes. The goal is to reinvest in these communities for the betterment of residents and Habitat homeowners alike.

Immediate Past President of Habitat, Wayne Eckert and Winston Hu, congressional representative for Congressman Mike Thompson

Habitat Yolo is currently accepting applications for their home repair program called A Brush With Kindness. This program is limited to low-income residents of Bryte and Broderick in West Sacramento. We have an initial screening application which can be downloaded from our web site (click here). This application is also available from BBCAN or you can call our office and an application will be mailed. For now, we are concentrating on exterior home repair and weatherization, such as exterior painting, wheelchair ramps, landscaping, fencing, weatherization and/or minor roof repair. We hope to expand our services and service area as the program grows.

A Brush With Kindness is patterned after Habitat’s homeownership program. Repair work is provided at no-profit and financed by Habitat through affordable, no interest loans. Homeowners invest sweat equity into repairing their homes, side by side with members of the community. Homeowner’s monthly payments are recycled into a revolving fund which enables Habitat for Humanity Yolo County to repair more homes.

All of this will take an incredible amount of resources, both human and financial. Our goal is to renovate 6 homes and provide repair work for 36 owner-occupied homes over this three-year time frame. We need volunteer help with our fundraising, especially for our upcoming annual Indian Dinner and Silent Auction and we need help promoting of this initiative. We had an incredible outpouring of volunteer support for our Heidrick Ranch build. We are hoping there are members of the community who would be willing to help us with these endeavors as well.

If you are interested in volunteering, please click here.