ABOUT
BLUE RIDGE
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
One piece of the global housing organization, working with people of all backgrounds, to build a world where everyone has a high-quality place to live.
our
story
Shortly after its inception, the community of Koinonia Farm attracted unwanted negative attention. Violence towards the pacifist group erupted during the politically-charged 1950s. Not to be deterred, the residents of Koinonia Farm responded with prayer, nonviolent resistance, and a renewed commitment to their mission of radical acceptance of all people regardless of race or religion.
In 1976, they began to focus on building decent, affordable homes for their neighbors. Koinonia Farm's self-proclaimed "housing ministry" evolved into Habitat for Humanity International.
The Habitat for Humanity Winchester-Frederick-Clarke (HFHWFC) affiliate was founded in 1997 and is a 501(c)(3) housing nonprofit committed to giving hardworking, low-income people a hand up, not a handout. In 2018, HFHWFC expanded into Shenandoah County and was renamed Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity (BRHFH).
Non-Proselytizing Statement
All are welcome! Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity (BRHFH) has an open-door policy: All who believe that everyone needs a decent, affordable place to live are welcome to help with the work, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, political views or any of the other distinctions that too often divide people. In short, Habitat welcomes volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds and also serves people in need of decent housing regardless of race or religion. Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliated organizations will not proselytize, nor will Habitat for Humanity work with entities or individuals who insist on proselytizing as part of their work with Habitat for Humanity. This means that Habitat for Humanity will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must (i) adhere to or convert to a particular faith or (ii) listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.
Value Statement
Our organization was founded on the conviction that every man, woman, and child should have a simple, durable place to live in dignity and safety, and that decent shelter in decent communities should be a matter of conscience and action for all. We welcome volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds and serve people in need of decent housing regardless of race or religion.
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At Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity, we work to replicate the spirit of Koinonia by evoking Martin Luther King's Beloved Community philosophy in which BRHFH seeks to create redeeming goodwill through access to safe, affordable housing. We can accomplish that by bringing people together to build, revitalize, restore and educate our community using shelter as a foundation while catalyzing a wide array of safe, decent, affordable housing solutions. In doing so, we will build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter.
THE NEED
Affordable housing is a key economic driver in our community. To grow our community, we have to have housing and it has to be marketable to the clientele that lives and works in our community. The stronger our housing stock, and the more diverse our housing stock in the community, the better we can respond to any company or any business that is coming in to provide services and jobs. Housing affordability is the foundation of every community sector. As housing availability shrinks and costs rise, families with limited incomes face housing instability and become at risk for falling into a cycle of poverty which has a ripple-effect within the community at large.
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Unstable housing manifests in various detrimental ways:
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Overcrowded and Substandard Living Conditions: Families may find themselves living in cramped spaces with inadequate facilities.
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Health Problems: Conditions like asthma and depression can arise due to the stress of unstable housing.
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Impact on Education: Children may struggle academically due to the instability of their living situation.
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Financial Instability: Families living in unstable housing often have little to no savings, impacting their ability to plan for the future.
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Community Perception: The quality of housing directly influences the community's attractiveness to residents, workers, and businesses.
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Neighborhood Disparities: Disparities in housing quality contribute to a sense of disinvestment in certain areas.
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Government Expenses: Unstable housing leads to increased reliance on social services, resulting in higher government expenses at the local, state, and federal levels.
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Strain on Healthcare: The local healthcare system may experience strain due to the health issues exacerbated by unstable housing conditions.
Habitat opens doors of access and opportunity so that families have a foundation upon which they can build a safer and more secure future.
Studies show that homeownership leads to positive growth across the entire quality of life spectrum.
Education
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Habitat opens doors of access and opportunity so that families have a foundation upon which they can build a safer and more secure future.
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Studies show that homeownership leads to positive growth across the entire quality of life spectrum.
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Children of homeowners have higher educational attainment.
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Young children of homeowners see higher achievement in math and reading and exhibit fewer behavioral problems.
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Teen-aged children of homeowners are more likely to stay in school.
Community Life
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Homeowners spend more time and money in maintaining their homes, contributing to the value and image of a community.
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Homeowners are shown to be more involved in their communities, with a higher likelihood of volunteering.
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Homeowners are more likely to be engaged in civic and community activities.
Economic Development
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Affordable housing is a key driver of economic growth and is central to creating a just, equitable economy.
our
team
Staff
Kim Herbstritt, Executive Director
Jason Jarrett, Director of Finance
Greg Shanholtz, Director of Construction & Safety
Kimberley Wilt, Director of Development & Marketing
Jamie Owens, Construction Manager
Jolie Williams, Homeowner Services Program Manager
Brittany Day, Aging in Place Coordinator
Board of Directors
Rachael Hite, President
Heather Arnold, Vice President
Millie Ketron, Treasurer
Cary Kimble, Secretary
Wendy Conner
Audra Gollenberg, PhD
Tony Landa
Meghan Pachas
our
financials
Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity has been awarded GuideStar's Platinum Seal of Transparency.
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Like GuideStar, we believe in providing information that advances transparency, enables our community to make better decisions, and encourages charitable giving to our organization. We work hard to ensure long-term sustainability of the organization and choose to make our current and previous year IRS Form 990 available for review.
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We are 501(c)(3) and our Tax ID is 54-1816368.
IRS LETTER OF DETERMINATION
FY 2021
FY 2020
FY 2022
Available for download here
compliance
To access the machine-readable files created and published by UnitedHealthcare, please click here.