Hey all! You might have heard we have some new people around here. I just wanted to get their faces out here so that you can get familiar.

Laurie Larson-Dahlin started as our program services coordinator in August. She has been rocking and rolling with volunteers and families ever since. She's your go-to-gal for all things program-related and is also a nice lady :)

Denise Boudreau has also just taken over as our Development Director this October. She is working hard to help us meet our growth goals and getting familiar with all of the wonderful supporters of CMHFH.

By Anne Walters, Director of Development

Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity and ING DIRECT are pleased to announce that over $200,000 was raised from community support to benefit Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity's work in providing affordable homeownership opportunities in partnership with low-income families. Beginning April 1, ING DIRECT challenged the community to raise financial support for Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity and agreed to match one dollar for every dollar donated, up to $65,000. The central Minnesota community, including Stearns, Benton, Wright and Sherburne counties, accepted the challenge and surpassed the original fundraising goal with over $200,000 committed by June 11th. Thank you to the many Habitat friends who made this challenge a success! With its $65,000 gift, ING DIRECT is the Dream Realizer sponsor of the 2008 St. Cloud Women Build home.

On Tuesday, June 17th, outside of the new ING DIRECT Cafe, Arkadi Kuhlmann, ING DIRECT USA CEO, Brian Myres, Head of ING DIRECT USA Sales, and Dick Harryvan, CEO of ING DIRECT Global presented Dick Bitzan, Habitat Board of Director and Anne Walters, Habitat Director of Development, with the $65,000 check at the official grand opening of their new downtown office and cafe. Over 50 community members and ING DIRECT staff attended the event including Scott Thyen, ING DIRECT's Head of IT Operations and also board member to Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity. "We are grateful to ING DIRECT, Brian and Scott, and the many community members who gave so generously to support this challenge," Dick Bitzan said, at the presentation.

Since 2005, ING DIRECT employees have volunteered on a weekly basis with Habitat construction projects. This donation is ING DIRECT's first community challenge.

"The growth and prosperity of our neighborhoods depends on the personal involvement and contributions of the entire community," said Brian Myres. "The fact that our four local counties stepped forward with such generous support toward the challenge shows that we are all vested in the support of stable, safe, and affordable homeownership opportunities for low income families and proud and inspired by Habitat's work in our community."

Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity appreciates the community partnership. "We are very grateful to ING DIRECT for their assistance in helping us to provide more affordable housing options to the residents of Central Minnesota," said Bruce Regan, Interim Executive Director for the Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity. "ING DIRECT has been a long term, generous, Habitat partner. It is only through the support of the community, that we are able to move forward with our goal of serving more families."

The Thrivent Builds Mobile is bringing the "joyful noise" of homebuilding to the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, MN, August 21 - September 1, 2008. Look for the big, red truck on Wright Avenue near the 4H building.

Free tours of the exhibit will be offered from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. with daily giveaways to the first 500 visitors. Other activities near the exhibit include a nail-pounding contest and games and activities for both children and adults.

Visitors will get a first-hand look at why substandard housing is such a serious problem and how we can all be part of the solution by helping families build simple, decent, affordable homes and achieve greater economic independence.

The Thrivent Builds Mobile is sponsored by Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, an unprecedented alliance between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity International.

To learn more, visit www.thriventbuilds.com/mobile.

Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity allied with Thrivent Builds to complete three homes in 2008 in the communities of Monticello, Foley, and St. Cloud. We are so excited to have this opportunity for a third year and hope to continue working together to end poverty housing in Central Minnesota. For information about how you and/or your church or group can get involved in this or other CMHFH projects, call Bethany at (320) 656-8890 x6

Hello Habitat Friends and Neighbors! At Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity we are always trying to evolve our website to best reflect the many things that happen in our home-building ministry from day to day. For that reason, we have developed a new "What's New" page that we hope to update with pictures, stories and other tales from the office and the build sites.

We look forward to hearing your feedback and will gladly post things that you send into our office (you can email them to bkuehne@cmhfh.org). If you have taken pictures of a work site or event, or just want to share your Habitat story with others. Just let us know!