Students raised over $2000 for Habitat for Humanity SF/SCV’s special SCV Habitat for Heroes program
Santa Clarita, CA, (November 26, 2012)] On Monday, November 26th, the Southern California Gas Company presented a $4000 check to Plum Canyon Elementary in Santa Clarita for winning a multi-district fundraising competition. Plum Canyon raised over $2,227 for veteran family home repairs for Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys’ special program, ‘SCV Habitat for Heroes’.
Plum Canyon Elementary beat out 5 other elementary schools in 3 different Santa Clarita school districts with the ‘Nickels for Nails’ Fundraiser. This fundraiser started Fall Semester 2011, when Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys wanted to get students and youth involved with their special SCV Habitat for Heroes program. The Southern California Gas Company, a founding sponsor of the special ‘SCV Habitat for Heroes’ program, which was also created in partnership with KHTS AM 1220, offered a $4000 prize to the school that raised the most money as a thank you to the teachers and administrators who taught their children about veteran’s needs and affordable housing needs in the Santa Clarita Valley.
With the money raised from the Plum Canyon Elementary fundraiser, Habitat for Humanity SF/SCV was able to assist a very in-need veteran, Joshua Murphy, and his wife, Windie with a needed shower modification. Josh Murphy served multiple tours of duty in Iraq standing in a guard tower, towards the end of his last tour, he was hit by mortar and suffered severe back and head injuries. Today he still suffers from severe Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Because of these obstacles, it was very hard for Josh to do simple things on his own, like take a shower. The glass door enclosure made him feel claustrophobic, and the sound of water hitting the shower doors reminded him of the sound of gunshots. He often got dizzy and felt that he might fall over. The local VA hospital gave him a plastic chair to sit on in the shower, but it often got in the way when his wife, Windie tried to take a shower.
Today, thanks to Plum Canyon, Josh can safely and comfortably take a shower with a pull down seat, that moves out of the way when his wife showers, grab bars, in case he starts feeling dizzy, and a no glass enclosures.
Habitat for Humanity SF/SCV is very thankful for all of the schools who participated in this fundraiser for the special ‘SCV Habitat for Heroes’ program, benefitting our local veterans. With the money raised, Habitat has been able to perform Critical Home Repairs on six other veteran homes in the last year.
If you are a student, parent, teacher, or administrator who would like to participate in the Nickels for Nails fundraising program this coming school year, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator by phone, (818) 884-8808 or email Volunteer@HumanityCA.org
About Nickels for Nails
Nickels for Nails is the youth-led fundraising component of Youth United, Habitat for Humanity SF/SCV’s initiative that mobilizes youth ages 5-25 to fully fund and build or repair a Habitat home. Thousands of students, teachers, parents, and youth workers in the Los Angeles area have been engaging in fun community building activities to raise funds for our Youth United Habitat home! It’s easy to help, and even the youngest child can understand the purpose, as the jar fills up and the kids receive updates on the house being built. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to see how donating extra nickels can make a life-altering difference for a deserving family. Teachers, youth group coordinators and students who sign up will receive a coin collection container for their classroom, along with a how-to guide about starting a successful fund drive. Teachers can also receive special curriculum to educate their students about the growing housing crisis in California and how everyone can help the cause.
About SCV Habitat for Heroes
Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys’ special program, SCV Habitat for Heroes is sponsored by the Southern California Gas Company, in partnership with KHTS AM 1220. This program serves low-income and disabled veterans who either struggle to keep up or get around their existing home, due to disability or lack of funds, as well as low-income and disabled veterans in need of a brand new affordable home in Santa Clarita. SCV Habitat for Heroes has completed 7 home repairs/disability modifications since November 2011. They also plan to start a first-of-its-kind veteran “enriched” community of new homes in the coming months. Habitat is already accepting applications for the new community which will also provide veteran families with social services specifically tailored to suit the needs of veterans, especially those recently returning from the “wars on terror” as well as services for older vets of prior conflicts. Download a new home and home repair/disability application at www.HabitatSCV.org
About Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys
Habitat for Humanity SF/SCV is a separately incorporated affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. HFH SF/SCV’s affiliate is one of only 5% of Habitats internationally that have built or rebuilt over 100 homes (with 215 in history). Even fewer Habitats build large neighborhoods of homes, and no other does so in an enriched environment that teaches a 12-month program of targeted self-sufficiency skills. Habitat is currently working on their 9th and 10th neighborhoods in North Los Angeles County as part of their veteran housing initiative “Habitat for Heroes”.