5/17/2023

Cheboygan, Mich. – Cheboygan County Habitat for Humanity has established a permanent endowment fund at the Straits Area Community Foundation (SACF). The new fund will be used specifically to support the organization’s Homeownership Program which helps people to be able to purchase an affordable home through the building of houses and rehabbing of existing structures.

Cheboygan Habitat for Humanity was given a $100,000 donation from The Martin and Patricia Jahn Foundation specifically so the organization could establish the endowment fund at SACF to ensure the Homeownership program can be supported for generations to come.

“We are so blessed to have the continued support from The Martin and Patricia Jahn Foundation to ensure that we can provide a hand up to community members willing to partner with us to learn the skills needed to maintain their home through the life of their mortgage,” said Mandy Martin, Executive Director for Cheboygan County Habitat for Humanity. “This gift will impact our organization, our local community and those we serve for generations to come.”

Twenty-five homes have been built and sold via an affordable mortgage option through the Homeownership Program so far in Cheboygan County, with plans for two new home builds and one rehab project planned for 2023. Cheboygan County Habitat for Humanity relies heavily on community support to allow for an increased capacity to serve and build, rehab, and repair more homes.

“We hope to continue building at least one home every year compared to one home every three years, which is what we have been doing over the last 10 years,” said Martin. “I strongly encourage anyone considering homeownership with Habitat to reach out early and start the process to get mortgage-ready and work on credit building and debt reduction.”

Martin adds that when Habitat partners with community members through the Homeownership Program, it provides friends, neighbors, and colleagues with a solid foundation for strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter.

“Having this fund is an incredible asset for Cheboygan County and will have a lasting and positive impact on families,” said SACF Affiliate Director Christine Hitch. “It will ensure a permanent source of income to support the program and provides a way for people in the community who connect with the mission and goals of it to support the Homeownership Program in perpetuity. This partnership is a real win for Cheboygan Habitat and for the communities it serves.”

Now that the Cheboygan County Habitat for Humanity Fund has been established, anyone can give to the fund at any time, and in any amount.

The Straits Area Community Foundation serves Cheboygan County and Mackinaw City. SACF is an affiliate of the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM), accredited by National Standards for U.S Community Foundations®. SACF is led by a volunteer board of local citizens committed to providing people who care about the future of the region and its communities with unique and effective ways of supporting their community now, and for generations to come. The foundation oversees a group of permanently endowed funds from a wide range of donors. Gifts of all sizes from individuals, families, businesses, and agencies are invested in a balanced, well-managed portfolio to build endowments, enabling support for local community nonprofits now and forever.

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