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RYP guests holding up bidder numbers for auction

News & Blog

May 01 2024

10th Home Funded Through Habitat’s Annual Fundraiser

Event

Gen-D team

Our 7th Annual ReStore Your Passion event was full of fun, food, and fundraising for Habitat Partner Families. 

Since its inception in 2018, ReStore Your Passion has funded 10 Habitat homes through community sponsorships, ticket sales, donated raffle items, crowdfunding, and the auction of Goddess Contractor team furniture pieces.

2024 Goddess Contractors

Goddess Contractors are female community leaders who assemble a team to crowdfund and refurbish furniture donated through the Habitat ReStore. Each one-of-a-kind, secondhand piece, is then styled at the event venue the night of the gala and auctioned off with all the accessories.

Congrats to our winning Goddess Contractors

  • “This home is a blessing. We are so grateful and thankful to God and everyone who has had a hand in it, thank you so much. This home is changing our children’s lives.”

    Vincent

    Habitat Homeowner

Vincent and Gentile and family speaking at RYP 2024

It wouldn’t have been a true Habitat for Humanity event without our guests of honor, Habitat homeowners Vincent and Gentile. Vincent shared a bit of their journey toward affordable homeownership.

After living in a refugee camp for 20 years, Vincent and Gentile were able to move to the United States and start their family. Becoming homeowners was their greatest dream. “Where I grew up is not anywhere I wish anyone to be. I have always had a dream of changing my life.”

Vincent discovered Habitat as he drove through Southeast Fort Wayne and saw Habitat homes under construction. When he got home his wife, Gentile, told him of a friend who had been accepted into the Habitat Homeownership Program and they knew they should apply. After being accepted into the program, Vincent shared that through volunteering on the construction site and attending classes you learn the value of your home.

Special thanks to Jess Stauffer with J3Designs Photography for capturing the night, The Baldus Company and Specialized Printed Products for donating printed items. Food was sponsored by Toby & Misha Thomas and Franklin Electric and it included Fort Wayne favorites such as Casa, Club Soda, Salsa Grille, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Portillo’s, Shigs in Pit, The Sassy Vegan, UMI, and Courtney’s Bakery.

Thank you to the Steffen Group, Shaffer Multimedia, Speedbird Hangar Team, Cindy Friend, 1-800-GOT-JUNK, and Mutton Rentals for ensuring our event ran smoothly and looked wonderful!

Want to get involved? Volunteer opportunities come in all shapes and sizes! Do you have an hour to donate lunch? Maybe your office can recycle aluminum cans? Or, join us on the build site for an 8-hour construction day — we have lots of fun and your time is transformational for families working tirelessly to reach their dream of homeownership.

Photo Gallery

Thank you to our 2024 ReStore Your Passion Sponsors

Toby & Misha Thomas  •  Franklin Electric  •  1st Source Bank  •  Breastie Boxes  •  Narrative Design  •  IndianaTech  •  Lake City Bank  •  Sushil & Preeti Jain  •  Wetherill Family   •  Morningstar Group  •  Kelley Automotive  •  Rosema Corp.  •  General Petroleum  •  Hamed Homes

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May 02 2024

Seven new Habitat Homeowners, our build season kickoff, annual fundraiser update, and more from the month of April.

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