Aluminum Cans Build Habitat for Humanity Homes

By recycling your aluminum cans for Habitat for Humanity, you can help raise funds to build homes. Drop off sites in the area include:

• Aurora Pump and Pantry
• Cairo Pump and Pantry
• Central City Pump and Pantry
• Chapman Pump and Pantry
• Doniphan Pump and Pantry
• Grand Island
  • Ace Hardware - west parking lot
  • Kramer's Auto Parts and Iron - N. Hwy 281 (indicate cans for Habitat)
  • Pump and Pantry at Hwy 281 and Capital Ave.
  • Pump and Pantry at Hwy 281 and Stolley Park Rd.
  • Pump and Pantry at Shady Bend and Bismark Roads
  • Pump and Pantry South Locust Street
  • Wayne Cyclery - downtown
• St. Libory Pump and Pantry
• St. Paul Pump and Pantry
• Wood River United Methodist Church
• York Pump and Pantry

2004 Collection Results: 2.3 million cans, for $45,408 in recycling and grants.
2005 Collection Results: 2.3 million cans, for $60,862 in recycling and grants.
2006 Collection Results: 2 million cans, for $58,314.55 in recycling and grants.
2007 Collection Results: 1.9 million cans, for $70,585 in recycling and grants.
2008 Collection Results: 1.95 million cans, for $37,124 in recycling.
2009 Collection Results: 2.1 million cans, for $24,050 in recycling.


Home Building & Related Projects

The construction season varies from year to year. Most years there is something to do all year, however the bulk of the home building occurs from March through October. Groups are scheduled for each Saturday and make up the core group of volunteers for a work day, however, individual volunteers are always welcome. For current construction sites and schedules, contact the Habitat for Humanity office at 385-5510 or gihfh@yahoo.com. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to be on the construction sites. Those 16-18 need to have a signed release from their parents before they may volunteer on building a Habitat home.

Other projects may occur during the year as part of A Brush with Kindness. This program offers small, exterior home improvement assistance for low-income homeowners. The first projects will be launched late in 2010.

Download Release Form

Special Builds in 2010 include:

The All Church Build: March through July at 1128 N Cherry. This is the seventh year for the All Church Build, with volunteer groups provided by area churches. This year's project is sponsored by the Build a Dream Dinner and Auction's sponsors, donors and participants. 

The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Build: April through July at 724 E. 11th. Sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, with support from the Twin river Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Area Lutherans are also providing the volunteer labor.

Wells Fargo Sonosored Home: May through September at 1010 Poplar. Volunteer labor is from throughout the community, with assistance from Wells Fargo.

Home #62: Construction at 522 Beal is from July through November and supported by various community volunteer groups. Funding for this home is from mortgage payments made by Habitat families. Additional support is from an NSP grant.

Home #63: Construction to begin in September at 526 Beal, then resume in the spring of 2011. Various volunteer groups will assist on the home. Funding is from mortgage payments made by Habitat families.

Corporate Partners, providing supplies for every Habitat home:

• Dow Corporation
• Hunter Douglas B
• Kohler
• Square D/Schneider Electric
• Valspar
• Whirlpool Corporation

Events

Each year, events are held to further Habitat's mission.

Annual events include:

The Build a Dream Dinner and Auction saw its debut in February 2009 at the Bosselman Conference Center at Fonner Park. This great, annual event partners an elegant dinner along with a lively auction and raffles. In its debut year, it raised $24,000 to partially sponsor Home #50. 2010 saw the addition of a raffle for a BMW Coupe courtesy of Tom Dinsdale Chevrolet Cadillac GMC BMW Hyundai. An amazing $60,000 was raised through the event.

The Can Jam is a community recycling event held in collaboration with area elementary schools. The Can Jam celebrates Earth Day and encourages the of recycling aluminum cans for Habitat for Humanity. The event is held the week of Earth Day, April 22. A coloring contest is held in the weeks preceeding the event at the Conestoga Mall. Schools also participate by offering classroom activities and recycling education, plus hold community can drives.

An Antiques Appraisal Fair fundraiser is held in late summer at Railroad Towne Antique Mall in Grand Island. Certified antiques appraisers are on hand. For a specified donation to Habitat, they will appraise your antiques, from "what-is-its" to treasured heirlooms.

The Salad and Silver dinner is held at Evangelical Free Church, typically the third Thursday of September. This year the event will be September 16. Theme decorated tables; a salad supper, entertainment and a dessert auction help us sell out this event every year. Hosts and hostess are recruited to decorate tables with a theme of their choice; then tickets are sold to those tables. Over the years, themes have included, a variety of holiday tables, Pirates, Sunflowers, Fiesta, and Mardi Gras.

The Christmas Cookie Walk is held the first Sunday in December at St. Pauls Lutheran Church. Thousands of holiday cookies are available for sale. Each year over 10,000 cookies are sold. For volunteer information or for event times and location, contact the Habitat office at 308-385-5510 or gihfh@yahoo.com.

Other Events:

Home Dedications are held at the end of construction for each Habitat Home. Traditionally, dedications include a tour of the home, a blessing, presentations and refreshments.

Periodically, other events will also take place in conjunction with special promotions or projects.