February 2024 News
2024 Impact Report Announcement
In 2023, Habitat EJC achieved 80% growth
Since 1998, Habitat EJC has helped more than 275 people within our community and impacted 133 families globally. Thank you to our amazing community! Habitat’s Director of Engagement, Maria Drury, says it best when she talks about all the different ways people contribute to Habitat. “People give their time, talent, and treasure. Everyone is a contributor, no matter what form the gift takes.”
Jamie Maciejewski, executive director explained, “In 2023 we shepherded 11 families up the mountain to housing stability. The most ever. It took a ton of planning, loads of provisions, along with skills and experience sourced from both inside and outside our organization.”
Hot off the presses, the FY 2023 – 2024 Annual Impact Report is now published on the Habitat EJC website! Read the full report here or jump to pages of interest. Learn about the many people involved, read about the store’s success, view the 25+ year timeline, see our community in the 2023 gallery, find the many ways to get involved in 2024, dive into the financial report, and read about Habitat EJC’s future forward.
See archived annual reports here.
Habitat on the Hill
Habitat EJC in D.C. for the Cost of Home campaign
Habitat EJC was among hundreds of local Habitat organizations on Capitol Hill this month for the fifth and final year of the “Cost of Home” campaign, calling upon Congress to support affordable housing in 2025 and to pass the bipartisan Neighborhood Homes Investment Act.
Jamie Maciejewski, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County, took part in “Habitat on the Hill” from Feb. 6-8 as a workshop speaker and advocate, meeting with staff from the offices of U.S. senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, as well as U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer. Also in attendance was Colleen Robinson, executive director of the neighboring Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County.
Maciejewski shared, “Increasing permanently affordable housing decreases the cost of homes. In rural communities like East Jefferson County, every federal dollar invested in housing leverages significant additional state and local dollars, and multiplies the number of homes built.
All three elected officials are strongly supportive of federal policies that support more housing, as vital economic infrastructure and Habitat expects to continue to work with Congress to expand the supply of entry-level housing.”
Maciejewski added, “While every part of the country is experiencing a shortage of entry-level homes, Jefferson County has some unique challenges, as an area that is highly desirable for second homes. And while I very much appreciated the chance to be there, and participate in robust conversations, the most powerful voices on the Hill were the Habitat homeowners who traveled to share their stories.”
Learn more about the #CostOfHome campaign and read 6 Ways to Advocate for Affordable Housing on the Habitat for Humanity International website. These links will open in a new tab, simply close them to return the Feb 2024 Habitat EJC newsletter.
Construction Update
Landes South News
We are making progress as we plan to build 14 affordable, paired homes at Landes & 16th Streets.
You may have noticed bright construction tape on certain trees and an orange construction fence along the top of the slope close to Landes Street. These markers are a preliminary indication of trees and understory plants to remain. We will regularly mark and monitor the site to protect trees and understory as the project progresses. Our team is working to conserve more trees and understory plants than the approved plan indicates. We hope you can appreciate that this is a work in progress, which we’ll be updating as we go along.
Many groups are volunteering at Landes South. The Admiralty Audubon Society, Sather and Bishop Parks, Master Gardeners, Jefferson Land Trust, and AAUW Groundbreakers are all working on plant salvage covering different aspects.
This month, our focus is on plant and wildlife conservation. We worked with volunteers from our local Admiralty Audubon Society as part of their program to transplant native plants to public parks and other approved locations in our county. They surveyed the understory plants on the property and determined there were too few plants that were appropriate for the transplant program. Now we are preparing to mow the understory brush during the week of February 26, before nesting season; this is in line with the Audubon Society’s suggested timeline. The mowing will reduce potential bird nesting habitat in anticipation of the clearing needed for the project later this spring. Marked areas will not be mowed.
We’ll be sending regular updates as the project progresses over the next several months. Please email Executive Director, Jamie Maciejewski, at director@habitatejc.org with any questions.
Learn more about Landes South here and stay tuned for regular updates as the neighborhood progresses over the next several months.
Volunteering
Volunteer Consultants Needed
Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County is seeking dynamic and dedicated volunteers to provide pro bono consulting services for our Mason Street Neighborhood program. Your leadership and consulting services will run the gamut from strategic planning, grant writing, recommendation development to implementation and project management.
Relevant experience is highly desired in daycare/childcare, commercial/retail, solar, or other site and amenities development. If you have relevant experience and passion for making a difference in our rural community and possess excellent communication and strategic skills, we encourage you to apply. Your commitment to the Habitat mission, vision, and values is essential. Please email your cover letter and resume to jobs@habitatejc.org and find the full position description here.
2024 Home Show
Join us at our booth!
Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County will host a booth, where we’ll showcase details about our initiatives, such as home repairs, volunteer opportunities, and highlights from our unique Habitat Store. Visit us to learn more about the myriad ways you can contribute to a positive impact in our community with Habitat.
Don’t miss our presentation on the main stage at noon, where we’ll go over the details of the Mason Street Neighborhood in Port Hadlock. We’re thrilled to share this inspiring project with you.
Your support is vital in achieving our ambitious goals, and we’re eagerly looking forward to the chance to connect with you and discuss the exciting vision we have for the future of our community.
Get Involved
Get In Touch
Thank you for being an essential part of this journey and for sharing in our vision of building a better and more inclusive place for everyone. Together, we can achieve remarkable things and create a community that thrives on compassion, support, and unity.
For updates on Habitat building progress, events, volunteering and more, sign up for our newsletter here.
If you have questions, please reach out using the phone and email address at the bottom of this page and we look forward to seeing you soon!