Inter-faith Habitat for Humanity Build

The Social Action Committee is excited to announce Kehillah’s co-sponsorship of an upcoming Habitat for Humanity Interfaith build.  Set to kick-off on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 18, the build will be taking place in Efland and Kehillah members 16 and older are invited to sign up to participate! The future homeowner for this build, Abiayl (Abby) Martinez, has two young daughters and has been a cleaner for the Orange County Government for the last five years.  She is excited at the prospect of a home that will place her much closer to both her job and her daughters’ schools.  Abby and her daughters are looking forward to getting to know Kehillah members and other volunteers during the build of their own home.

Motivated by the tragic murders last February of three Muslim students, Habitat of Orange County hopes that partnering to build a house for a neighbor in need will help to heal divided communities and engender mutual respect among people of different faiths. Other co-sponsors include St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church of Hillsborough, the UNC Student Muslim Association, Carolina Friends School, UNC Hillel, Judea Reform, and UNC’s Cru.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Participate in the build. To accommodate Jewish participants, there will be Sunday build shifts on February 21, March 6, April 10, and May 22.  With sufficient interest, additional build days may be arranged on Wednesdays and/or Fridays during these months.  Shifts (choose one) are 8:15 AM to 12 PM and 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM, with all volunteers  optionally joining together for a lunch in between.  Those who cannot build may also volunteer to provide a vegetarian dish or beverages for the midday meal.  To participate, email Ava Nackman ava AT nackman DOT com with your desired day(s) and shift(s) or food offering.  She will coordinate volunteers with other co-sponsors and get back to you to confirm.
• Donate to the cause in one of two ways. Habitat builds are expensive and the initial pledges from the Kehillah and other co-sponsors fall far short of the monies needed.
  1. If Habitat for Humanity is in your giving plans, you can make a direct online donation at orangehabitat.org/interfaith. If you write “Kehillah” in the “additional comments” section, your donation will be both directed toward this special interfaith build and attributed to the Kehillah sponsorship.
  2. In addition, an anonymous Kehillah family has pledged to match any donation to the Kehillah for any purpose (other than membership dues) between now and May 1, 2016. Their match, up to $5,000, will support the Habitat Interfaith Build. What an amazing way to help our synagogue fund much needed upgrades and repairs while simultaneously supporting the work of a great non-profit in our community!

Social Action looks forward to active congregational involvement in this unique build opportunity.  So sign up and/or donate today!