Habitat for Humanity Nails Hard Hat & Black Tie Gala

Portland, October 4th, 2013. Over 300 people gathered at The Nines Hotel for Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East’s Hard Hat & Black Tie Dinner and auction.  This was the third year of this fun event, where movers and shakers around the Portland area get to dress up in their finest construction attire to raise money for homebuilding. Scott Holden from First Republic Bank and Dawn Holden from Sterling Bank Home Loans were King and Queen of the night. Habitat creates successful homeownership by partnering hardworking, local families in need with the community to build healthy, affordable homes.  This event, emceed by KGW’s Reggie Aqui, raised over $176,000. (photo credit, Sarah Galbraith)

From Habitat for Humanity:

Every day in Multnomah County and northern Clackamas County, low-income, hardworking families struggle to find affordable places to live. Rapidly rising rents force these families to live in unsafe, unhealthy, and crowded conditions. These families often have to move once or twice a year in search of rents that stay within their reach. Because of this, children transfer from school to school, affecting their learning and their self-esteem.

The American dream of homeownership is seen as simply unattainable, due to the skyrocketing cost of home prices and little change in incomes of hardworking families.

Our mission of working with the community to build simple, healthy, affordable homes with and for these families has resulted in over 200 families permanently escaping poverty housing. We believe in this mission, because we have seen first-hand how affordable homeownership impacts families, children, and communities.

• Families have a chance to experience stability, build equity wealth, and have something tangible to pass on to their children.
• Children are healthier and safer. They do better in school, have higher self-esteem, and feel more hopeful toward their future.
• Communities are improved, as homeowners tend to be more active in their communities than renters, and pay into the local tax base.

Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build is gearing up for their third annual Pie Bake-Off on Sunday, October 27, from 3:30 – 6:00 p.m. at the Alberta Street Pub. Forks are provided and there are several ways you can get involved!

You can submit a pie, or several, to the contest to be judged by professional Portland area bakers and have a chance to win some sweet prizes! If you are more akin to pie consumption than production, you can just show up and sample from a bounty of delicious pies for a small donation! All proceeds from the event will go directly to building an affordable home in partnership with a local family. In addition, this year there will be a costume contest for kids and a Pie-walk for those that are feeling lucky!

Register to enter the pie contest: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/womenbuildpieoff

Contact Tor Ostrom at tor@habitatportlandmetro.org or 503-287-9529 x12 for more information.