Habitat+for+Humanity

Democracy and Active Citizenship Project
 * What should be prepared for the Dialogues in Democracy Night? Click the link below to find out: **

__Problem Statement:__
__Problem Statement __ Imagine not being able to live in a home, or having very little in your house. Not talking about luxuries like TV, stereo, or computer. Imagine not having necessities for example heat, electricity or water. Homes provide protection from the natural elements, stability for children, protection for your health; physical safety, security, and a sense of pride all come with having a decent, stable and clean house. (Vision) To eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. (Issue Statement) The world is in a global housing crisis. Along with natural disasters ruining homes of many people, payments on houses have become too high. Today, more than a billion people live in urban slums and 100 million are homeless, in the United States alone, 95 million people have housing problems. (Method) Creating a campus chapter for Habitat for humanity would help by increasing the number of people developing communities with people in need by building and renovating houses so that there are decent houses in decent communities in which every person can live and grow.

__Bill or Policy:__
__Proposal __ The state of housing throughout the U.S and many other places in the world is devastating. Citizens are living in unsafe households. Having a home would protect you from the natural elements, provide stability for children and families, educational and job prospects improve and a families sense of pride grows with their owning of a home. Our plan is to start a campus chapter at North Kingstown High School for the Habitat for Humanity organization. A campus chapter would involve creating a club at the high school and getting students to join. The club could help Habitat in four different ways. They would Build, Fundraise, Advocate, and Educate to get involved. If members of the club are uncomfortable building they could still help out on site by helping out in the ReStore which sells reusable and surplus building material to the public, or they could help make lunch for the builders. Becoming a campus chapter would cost money so we would have to fundraise to make the payment. We think developing this club will give students a chance to help someone else in the community that needs it.


 * __Lobbying Plan:__**

** Lobbying Plan ** **Statement on your project:** -**Start a campus chapter at NKHS for Habitat for Humanity** **Timeline:** When will you send it to the appropriate official? **-As soon as possible or when our entire plan is ready before the end of the year.** When will you follow up with that official? **-Give Dr. Kenworthy time to think then set up a follow-up meeting.** How will you follow up with the official? **-Set up follow-up meeting** **Find a sponsor (State Rep, Town Council, School Committee):** Who will be the key person you will ask to support your bill or policy **-Find a club advisor within the school interested in helping us maybe interact leaders or honor society leaders because it would help their students get volunteer hours.** **Build coalitions of support:** What other groups or individuals will be asked to help you? **-interested students for volunteer hours, club advisor, advertise for club, take a poll to see who would join** **Try to work with your opposition:** Who is organized against you? **-maybe the school because of the budget for club/meeting space for club** Are there ways for you to work with opposing groups? **We would fundraise on our own, wouldn’t need finance from the school.** **Plan for attending committee meetings:** What testimony will you provide? **-Our plan, prepare for opposing questions, how we will carry out our plan.** Will you produce signs for your meeting? **Bring in Habitat for Humanity guides, rules, and regulations for Dr. Kenworthy to read.** **Prepare a one page flyer:** __Include:__ The bill or policy you want to change **-Add a campus chapter** The sponsor’s name and title **-Our club advisor (Ms. Lyons, Mrs. D’Errico)** Your name, and contact info **-Taylor Baxter taylor_baxter@nksd.net,** **-Victoria LaValley Victoria_lavalley@nksd.net** Your reasons for supporting (or opposing) the bill or policy **-would help many people, good because great volunteering opportunities while helping others in need and getting bigger things accomplished and having new experiences.**

__Direct Action Plan:__
Planning Direct Action Hopefully this will bring awareness to everyone about housing issues throughout the state and gather student’s interest in helping outside of school. Also by joining this club students could gain community service for college and other reasons as well
 * Our goal is to add a campus chapter at North Kingstown High School for Habitat for Humanity. We hope to get students interested and involved to become members of this club. We also hope to help out others in need throughout the state.
 * Our Media Event to raise awareness to create this club would be to hold a meeting at 131 Humanity Drive in North Kingstown on June 9th, 2011. This is the newest potential building site for Habitat for Humanity.
 * Our goal is to get awareness out to the local community through local newspapers and magazines as well as local press such as posting flyers throughout the school, putting an ad on the schools TV, as well as ads and press releases in the student paper, The Current Wave, the local papers: The Independent, North Kingstown Villager, and The Standard Times .Through advertising we will inform students interested in a meeting as well as gathering local public awareness.
 * People who will speak at this event will be: students interested in joining the club, any people who would be willing to donate to or support the club, the club advisor, a member of the local organization for Habitat for Humanity, the owners of the new house being built and anyone who is willing to help spread the word.
 * The purpose of the event being located the newest potential site in North Kingstown is that so people can see the work that needs to be done and be able to see the location and participate hands on. We want the media to capture this to help inspire others to come out and help as well.

__Media Advisory:__
**MEDIA ADVISORY---** May 27, 2011**CONTACT:** Victoria LaValley (401) 884-2595 Taylor Baxter (401) 294-6230[** Habitat for Humanity NKHS Campus Chapter **] **[Habitat for Humanity NKHS Campus Chapter] Wants to get community involved in making a difference in the Housing Crisis throughout the world.** [North Kingstown, RI]— More than [20] [North Kingstown] residents are expected to turn out on [June 9th, 2011] to [START ORGANIZATION OF THIS CLUB/CAMPUS CHAPTER], according to [Taylor Baxter & Victoria LaValley]. [Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter] has planned a [Gathering at 131 Humanity Drive North Kingstown, Rhode Island] in order to [Spread awareness of this problem throughout the community and gather volunteers/members]. [This would benefit the community in a positive way because it is eliminating poverty housing and homelessness.] We are planning to add a campus chapter as a club at North Kingstown High School. We want to do this because we are hoping to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness. We want everyone to live in a clean, stable environment and to have their own since of pride. We want to get students at North Kingstown High School involved. [Habitat for Humanity works together to build clean, stable low-income housing for citizens who need it. Habitat is a nonprofit organization always looking for donations that would be greatly appreciated.] ###
 * WHO:** [Students, teachers, public, members of Habitat for Humanity, Dr. Kenworthy, Club advisors, Club creators, Potential club members, Members of the school board.]
 * WHAT:** [Meeting for the kickoff of Campus Chapter for Habitat for Humanity]
 * WHERE:** [131 Humanity Drive, North Kingstown, Rhode Island, 02852**]**
 * WHEN:** [June 9th 2011]

__Press Release:__
For Immediate Release Contact: Victoria LaValley & Taylor Baxter May 19, 2011 Cell: (401) 268-6236

Students for Habitat for Humanity **North Kingstown High School Students starting campus chapter for Habitat for Humanity to help the world-wide housing crisis. ** North Kingstown, RI – Students at North Kingstown High School are starting a campus chapter for the local Habitat for Humanity organization. There will be a meeting at 131 Humanity drive in North Kingstown on June 9th 2011 regarding the establishment of the club and the support of the community. People who should attend are: students interested in joining the club, any people who would be willing to donate to or support the club, the club advisor, a member of the local organization for Habitat for Humanity, the owners of the new houses being built and anyone who is willing to help spread the word. We are starting the club to help the world-wide housing crisis, and for students at North Kingstown High School to get volunteer hours in a new, creative way.

“We wanted to start this club to bring awareness to the housing crisis throughout the world and to get students involved in helping other people and get new experiences from it.” Club creator; Victoria LaValley

Habitat for humanity is for a good cause. Habitat is a nonprofit organization that seeks to eliminate poverty housing across the world. “We wanted to bring this organization to North Kingstown to fix this problem locally, and we want to get everyone in the community involved.” Club creator; Taylor Baxter

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Speakers at the presentation will include the family of this house, habitat for humanity organizer and club creators.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Taylor Baxter and Victoria LaValley are students at North Kingstown High School and are interested in bringing this organization to the community.###

__Letter to Elected Official__
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none;">Victoria LaValley and Taylor Baxter <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-variant: small-caps; text-align: right;">Students for Habitat for Humanity **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">(401)268-6236 ** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: right;">Victoria LaValley@nksd.net or Taylor Baxter@nksd.net <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: right;">150 Fairway Drive <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: right;">North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 <span style="border-bottom: windowtext 2.25pt solid; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; display: block; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"> May 5, 2010 Doctor Kenworthy Principle North Kingstown High School 150 Fairway Drive North Kingstown, RI 02852 Dear Doctor Kenworthy,

We are juniors here at the High School and were interested in started a campus chapter for Habitat for Humanity here at school as a new club. We are interested in the idea of Habitat for Humanity and wanted your approval for starting the club. The club or campus chapter would consist of members who would volunteer to fundraise for the program, going to different sites around the state and help build, or prepare lunches and snacks for the builders. Students in the club could also work at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, which is a store that sells reusable and surplus building materials to the public. We were interested in starting the campus chapter here at NKHS because Housing is a big issue throughout the state and even affects students here at the school as well. It is important for students here to get involved outside school and experience new things. It could also give students a chance to get volunteer hours for other clubs such as Interact and National Honors Society and be beneficial to the state and others as well. We wanted to meet with you to talk about your opinions of establishing this new club and to get your approval. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Victoria LaValley

Taylor Baxter



__Public Service Announcement:__
<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 180%;">REMINDER: Dialogues for Democracy will be held at 7:00 PM Thursday June 9th in the high school cafeteria. You are required to be there.

Project Completed by: Add your names here. You can add you email addresses if you want people to be able to contact you.