We have a huge thank you in order for Wheeler Motors, Straits Area Federal Credit Union and Citizens National Bank for being critical components in building safe, affordable and accessible homes within Cheboygan County! Together we are able to lift a single parent out of survival mode. Together we are able to help a veteran stabilize themselves. Together we are able to make a positive impact for local families that last generations.

If you want to take part in sponsoring the gift of hope during our 30th Anniversary gala visit www.https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MjA1NDM5. There you and purchase tickets, purchase sponsorships and learn about how we build homes, communities and hope.

“I don’t have to sleep at night with one eye open. The kids have more room to play. It’s a lot cleaner. I don’t know what to say. I’ve never had a real house before.” -Ralph Neelis

In 1994, Cheboygan County Habitat for Humanity started raising funds for our first home build project in Cheboygan County. In July of 1995, Ralph, Debra, Bekka and Willie turned the first shovel of dirt at their new home location. In 1996, the home was completed and sold to the Neelis Family. 

Over the last 30 years the family has been able to thrive in their safe, decent and affordable home and when they needed a hand up for a home repair, the Neelis family was also our first ever Home Repair Program Partners. Ralph, Debra, Bekka and Willie will always hold a special place in our  Habitat Hearts. We have loved getting to watch the impact that an affordable home has had on this family and are so grateful that Ralph no longer has to sleep with one eye open or carry the burden that an unsafe home could bring to his family. 

While big things happened for our First Habitat Family over the last 30 years, big things have also been happening here at Habitat. As we reflect on the last 30 years and celebrate all that we have accomplished, we’d love to have you in attendance as we celebrate:

• 60 Families Served To Date!
  • 25 via Homeownership;
  • 31 via Home Repair;
  • 4 via Other Housing Programs;
• Establishment of an Endowment Fund;
• $2.5 Million + in ReStore Sales;
• Over 1,600 tons of materials diverted from local landfills;
• First Federal Grant Secured!
• The significant growth over the last 5 years:
  • Grant support increasing from $11,000 to $270,000;
  • Contributions increasing by $100,000;
  • Gift-in-Kind support from local vendors increased by $50,000;
  • Increased the number of completed projects annually;

The success of Cheboygan County Habitat for Humanity is indebted to each and every one of you. Your unwavering dedication and support for affordable housing in Cheboygan County has not only allowed our organization to expand and introduce new housing programs but has also positioned us as a leading non-profit in our community. We cannot express enough how immensely grateful we are for your contributions and unwavering support.

​Since our establishment in 1994, we have successfully completed 25 homeownership projects. Two homes are ready to be sold, and our 28th project is underway. However, our work doesn't stop there. The demand for affordable housing in our community is ongoing, and there is still so much more to accomplish in order to assist families who dream of owning a home. Your continued support is absolutely vital in our mission to make affordable housing a reality for more families.

- Mandy Martin, Executive Director

The beautiful month of September! It’s fall! Our 30th Anniversary Homes and Hope Gala will be happening on September 28th and we would like to invite you, OUR community and OUR neighbors, to an event to celebrate Habitat’s mission for community wellness and all of our achievements in Cheboygan County over the last 30 years. We celebrate those that have made our many achievements possible and contribute toward better and safer housing in our close knit county, so OUR families can thrive and grow. We would love for you to participate in our Gala as a guest, sponsor, donor, volunteer or all 4!! You can purchase your tickets at the Administration Office, Cheboygan Chamber of Commerce, Straits Area Federal Credit Union - Cheboygan, Mackinaw City and Indian River branches, from Board and Committee members and Online. Or you can reach out to us here at the ReStore. We have them at the register. 

Thank you for your never ending support for our ReStore and community;
-Ashley Tribisondi, Restore Manager

Cheboygan County Habitat for Humanity proudly announces that we have two move-in ready homes for sale and a home rehab project scheduled for sale in Summer 2025! Our 3-bedroom, 1-bath homes in Indian River are ready for occupancy, and our Cheboygan Western Avenue Project is currently undergoing renovations. One Indian River Home has a roll-in shower and a handicap ramp. We are actively seeking program applicants for all three homeownership projects.

Our Homeownership Program empowers working households in our community to achieve the dream of homeownership by eliminating barriers such as high interest rates, large down payments, unaffordable monthly payments, fierce competition with other buyers, and the need for a perfect credit score. These challenges often make it extremely difficult to purchase a home on the open market.

When purchasing a home through the Cheboygan County Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program, please remember the following points:

• Household income must fall within a minimum of $30,000 or 30% of the Area Median Income (whichever is larger) and a maximum of 80%.
•  Monthly PITI payment may not exceed 30% of your income.
•  Households must have a mortgage pre-approval for at least $195,000.
•  Homes will be sold at the appraised value. Applicants who can’t afford the sale price will have to take on a silent second mortgage.
• Households must have lived or worked in Cheboygan County for at least the past year.
• Habitat will work with households to find different down payment assistance options for which households may qualify.

​
If you're ready to be a homeowner but find it challenging to compete in today's market, a Habitat home may be the perfect solution for you! To get started, please call 231-597-4663 Ext. 5 or email [email protected].

Everyone needs a hobby, and I have many.  Flower gardening, birdwatching, reading, rockhounding, family ancestry, visiting lighthouses and searching for old Civilian Conservation Corp camps are just a few of the things I love to do when time allows.

I recently realized that I needed something to satisfy my need to repair and recreate things, to take something old and worn and make it look new and beautiful again.  I thought what better way to do that than finding great wood pieces right here where I work and trying my hand at refurbishing something with the Dixie Belle paint we sell right here at the ReStore.  

I didn’t know how this was going to go, but I knew I had to try.  I have never been a crafty person.  I’m not good at drawing, I CAN NOT crochet or knit and frankly, watercolors make me a bit nervous.  But I am good at figuring things out and fixing things. So why not give this a try?

An old vanity with a great mirror came in as a donation.  It had good bones but was a bit rough and had great potential.  It sat unsold on the floor for 2 weeks and I just couldn’t leave it there any longer. It had to come home with me, to my husband’s dismay.  

I started by pulling out the drawers, removing the knobs and cleaning the entire piece.  I was lucky that it wasn’t very dirty, but the Dixie Belle (DB) White Lightning I used to clean it could have easily handled that.  I’d already seen it do wonders on pieces our “Dixie Belle Expert in Residence” Debbie Pond had cleaned before painting.  

The real work began with a light hand sanding over the entire piece just to rough the surface and get it ready.  Next came 2 coats of DB Bonding Boss to seal the wood and give it a good surface for the paint.  I taped it off so I could paint different sections the 2 colors I chose and got painting.

When I purchased the vanity, I knew it had to be painted blue, Nautical Blue, a nice bright navy, to be exact.  With a little help from Debbie, I settled on Sun Kissed as my second color. This one is a great, slightly off-white color with a sunny hint of yellow to it.  I wanted to try Dixie Belle’s Silk All-in-One line of paint.  Silk has a primer and topcoat built in and we hadn’t used it on any projects at the ReStore yet, so I figured I’d give it it’s maiden run (and save myself a little time and some additional products).

The Nautical Blue went on so easily.  I ended up doing 2 coats though it probably didn’t need it.  Next came 2 coats of Sun Kissed and when I looked at the results, I couldn’t believe it.  Did I really do that?  Me?  I’m not good at this sort of thing, but this is gorgeous!!  With new confidence I tackled the 3-section mirror. Painter’s tape and patience made the curved parts manageable with only a little clean up on the glass with a razor blade.  I finished the whole piece with 2 coats of DB Flat Clear Coat for extra protection.  I didn’t have to, but I have 2 cats that climb on everything and knock things over, no more explanation needed.

I put it all back together, attached the mirror and thought I was done. I decided that I could do more.  I used some of the Nautical Blue I had left to paint the knobs and put a border around the outside of the mirror.  That was just what it needed.  I hated the old, outdated contact paper inside the drawers, so it had to go. Honestly, getting that out was the hardest part of the whole project.  I Bonding Boss coated the inside of the drawers, used Badlands Silk on the inside and decoupaged the bottom.  Decoupage is an intimidating word, but 2 YouTube videos later I knew I could do it.  And Voilà!

If I can do this, so can you.  The feelings of relaxation, confidence and pride my new hobby has given me are priceless.

Disclaimer:  All Dixie Belle paint, brushes and other DB products were purchased at the ReStore except for the decoupage paper which I ordered online, though the ReStore has some of that too. 

Stay tuned for my next project and post in October, a simple wood chest that turned into a labor of love that was anything but simple.

​-Melissa Tallman, Operations Manager.

This week was full of fun and laughter as we dove into out reach by participating in Family Fun Day and Ladies Day at the Cheboygan County Fair! We painted rocks with children of all ages during Family Fun Day and met a plethora of hard working, inspiring women during Ladies Day. Without the help and support of this wonderful community we wouldn't be able to help as many families as we do. Thank you, so very much for your continued support. We hope you enjoy these pictures from our event tables!

On July 30th we had the gracious opportunity to partner with J & R Building Movers and Cheboygan County Sheriff to complete the transportation of our next rehab project. Together, we were able to move this house onto Western Ave in Cheboygan to a new foundation, a new start, a new base of success for a local family. When we collaborate and unify we are able to move mountains to create a safer, more affordable community for everyone. To help further our mission you can volunteer your time, you can donate gently used furniture to the ReStore, you can even attend our upcoming 30th Gala to show your support. Any way you can assist us allows us to work that much harder in other areas to achieve our goal of building homes, communities and hope.

Enjoy some photos from our eventful day of moving a Habitat home!

“Where everyone has a decent place to live.”
One phrase that carries a lot of weight.

What does it mean? Is it just a shelter over your head? Is it affordable housing? Is that it?

Absolutely not! It also includes home repairs to where a residence is, to keep it safe and sustainable for the inhabitants. One of our missions is to highlight one of the biggest challenges we ALL face as a community, affordable housing and keeping homes safe and economical for everyone living within it. We have home repair programs intended to provide funds for the rehabilitation or modification of owner-occupied, single family residential housing. Our program focuses on improvements that will reduce the long- term cost of homeownership, like energy efficiency improvements and removal of health risks.

Things we have to offer are:

Exterior work; like painting, patching, minor repair, replacement of materials for the purpose of maintenance and even landscaping.

Weatherization: This is a systematic repair process to an existing home based on a comprehensive energy audit that results in a defined scope of work.

Critical Home Repair: Which is extensive interior or exterior work performed to alleviate critical health, life and safety issues or code violations that also include a change to repair or change materials or components or a reconfiguration of space for accessibility growth; installations for extensions of plumbing, mechanical or electrical systems on existing structures.

“A decent place to live” is so much more than a roof over your head; it’s somewhere someone could thrive, a place someone can safely have their children or grandparents. Please contact us if you have questions.

Our program does require an application which would go to our Program Services Coordinator Hailey Jeter who can be reached by phone or email.

Hailey Jeter
231-597-4663 Ext.5
[email protected]

Why does accessibility matter?

Accessibility goes beyond adding a ramp to a home so a wheelchair or scooter can maneuver in and out safely or modifying a bathroom’s amenities. Accessibility is more than providing functionality, accessibility is making people feel welcome and safe regardless of their age or level of ability. When we commit ourselves to creating safer and affordable communities, it involves families of all abilities. Most homes in America are not built with aging in place, nor disability in mind. The cost of renovations to make a home accessible versus pre-planning accommodations and alterations are usually substantial. This requires extra electrical outlets for medical devices, wider hallways and doorways to maneuver, even the lowering of cabinets, cupboards or counters so the entire family can utilize their home to the fullest. Doing these things from scratch, or planning from the start, is much more time and cost effective than waiting later down the road to tackle these issues.

Based on information the CDC has collected, Michigan has a 26% disability rate among adults. This means that about one out of every four adults throughout Michigan has a disability. These disabilities range widely with 12% having mobility disabilities, 5% hearing impairments and 3% vision impairments, with some overlap. At any point our lifetimes, we have a 1 in 4 chance of becoming part of the disabled community. This can happen through genetics, an accident, health event, or even over time. There are steps we can take in our day-to-day life to lessen our chances but not eliminate them entirely.

How can we make it easier for all of us in the future? By planning. Not every home has to be built accessibly right off the bat. By taking one step and planning ahead, we can make a quarter of our community feel included rather than tolerated. We can assure that every individual has an opportunity to build a better and brighter future for themselves and their family. When making plans for future homes we should be mindful to keep modifications attractive, affordable, and abundant.

Why does accessibility matter?

Everyone deserves to have a safe and stable home that they can access to the fullest potential. An accessible home is the starting point for a life of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for disabled individuals; something that every American, regardless of ability, can appreciate. When you partner with Cheboygan County Habitat for Humanity you support safety, freedom and stability for every hard-working family in our community.

-Baylee Herron, Marketing Coordinator

One day on our jobsite in Indian River I heard a new volunteer say, “By volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, I can be a part of the change I want to see in my community”. I turned and looked and it was Bob Snyder one of our local volunteers here at Cheboygan Habitat. Bob has been volunteering with Habitat for Humanity for several years. When he lived and worked near Detroit, he volunteered 5 times in and around Detroit with their Blitz Builds. Bob most recently volunteered in Indian River on the Habitat houses in Inland Lakes Subdivision. Bob is married and him and his wife raised two children who are grown now and living on their own. Much of his construction knowledge was gained by owning his own home and helping his children with their own homes. He recently retired from the automotive industry as an Automotive Manufacturing Engineer.

Last year at our Habitat Jobsite we also meet Mark who was here visiting Indian River for 4 weeks. He came out to our jobsite to help for a couple weeks.  In the past Mark had volunteered near his home in Texas, for a number of years, and he had traveled overseas to a number of different Habitat projects worldwide.  Now, Mark tries to volunteer near where he and his wife travel.  Mark is really a great guy with a cool way to meet local people and help out. Mark had a lot of interesting experiences that he shared with us all as we were working on the jobsite.

Everyone tries to be helpful on the jobsite. If someone needs some new skill for a task, someone will take the time to show how it’s done and how it’s done safely. The Habitat experience is “safety first.” If you don’t feel comfortable doing the task, no worries, some one that is comfortable can do it. At the end of the day I like to ask first-time volunteers, “how was your volunteer experience”? and invariably they tell me something positive.

Bob Snyder says, “I would encourage someone to come out and try it. They can come out once, once a week, or more often.  You meet some great people from all over, you can learn some useful skills, and you help fulfill a great need in the community.  I describe it as learning and doing home improvement using someone else’s money. If you want to be inspired and make a difference in our community, I highly encourage you to contact us for some volunteer opportunities near you. Trust me, the feeling of giving back is truly priceless.

-Ron Hart, Construction Supervisor