Major donors and committee members were lauded at a Moorings Habitat Appreciation Luncheon last Tuesday at the Moorings Yacht and Country Club to recognize their 2018 fundraising efforts, which generated almost $500,000 to support the mission of Indian River Habitat for Humanity.

David Sommers, chair of the Moorings Habitat committee, said the money will fund three Moorings-sponsored Habitat homes, for a total of 68, plus $100,000 for neighborhood revitalization and scholarships. Residents also contribute hundreds of volunteer hours at the ReStore and building sites.

Sommers said more than $340,000 was raised through the Habitat Classic Weekend and Direct Appeal to Moorings residents. The Moorings Club contributed $150,000 under the Community Contribution Tax Credit Program, a sales-tax incentive program targeting affordable housing organizations.

“Without the club’s support over the years, we couldn’t do this,” he said. “The club is so generous with their moral support, with their time, the facilities, staff, the food, which they provide at cost; it is remarkable.”

Over the past two decades, the committee has raised $6.7 million and the club, under the sales-tax program, has provided $1.7 million, for an overall total of $8.4 million.

“That’s an amazing amount of money,” said Kati Rosato, president of the Moorings board of governors.

Commenting on the bond created between donors and recipients, Sommers added, “when you’re at the wall raising and you’ve met the family, you know who you’re working for. You can see the hope in their eyes.”

He stressed that prospective Habitat homeowners contribute hundreds of hours in volunteer time, take classes on budgeting and maintenance, and must repay their zero-interest mortgages. Those payments, in turn, fund new homes.

“This ingenious model is unique; it helps build stronger, responsible families with a new self-esteem,” said Sommers. “And it helps to break the insidious cycle of poverty that keeps too many hard-working poor families down.”

Several leaders in the Moorings fundraising effort were celebrated: Shirley Becker, Dick Winkler, Bob Samuels, John Larsen, Don and Barbara Gervais, Stan and Judy Ziemski, and, for spearheading Moorings Club efforts, Craig Lopes and Kati Rosato.

“Every year, club management and staff throw themselves into the special effort to make the Classic Habitat Weekend successful,” said Craig Lopes, Moorings CEO. “Habitat is the largest and longest standing of the charities that the Moorings Club supports, and we remain committed to the Moorings/Habitat partnership.”

Sheryl Vittitoe, who replaced Andy Bowler this spring as IRHH CEO, said whole families have been impacted through the homes and the scholarships offered to homeowners and their dependents.

“We are intentionally focused on transforming family’s lives and those family’s lives for generations to come,” said Vittitoe.

For more information, visit irchabitat.org.