115 Cleveland, Hartford
Kicking Off in April 2008!

Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity and the Hartford County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans have partnered to build our Thrivent Builds house on Cleveland Avenue in Hartford.  Thrivent Builds is a new financial, volunteer and advocacy alliance formed between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans® and Habitat for Humanity® International. The four-year, $125-million alliance includes several programs under the Thrivent Builds umbrella:

• Thrivent Builds Homes: Thrivent Financial will sponsor the construction of hundreds of Habitat homes annually and seek to engage thousands of volunteers in Habitat home-building projects. Sixty five percent of the funding for each Thrivent Builds home will come from Thrivent Financial with 35 percent of the remaining funding coming from the continuing fund-raising efforts of local Thrivent chapters and Habitat for Humanity affiliates.
• Thrivent Builds Worldwide: Thrivent Financial will promote short-term (one- to three-week) trips in by its members and Lutheran congregations to build homes abroad.
• Thrivent Builds Neighborhoods: This program is building more than homes – it’s helping to rebuild entire communities. The program seeks to improve many factors in a neighborhood so that the people who live and work there can enjoy a better life.

Since 1991, Thrivent Financial and its members have worked with Habitat to build more than 500 homes, raise more than $25 million and contribute more than 1.4 million volunteer hours in homebuilding time. The new alliance is estimated to provide up to $25 million in support each year over the next four years. In 2008, $23.2 million will be used to build up to 322 more homes with 242 Habitat for Humanity affiliates.

For the past few years, Thrivent Financial supported Habitat builds through a program called "Building Hope…Building Homes" and was managed at a regional level. Grants of $5,000 to $40,000 were awarded to a handful of builds in an area. Thrivent chapters (local volunteer groups made up of Thrivent Financial members) had an opportunity to participate in the builds, but this was not a requirement of the grant.

This new initiative, Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, funds 65 percent of the cost of the home and requires substantial participation by chapter volunteers and Habitat affiliates. In addition, it includes neighborhood grants and short-term trips to build houses worldwide.

Our Thrivent Builds home will be built like our other Habitat homes, but with a greater focus on assistance from local Thrivent Financial members and Lutheran congregations. Those groups and other volunteers from the community will come together to build simple, decent homes.

You can share your time and talents in a number of ways:

• Prayer.
• General office help.
• Greeting volunteers on the build site.
• Preparing meals.
• Assisting with publicity.
• Coordinating events with interested people.
• Donations.
• Spreading the word to friends and family.
• Organizing or participating in fund-raisers.
• Recruiting (helping recruit or share information with interested people).
• Advocacy within your community.

The sponsoring faith communities will provide the volunteer and financial support needed to build this home. Additionally, these communities will participate in opportunities, both on and off the worksite, designed to foster open dialogue and understanding of the three Abrahamic faiths.

To get involved, complete the Thrivent Builds Homes Volunteer Interest Form online.