Today Habitat for Humanity Singapore turns 12!
To celebrate we compiled 12 facts that you may or may not yet know about us.
Habitat for Humanity Singapore started in 2004 with one-full time staff and it wasn't our National Director!
Today, Habitat Singapore's office currently has 12 full-time staff and relies heavily on its volunteers to meet the increasing demand for safe and decent homes.
Habitat Singapore sent the first teams of volunteers to worst-hit Aceh, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Funding support from Singapore Red Cross enabled Habitat Singapore to rebuild homes in Aceh.
We have raised S$30 million for post-disaster reconstruction projects around the world and supported the construction of 2,500 houses and 20 water projects in disaster-affected areas in the Asia-Pacific region.
Each Habitat home is constructed with materials and resources that are readily available in that particular location.
Habitat home partners are required to contribute sweat equity, which is the investment of hundreds of hours of their own labour working alongside volunteers and other Habitat homeowners.
Habitat Singapore is supported by a social enterprise called Seed-Gifts which specialises in floral arrangements and other small gift items fit for all occasions. Seed-Gifts is committed to giving 100% of profits to HFHSG.
Since its inception, we have built 1,119 homes worldwide.
Project HomeWorks is our largest volunteer programme which seeks to ensure the safety and sanitation of the resident elderly and the physically-disabled who live alone in rented government flats in Singapore by giving their home a good clean-up.
To-date, we have sent 6 StarBuilders youth teams to build Habitat homes overseas. The StarBuilders programme funds youths from disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds to be able to give back by volunteering at Habitat builds
Bare Your Sole is HFHSG’s largest fundraising event which encourages participants to walk barefoot for 2km or 4km to remember Habitat’s beneficiaries, many of whom go day-to-day without shoes. This year will be our 8th edition of the iconic barefoot charity walk.
Habitat Singapore currently has 5 Campus Chapters. These student-led, student-initiated organisations in tertiary institutions partner Habitat to volunteer, fundraise, advocate and educate others about the need to address poverty housing issues.