Meet the force for good behind Housatonic Habitat for Humanity: Diana Arfine talks building futures and thirty years of Blueprints and Blue Jeans

Thirty Year of Blueprints and Blue Jeans

On September 22, Housatonic Habitat for Humanity will celebrate 30 years of building homes, community, and hope with a celebratory fundraising event at the Lounsbury House in Ridgefield. The community where the nonprofit’s seeds were first planted.

Here, we interview the force for good behind Housatonic Habitat, Diana Arfine. Under Diana's leadership, many families have become first-time homeowners, the nonprofit opened a second ReStore location and helped even more seniors and veterans with home repairs through the Brush With Kindness program.

Your event at the Lounsbury House is less than one month away! Tell me about the name behind the fundraising event “Blueprints and Blue Jeans”. 

At Habitat for Humanity, we are not fancy people. We are builders, change makers, the roll-up-your sleeves-and-get-to-work type. For one night only, we are trading our work boots for party attire to raise funds for our mission of building affordable homes in our community. But we wanted to stay true to our roots and chose a theme that reinforces what we’re all about.

Three decades ago, with the effort and passion of a group of Ridgefield residents, Housatonic Habitat for Humanity was born. Tell me a bit about where Habitat started and where you are today.

Our chapter was started 30 years again by a group of Ridgefielders including John Patrick, this year’s honoree, and Lou Price, former owner of Ridgefield Supply. They were a small but dedicated group, and the first home located in Danbury took four years to build. Housatonic Habitat has since grown to encompass 15 towns in Western Connecticut. Last year we placed six families in their “forever” homes. This summer we helped three more to buy their dream homes and will be breaking ground on two more this fall.

Housatonic Habitat for Humanity makes dreams come true for families and lays the foundation for healthy and happy lives. Tell me a bit about how you make homeownership a reality. 

Habitat provides comprehensive, affordable homeownership services to low-income families. These are hard-working people who simply need a helping hand in order to buy their first home. Housatonic Habitat homeowners are required to put in 250 hours of sweat equity before purchasing their homes through a 30-year affordable mortgage. Our homeowners work side-by-side with people in our community to build or improve a place to call home.

Through affordable homeownership families can:

* Provide stability for their children

* Gain improved health, physical safety and security

* Increase educational and job prospects

* Engage in their communities

Can you explain what you mean by "sweat equity"?

Basically, sweat equity is the time a new homeowner invests in working on their new home, or a home for another Habitat family. It’s an opportunity for families to help build their home alongside volunteers and play an active part in making their dream of owning a home a reality. (There are other ways they can earn "sweat equity" including working at the ReStore or helping in the office, but this is the easiest way to explain it.) Also, 50 of those hours are required financial education courses, giving them the resources needed to be a successful homeowner for the long term.

You came aboard as Housatonic Habitat’s Executive Director just over a year ago and have accomplished so much (including opening a second retail store in the Danbury Fair Mall). What are you most proud of? 

It’s been a busy year at Housatonic Habitat. We helped 6 families to buy their first homes, opened a second ReStore location and expanded our Brush With Kindness program – an initiative that offers free basic home repairs to seniors and veterans.

I am most proud of the wonderful team we have put together to help spearhead these efforts. We have expanded our staff who work so tirelessly to support our mission, but volunteers are truly the heart and soul of our organization. Our work would not be possible without their dedication, and I am proud to say that we have a wonderful team willing and able to take on the challenges of our expanding organization.

You will John and Joanne Patrick, the nonprofit’s co-founders. Tell me a bit about these amazing philanthropists.

John Patrick is one of our founders and the first President of Housatonic Habitat and was instrumental in working with the town of Danbury to secure the first Habitat property in our community. His support for Habitat has continued for three decades. Following John’s four years as President, Joanne became actively involved, serving as a member of the Congregational Relations Committee for eight years, the Board of Directors for three, volunteering at construction sites and at fundraiser events, gardening and painting at the Austin Street ReStore and just recently helping with the second ReStore’s opening at the Danbury Fair Mall. She was part of a building team from First Congregational Church in Ridgefield who took part in a Habitat Global Village trip to Honduras in the early 2000’s.

The Patricks have provided more than $200,000 in funding for Habitat homes not only in Connecticut, but in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Their recent donation of $50,000 to Housatonic Habitat will kick off the funding for two more Habitat homes in Washington, CT with construction beginning this fall.

Tickets are $125 each, groups of 10 are $1000. Visit HousatonicHabitat.org or HousatonicHFH.givesmart.com to purchase tickets or donate.

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Submitted by Bethel, CT

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