A community pays homage by forging hope for others

When Maida Icliates and Ani Kokorian were asked to organize a community event to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, they wanted to commemorate the past by forging hope for others in need of help to better their lives.

Maida knew instantly who to partner with to create a lasting legacy in memory of such a profound milestone for her community.

For many years, Maida, founder and board member of Toronto’s Armenian Family Support Services (AFSS) of the Holy Trinity Armenian Church, has been deeply involved with the work of Habitat for Humanity GTA. In 2009, she began an annual faith build for the Armenian community, which engages dozens of youth each year to help build homes with families in need, teaching them the importance of giving back to the community. So for Maida, Habitat for Hu-manity was a perfect choice.

“It was important to create an event for the local Armenian community – and particularly our youth – to honour those who lost their homes and lives by helping to build the homes and lives of others,” Maida explains.

The result was the Armenian Memorial Community Build, a project developed in cooperation with AFSS, Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, and theArmenian Genocide Centennial Com-mittee of Canada. The campaign galva-nized the community bringing together 110 volunteers to take part in two build days at Habitat GTA’s Brimley Road project.

In addition to helping construct the house, the group raised over $20,000 to help build townhomes for fifteen partner families.

Once the houses were completed, Maida, Houry Aznavourian and Janet Yeremian, board members represented the Armenian community at a special ceremony where the homes were dedicated to the partner fam-ilies. Vivian Fosu, a single mother of three spoke on behalf of all the families receiving Habitat homes, sharing her personal story with the crowd.

“When I heard Vivian speak about her life I thought, ‘What a brave woman,’” says Maida. “We were all in tears listening to her story.”

As part of the dedication ceremony, the ASFF team was to present the gift of a Bible to one of the partner families moving into the Brimley houses as a representation of their faith. When the time came, Maida approached the home that her group had helped to build, and to her surprise, standing there was the woman whose story earlier had touched her so profoundly.

“When the time came for us to present the gift, low and behold it was Vivian!” Maida recalls with enthusiasm. “We hugged and kissed and she was so grateful. It was such an emotional moment.” Vivian introduced her children and invited Maida and her fellow board members into their new home to show them around. “For us to see lives starting anew, it was so pow-erful,” says Maida. “We’re giving another family the opportunity to live in a home in a good neighbourhood and built with so much love. How amazing is it for these

children to know that the community built these houses for them. It’s such a good feeling.”

Given the success of the memorial build and how profoundly it touched the members of the Armenian community, Maida and her group are looking forward to working with Habitat for Humanity GTA in the future.

“Afterward we gathered and said to each other, ‘This was such a powerful mission, it had a spirit of its own,’” recalls Maida. “There was such goodness, and kindness, and love and compassion in all of that work. Everybody was affected by it. For us it was transformational.”

For Keelan Robinson, supporting Habitat for Humanity GTA is more than writing a cheque.

“Donating is so vitally important, but I like to feel like I’ve left a little piece of myself in the work they do,” admits the busy ex-ecutive and mother of four. What’s always appealed Keelan about Habitat for Hu-manity GTA’s work is how the organization opens itself up to donors and volunteers who want to make a hands-on difference. “I feel so invested in what is being built.”

So, for the past four years, Keelan has participated in Women Build, which allows her to not only support Habitat GTA’s work financially, but allows her to help build the very homes she has been raising funds for. What’s more, she has inspired other women in her life – friends, family, colleagues and customers – to become involved with Habitat, and to make a tangible difference in the community.

From jumping in the frigid waters of Lake Ontario to creating magical gingerbread

houses for the holidays, every year thousands of people like Keelan participate in Habitat GTA’s popular signature fundrais-ing events. Last year alone, the Polar Bear Dip, Gingerbread Build, Pride Build and Women Build raised over $630K towards GTA homebuilding projects.

One of the reasons Keelan is particularly excited about Women Build is because it helps galvanize women in Toronto. Women Build celebrates and harnesses the unbeatable power of women to come together and wield power tools to helptransform a community. Since 2009, Habitat for Humanity GTA’s Women Build has raised over $4 million, and brought together nearly 5,000 female volunteers to help build 85 Habitat homes in the GTA.

Looking back at what inspired her to get involved, Keelan says, “I think everybody knows who Habitat is, and if you polled people, if they haven’t already done a build, it would be on their bucket list.” For someone like Keelan, who is looking for a hands-on experience, Habitat for Humanity was the perfect fit. “I just needed the right inspiration to do it. Then one day I saw an ad for Women Build. I knew I wanted to do it but I didn’t want to do it alone, so I called up a colleague and asked if she want-ed to join me. Before I knew it we had 8 women and we raised $3,200.”

Keelan knew that this was the beginning of something big. “It was kind of like when you throw a Christmas party once and then the next year all of a sudden it becomes an “annual event” that you have to one-up the year before.”

The group had such an amazing time in their first year that when the next year rolled around, the same women signed up instantly, this time bringing friends to experience it with them. Calling themselves “Ponytail Power”, a name inspired by Keelan’s daughter, the group grew to 14 people in the second year. In year three, the team exploded to 33 women, who helped bring in just over $33,000.

Women Build ticks a lot of boxes for Keelan. “It’s cool to actually check somethingoff your bucket list, get a chance to network with people, raise funds and write a cheque, and pick up a new skill, and feel like you’ve actually accomplished something and actu-ally given back.”

In September, the Ponytail Power team returns for the 2016 Women Build, which kick-starts Habitat for Humanity GTA’s largest home building project to date at the Pinery Trail build site, aiming to raise half a million dollars towards funding homes for 50 families in need.

Women rally to help build homes with GTA families

Habitat for Humanity GTA Donor Newsletter

Build Updates:187 people move into Habitat homes

The Sinatos get a newhome and a new family

Remembering the past by building the future

The Sosins join theYork Region communityDonate. Volunteer. Share.

How amazing is it for these children to know that the community built these houses for them. It’s such a good feeling.

$5.8M+ Raisedfor building homes from donations, sponsorships, & Habitat signature events

23 familiesmoved into safe,decent affordable homes

168,000Volunteer hours

Looking back on 2015:

Visit HFHgtaannualreport.ca/2015 for a complete update on our 2015 achivements

donor newsletter_FINAL.indd 1 8/2/2016 1:36:26 PM

Lorena Sinato never imagined her new Habitat for Humanity home would not only come with four walls and a roof, it would come with a brand new family to live under it.

When the Sinato family began their journey with Habitat for Humanity GTA, Lorena was a single mother determined to offer her nine year old son Bryan the best life possible. Blind and suffering from Cerebral Palsy, Bryan required 24-hour care to help him eat and get around. Living in a high-rise building was a daily struggle for the family of two; Bryan needed extra space to accommodate the equipment keeping him alive.

The elevators often didn’t work, which meant that Bryan had to be carried up six flights of stairs by Lorena. Unsani-tary conditions throughout the building posed a real threat to Bryan’s health; his feeding tubes required a high standard of cleanliness to ensure his well-being.

The police were regularly called to the building in the middle of the night to deal with violence and Lorena was increasingly concerned for their safety. This, along with the financial pressure of high rent, made securing help for Bryan nearly impos-sible, which put added stress on Lorena as the sole caregiver.

For Lorena and Bryan, news that they would be the recipient of a Habitat for Humanity home was a lifeline they desperately needed. But unbeknownst to Lorena, her home would come with a veryunexpected surprise.

As part of her agree-ment with Habitat for Humanity, Lorena com-pleted 500 ‘sweat eq-uity’ hours in lieu of a down payment, helping build her own home and homes for families like hers. It was during these hours that she

met a volunteer that would change her life as profoundly as the Habitat home she was constructing.

Gordon March, a volunteer working on Lo-rena’s house, quickly bonded with Lorenaas they worked to build the house she would call home with her son. It didn’t take long for the both to realize that they wanted more. “We started dating,” Lorena explains, “and last August we were married.”

Lorena’s new blended family wasn’t the only lasting legacy of her Habitat for Humanity home. After moving into their fully-accessible home on Richie Avenue in 2012, the impact of the new space was immediately apparent.Bryan’s health began to thrive beyond even Lorena’s wildest dreams.

“Bryan moves on his own now,” says Lorena with pride. “It took three years to train him, but with more space it was possible for him to learn to get around our home by himself. He no longer needs to wait for me to walk him

from room to room, he is more independent and that has made a huge difference in both of our lives.”

More space has also made it possible for the family to qualify for a therapy dog, which will help Bryan manage his seizures. The safety of her new neighbourhood and the affordable mortgage that Lorena pays has also meant that Lorena is able to get an overnight nurse to come in to take care of Bryan, feeding and helping him use the bath-room, which allows Lorena to sleep through the night three nights a week.

Lorena also now helps other mothers who have special-needs children. Every three months, she hosts a group meeting in her home, gathering women to offer support and encouragement, and to share advice and re-sources.

“If Habitat didn’t exist, I know I would have been in a co-op building forever. I was a sin-gle mom working full-time to provide a better life for my son, trying to pay for therapy and extra care. With all the medical expenses to cover, I wouldn’t have been able to get a mortgage,” Lorena expalins.

Lorena is profoundly grateful to Habitat for Humanity GTA and all the donors and volunteers who made her home – and the dream of a better life for her son – a reality. For the thousands of families in Toronto struggling as she did, she hopes her story serves as an inspiration, and offers some encouraging advice. “It’s the same advice I give to my son – Never give up on your dreams, always try, don’t stop.”

Then and now: the Sinato family’s transformative journey

Gordon & Lorena’s new blended family

If Habitat didn’t exist, I know I would have been in a co-op building forever.

Craig and Keiko Sosin are in the same position as many other families in York Region: too many bills, not enough money. With two young children under the age of eight, the family had to settle for a rented home in disrepair in Richmond Hill to make ends meet. Every time it rained, water leaked into the apartment through cracks in the walls and around the windows. The walls were literally crumbling around them. Despite their efforts to patch them up, the Sosins’ living situation deteriorated year after year. Drafts through the severe cracks in the structure brought ex-treme temperatures and air quality problems that were beyond the fami-ly’s control, and impacted their health.

Saving up enough to move seemed impossible until they heard about Habitat for Humanity GTA through government agency York Region Housing. “With increasing house prices, homeown-ership was out of our reach. There’s never really much at the end of the day for a down payment on a home,” says Craig Sosin.

“Habitat for Humanity GTA has turned our hopes and dreams into a reality, offering the

possibility of a better quality of life for our family in the future.”

The Sosins are the future homeowners of Habitat for Humanity GTA’s newest project in York Region, a detached home on Main Street, the first of its kind in the Whitchurch-Stouffville community.

Construction begins this summer and the family will move in before the end of the year. Craig and Keiko have already worked more than 350 of their 500 ‘sweat equity’ volunteer hours which Habitat GTA requires lieu of a down payment.

Recently, the family attended the popular Whitchurch-Stouffville Strawberry Festival for the first time, where they met the Mayor and hundreds of friendly locals. The ex-perience reinforced all the positive things they’ve learned about their new community, and fueled their excitement about being part of it even more.

The entire family is eager to get involved in community programs and enjoy the outdoors. “Audrey likes swimming, gym-nastics and rock climbing, and Blue enjoys skating so we’ll be looking for a hockey

league for him. Just being able to have the freedom to go out the back door to play in the yard will be amazing,” adds Craig.

Keiko has been staying at home taking care of the children and is looking forward to finding work in her field of nutrition once everyone is settled in the new school.

“Being a homeowner will give us a place to really call our own, and building equity in a home will give us a chance to save for our future,” says Craig. “I can’t even imagine our future right now. It will be interesting to see all the changes that will come our way.”

A brighter future in York Region for the Sosin Family

Habitat for Humanity GTA has turned our hopes and dreams into a reality.

The past year has been incredibly exciting and busy at Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area (GTA) as we continue our efforts to build more houses for GTA families in need of a safe, affordable, and decent place to call home.

I am thrilled to be able to share with you how your support has impacted our community, and all the lives you have forever changed through your generosity. Your whole-hearted support has brought financial stability and improved well-being to the families we work with and, in turn, has improved the communities where they live.

Your donor dollars have been hard at work building a strong foundation for families that will have an impact that lasts generations. I hope, when you read these stories, that you are as touched as I am by what we have accomplished together, and by the promise of what lies ahead for these families. None of this would be possible without you.

On behalf of the families whose lives you have bettered, thank you for your generous and continued support.

Ene UnderwoodCEO, Habitat for Humanity GTA

It takes everyone’s commitment to build a strong community

Build Updates

Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, we’re proud to report that 187 people (36 partner families) have moved into safe, decent, and affordable homes in 2015 and the first half of 2016.

Com

plet

ed H

omes

Walker Road, York Region:1 Family 4 People

Torbram Road, Brampton: 8 Families44 People

Brimley Road, Toronto: 15 Families78 People

Andrew Street, York Region:1 Family 4 People

Birchmount Road, Toronto:4 Families 18 People

McLevin Avenue, Toronto: 6 Families35 People

Build

s in

Pro

gres

s

Birchmount Road (10 Units)The roofs are being constructed and installed on three of the eight remaining units.

McLevin Avenue (6 Units)Volunteers are currently adding the finishing touches like concrete and landscaping to the houses and we anticipate handing over keys to six families at the end of July so they are able to move into their new homes in August.

Torbram Road (10 Units)We have ten units left to finish on the busy Torbam site. Five of the units have just had their roofs completed, with insulation and drywall installed, while volunteers will be working on digging holes to prepare for the foundation for the next five.

Pinery Trail (50 Units)Habitat for Humanity GTA’s largest home build in its history gets underway this summer! A total of 50 townhouse units will be built at 140 Pinery Trail, with families expected to move in by Fall 2019. Site preparation has already begun, and volunteers are beginning to dig up land in order to build foundations for the units.

Kennedy Road (10 Units)Work will begin this September at a new site in the Town of Caledon on Kennedy Road. Ten townhouse units, including one that is wheel-chair accessible, will be built. Each home will have an attached garage and two off-street parking spaces per unit. Completion of this project is expected by the end of 2017.

Main Street (1 Unit)The homebuilding process will soon begin at 6554 Main Street for a single home in Whitchurch-Stouffville. The Sosin family (featured left) will be moving in before the end of 2016. St

artin

g So

on

Metro Road, York Region:1 Family 4 People

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