By Sandy Barnes
Berthoud Recorder

A new building for the Berthoud Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store is among this year’s plans for the organization, said President Rick Haskins.

A while ago, Berthoud Habitat directors decided the present thrift store building on Massachusetts Avenue wasn’t large enough, and bought property on Second Street to construct a more spacious facility, Haskins added. As general manager for the project, Mayor Tom Patterson is going to focus on completing the building this year. “We still would love to build a next house, and not wait until that’s done,” Haskins noted.

“Our dream is to build a house a year,” Haskins said while discussing Habitat’s long-range goals. However, he said that because the Berthoud effort is totally dependent on volunteers, it takes about 18 months to complete a home. “One of these days we would love to have a paid construction manager,” he said.

And because Berthoud Habitat is a relatively small organization, funding is a challenge, he remarked. Many of the larger Habitat groups have paid executive directors, and other staff rather than relying entirely on volunteers. The only paid Habitat staff member in Berthoud is the manager of the thrift store.

The thrift store is important because it is a key source of revenue for Berthoud Habitat, Haskins explained. “Berthoud has been a generous community in terms of donations to the thrift store,” he remarked.

Other sources of funding to build homes for people in need come from contributions from individuals and businesses, fundraising efforts and through grants the organization seeks. Companies also donate time and materials to home projects. Additionally, Berthoud Habitat has had good support from local churches and the Loveland organization, Haskins also said.

While reviewing its beginning more than 20 years ago, Haskins said that Peter Bridgman originally brought the idea to a Sunday school class he was teaching at Berthoud United Methodist Church as a way of putting faith into action. Haskins and Bridgman then talked with Tom Patterson and Thomas Jones who all worked together to develop a plan for Berthoud Habitat for Humanity in 1996.

Two years later the fledgling organization purchased five-and-a-half acres of property on Fourth Street, with Jones securing the deposit with his personal credit card. When hearing about the Habitat plans, Doc and Helen Fickel donated funds needed to purchase the land on which to build homes. The organization also began renovating a house donated to Habitat, which was sold to generate seed money to begin the first home project in 2001.

Then in 2005, another idea of Bridgman’s came to life when the Habitat Thrift Store opened in July of that year.

After many months of work, the second home Berthoud Habitat for Humanity has built is nearly complete. New homeowners Shawn and Becky Smith have worked with Habitat volunteers in the tradition of building “sweat equity” established by the organization.

In addition to its local efforts, Berthoud Habitat tithes 10 percent of its undesignated donations to Habitat International, which builds homes worldwide for those who cannot afford them.

Founded in 1965 by Millard and Linda Fuller of Americus, Ga., Habitat for Humanity has built more than 200,000 homes in 3,000 communities throughout the world. Former President Jimmy Carter has been at the forefront of Habitat for Humanity, bringing national attention to the organization while directly assisting with home building projects.