Staff Spotlight: LaManda Bowers

by Brenda Palmisano LaManda Bowers has served as the Volunteer Services Manager for Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland for the past six years. Throughout the years, LaManda has focused on Recruitment, Recognition, and Retention of volunteers, while also focusing heavily on community outreach and assisting with special events, all while advocating the mission of Habitat to everyone she meets.

Before beginning work at Habitat, LaManda had recently divorced and was working in the school system, but after hearing about Habitat from a friend, LaManda soon realized there was something special about Habitat. “I fell in love with the mission of Habitat and knew this is where I needed to be full time,” LaManda said. “The way everything fell so perfectly in place was as if God had hand-picked this organization for me.”

LaManda quickly fell in love with Habitat and her position within the organization. There are many aspects of Volunteer Services that LaManda enjoys, but a few stuck out to her as being the most impactful. “One particular part of my position that sticks out is witnessing first-hand the generosity and passion of individuals in our community,” LaManda said. “It's truly amazing to see such dedicated volunteers, donors, and staff unite to make the dream of homeownership a reality to so many deserving families.”

When she is not working with Habitat volunteers, LaManda enjoys several pastimes outside of work, such as picnics, hiking and crafting with friends. LaManda also serves as the Director of Children's Ministry at her church where she enjoys pouring the word of God into the lives of future leaders.

Throughout her many activities working with Habitat in the local community and serving through her church, LaManda has shown her genuine passion for helping people through all her hard work and dedication to her job. “To me, Habitat is not a job, it is a ministry and I am so thankful that I get to have a hand in it all.”

Sponsor Spotlight: First Cumberland Presbyterian Church

by Brenda Palmisano First Cumberland Presbyterian Church has been a part of Cleveland for over 100 years. The mission of the church is “Lifting up Christ, Building up people,” a mantra that drives their work in the community.

As a long-standing institution of Cleveland, First Cumberland has partnered with Habitat of Cleveland for over 13 years, during which they have helped sponsor over 10 homes, while donating over $200,000 to Habitat throughout the years. Reverend Jen Newell of First Cumberland Presbyterian loves  to partner with Habitat as an outlet to bring love and hope to members of the community

“People recognize the love we have for God by the love that we show for other people, especially people who have nothing to give in return,” Newell said. “The Habitat model encourages families to take responsibility for their lives, to be advocates for themselves and their neighbors, and to walk down a path toward stability and strength, and that's a win for the entire community.”

The congregation of First Cumberland Presbyterian is the true image of servant-hood; never hesitating to fill a need and always finding a creative way to do so. Over the years, they have sponsored houses, volunteered on the job site, provided food for other volunteers, and even hosted fundraisers on behalf of Habitat. The members of First Cumberland Presbyterian simply love to love people, and by partnering with Habitat, they help spread that love throughout our community.

Volunteer Spotlight: Vivian Williams

Vivian Williams, heard about Habitat for Humanity after her retirement from the public school system in San Diego, California. She volunteered with different organizations in Cleveland such as the police department and the hospital for several years before coming to Habitat but found that Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland was the right fit. Vivian volunteers for the purpose of looking for a meaningful way to spend her extra time. What she enjoys the most about being a volunteer at Habitat is the people and the relationships she has built through volunteering with the organization.

Vivian has been a tremendous help and asset to Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland through the outstanding customer service and knowledge she provides to individuals who walk through our doors. She is a cashier at our North ReStore location on Thursdays and Saturdays and she also helps on the sales floor assisting customers. She has been advocating for Habitat's mission for 8 years.

Vivian enjoys traveling on a regular basis with her friends and travel clubs. Her laugh is contagious and she adds a unique twist and extra splash of joy in the lives of her Habitat family.

SERVPRO partners with Habitat to create restoration

by Brenda Palmisano Servpro is a Tennessee based company, operating out of Gallatin, TN with individually owned and operated franchises across the nation. Our local Servpro has been a part of the Bradley County community for more than 10 years, ranking in the top 25 as a Servpro disaster recovery team. Through the years, our local Servpro has grown to include three franchises total in Chattanooga and Cleveland.

In addition to their own restoration and recovery efforts, Servpro holds a national partnership with American Red Cross and also lends support to fire fighters and emergency responders by participating in Mutual Aid.

Servpro has partnered with Habitat for Humanity for over two years, offering maintenance classes for future Habitat homeowners. Through this relationship, Servpro has gone above and beyond to provide knowledge about the hazards that can come with owning a home, such as  fire, mold and water damage.

In partnership with Habitat, Servpro shares a passion for helping people achieve their home ownership dreams, while preparing them to protect their homes by investing resources, time and talent.

Through their many different avenues of outreach, Servpro strives to offer excellent service, fairness and mutual respect with hopes of being the premier cleaning and restoration company in the world.

“We not only restore damaged homes and businesses, we restore people back to their way of life,” said Jeff Gregory, sales and marketing manager for Servpro of Chattnooga and Bradley County.

Sponsor Spotlight: WACKER POLYSILICON North America

by Brenda Palmisano WACKER POLYSILICON North America donated $10,000 in support of the Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland ReStores. The gift will be used to purchase a truck that will be used to collect donations from the community that are sold to fulfill Habitat’s mission in Bradley County.

“Habitat for Humanity works in many ways to support families in this community who are in need of a place to call home,” said Mary Beth Hudson, vice president and site manager of WACKER POLYSILICON North America. “We are proud to support the great work they do in Bradley County, and look forward to future opportunities to grow our partnership.”

The ReStore accepts gently-used donations in sellable condition and then sells them at up to 80% below retail value. The profits from the ReStores allow Habitat to fulfill the mission of building homes in Bradley County.

“We are so grateful and excited to partner with WACKER POLYSILICON,” said Chip Willis, Habitat for Humanity executive director. “Our current donation pick-up truck has over 225,000 miles on it, so this gift to purchase a truck was very much needed. Without a reliable truck, we cannot keep enough inventory in our stores to support the Habitat of Cleveland mission.”

Whirlpool donation of brand new appliances just for you!

by Brenda Palmisano The Restores have received a generous donation from Whirpool Corporation in Cleveland! Both ReStores have been supplied with over four hundred fully equipped electric stoves. The ReStores have double ovens and stove tops in various finishes. These brand new stoves are beautiful, high-quality appliances ready for you to take home today! The North and South ReStore addresses can be found to the left.

Staff Spotlight: Michelle Haas

By: Brenda Palmisano Michelle Haas has been manager of the ReStore since 2015, but her journey with Habitat for Humanity started much earlier during a difficult time in her life. Michelle visited the ReStore as a customer when it first opened and after finding out more about Habitat's mission, she was instantly captivated by the heart of the organization. “After I found out the story behind Habitat and what it did, it inspired me,” Michelle said. “Everyone has such a great work ethic and everyone is after one goal.”

After joining the ReStore team, Michelle continued to share Habitat’s passion for people, which has become her favorite aspect of working at the ReStore.“They really make it a lot of fun to work here and everybody works really well together,” Michelle said. “Working here was probably one of the smartest decisions I have made. I love the staff, and the volunteers; they are like a second family to me.”

Outside of work, Michelle has a secret hobby and skill: she is very skilled with DIY and craft projects. “Most people don’t really know how crafty and artsy I am. I’m kind of a DIY MacGyver; I enjoy creating and fixing things,” she said. In addition to her secret hobby, Michelle also likes to spend time with her kids, who she claims as her main hobby.

“One of the best things about Michelle is that she treats each of her employees with respect,” said JK Barrineau, South ReStore Floor Supervisor. “She values our ideas and opinions and makes us feel like we are each important members of  the team. She is a such a team player and  is always a pleasure to work with!”

Volunteer Spotlight: Danny Britt

Danny Britt has been volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland since 2003. Danny just happened to go on the construction site when the members of the Regular Construction Crew were building Habitat home number 37 on Oak Tree Lane. It was during that build that Don Rollens, Danny’s good friend and fellow volunteer, talked him into volunteering. “The instant I met Danny there was something about him that I loved,” said LaManda Bowers, Volunteer Services Manager. “Danny is such a pillar for our affiliate. His warm smile is met with compassion and dedicated hands. He is devoted to building homes, providing leadership, and using his wisdom and insight to better Habitat for Humanity. It's people like Danny, who put compassion into action, that make our world a little brighter.”

Danny is from Mississippi and worked for the USDA Forest Service for 36 years. With the USDA Forest Service, Danny has worked in California, Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana where he ended up retiring in 1998. He and his family lived in Cleveland for a short time in the 1980's, and then they decided to move to Cleveland permanently in 2002.

Danny said he loves volunteering because it provides him with the opportunity to work with old friends and new friends to accomplish something great. “And that great accomplishment is a house that you helped build that will benefit a local family,” said Danny.

When asked what his favorite project or memory was, Danny said there are many favorite projects and memories! However, Danny said the most memorable project he has been involved in was helping to build Habitat’s 100^th home in Century Village neighborhood. He said working on the build and being a part of the festivities that took place to celebrate the home was unforgettable.

Danny is an advocate for volunteering and invites anyone interested to join whether you have a background in construction or not! “You don't have to know carpentry to volunteer. You can learn on the job,” said Danny. “You will soon see results of your work, and I believe any volunteer would enjoy working with the regular volunteers."

Staff Spotlight: NaCole Harris-Massengill

By: Ben Clifton NaCole has years of experience making her passion of bettering the lives of families the driving force of her career. She joined the Habitat family in August of 2011, as the Family Services Manager after previously working for the Department of Children’s Services for eight years.

NaCole spoke at a meeting on Children’s Abuse and Neglect in 2008, where she met a representative from Habitat for Humanity. The Habitat representative spoke about the organization’s program and mission, and it was there that NaCole connected with Habitat, seeing that this was an outlet that could meet the needs of her clients. “What appealed to me about Habitat was the opportunity to continue to work with families in bettering themselves, breaking the cycle of poverty, learning to budget and achieving their dream of owning their own home,” says NaCole.

Though her job description changed, the passion remained the same after seeing the needs of clients in her former career come to fulfillment in her current position. “Having families tell me they want a place that their children can thrive and have stability and seeing them put forth the effort to make it happen is what keeps me here,” she says.

“I cannot find the words to adequately describe what an outstanding job NaCole does in working with our homeowners,” said Chip Willis. “She is a mentor, a coach, a friend, and a voice of reason when they need it. She is always happy to help any other staff member when they need assistance, offering a warm smile as she jumps right into action. NaCole is truly an asset to Habitat.”

Neighborhood Revitalization, 2016

Every year,  Habitat partners with Impact Cleveland, Ocoee Outreach, and Broad Street United Methodist’s Men’s Group to complete neighborhood repair projects in Bradley County. Through this initiative, we are able to revitalize neighborhoods in Bradley County into safe and inviting places for current and future residents. The Neighborhood Revitalization initiative aims to assist homeowners with repairs to their homes. Examples of Neighborhood Revitalization projects include: repairs and replacements of existing wheelchair ramps, porches, gutters, sheet rock, ceilings, and floor systems.

This year, over 20 families will be helped through the Neighborhood Revitalization initiatives in 2016. These projects are able to become a reality because of the support from sponsors and volunteer labor. The following sponsors and volunteer groups have partnered with us to make much-needed repairs a reality for families in our community:

Broad Street United Methodist’s Men’s Group Cleveland State Community College Habitat’s Regular Construction Volunteers The Home Depot Impact Cleveland Lee University Ocoee Outreach Thrivent  Builds Whirlpool Corporation