For Immediate Release: November 1, 2006

LOCAL HABITAT AFFILIATE TO BECOME

MOUNTAIN COUNTRY HOMES OF HOPE

Branson, MO- Mountain Country Habitat for Humanity, one of the most successful rural affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International for almost twenty years, has disaffiliated from Habitat International to become an independent, non-profit ministry now known as Mountain Country Homes of Hope, Inc. The affiliate's board of directors, by unanimous decision, voted to withdraw its affiliate status effective November 1, 2006.

According to Board president, Jim Barber, "We certainly respect the work of Habitat International, but the Board felt that the Habitat corporation was broadening its mission to encompass issues that detracts from the principal on which Habitat for Humanity was originally founded. Habitat International is also standardizing affiliates across the board which we feel will hinder us in addressing the needs particular to our community. After long and serious deliberation, we chose to disaffiliate in order to continue to focus our attention on helping provide simple, decent, and affordable homes for local, low-income families."

"This change presents an exciting opportunity for us to implement an even more directed program than before." says Susan Martin, executive director of the ministry for 11 1/2 years. "There is a tremendous need for affordable housing for working, low-income families in Taney and Stone Counties. This area is growing so rapidly, that a plan must be in place that will enable members of our community, who are subsisting on hourly wages, to have access to affordable apartments or be able to buy an affordable home. We want to help address this concern."

Mountain Country Homes of Hope will begin taking applications for homes in February 2007. Requirements to apply will not change. Applicants must have lived in Taney or Stone county for a minimum of two years, must meet HUD low-income guide lines for this area, have been at their current job for a minimum of six months, live in sub-standard or overcrowded housing, and be willing to help build their house and that of another approved family.

'We completed our forty-fifth home in October, and plan on building at least two homes in 2007 with money raised locally,"says Fran Forman, board member and chair of the Family Selection committee. "Contrary to public perception, Habitat International did not support us at all financially. All of our funding comes from fund raising events, grants and community support. If someone locally sent money directly to Habitat International specifying that the funds be directed back to us, International took an automatic 10.4 percent recovery fee off the top before sending it back to us."

The next fund raising event, to be held in February 07, will be an art auction at the Cobblestone Meeting Facility sponsored by the Tri-Lakes Board of Realtors and Golden Corral Family Restaurant. In addition to events and grants, Mountain Country Homes of Hope will continue to raise money through aluminum can collection, and their Warehouse Store located behind the Hollister police station.

"We take donations of new and gently used building materials, windows, doors, lighting fixtures, appliances and household items like dishes and knick-knacks," says Martin. "Donating to and shopping at our warehouse store is a very positive situation. Perfectly good building or household items that have been updated or replaced can be donated to us which we, in turn, sell, and all the money goes toward building a home locally. It's a wonderful opportunity for folks who can't financially support us to still be able to contribute to our ministry. They can also help by collecting and saving aluminum cans. We have over fifty businesses that partner with us in this effort."

Martin adds, "As a Habitat affiliate since 1987, and having built and/or refurbished over fifty homes in this area, we have certainly been a viable part of this community. However, by becoming solely a locally focused non-profit, our ministry now truly belongs to the citizens of Taney and Stone Counties."

For more information on partnering, volunteering or making donations to Mountain Country Homes of Hope, visit their website at www.mchh.net or contact them at 417-335-2015.

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