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GRID Alternatives 2009 Solar-a-thon
Yesterday GRID Alternatives held their 2009 solar-a-thon. More than 250 volunteers and staff installed solar panels on 16 houses in Habitat for Humanity East Bay's Edes development. The unusual weather...
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We Need Your Help!
September is almost over, and I realize I haven't given any updates in a while. Progress on the Thrivent Builds house is going nicely. I forgot to take a picture of it on Friday, but got this shot of...
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save the date: Home Dedication
On December 12th at 11AM, please join us to dedicate the Luo/Lin family's new home at the Edes. Whether you've been out swinging a hammer or supported the Thrivent Builds house financially or just want...
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Home Dedication
The rainy day didn't dampen spirits as the Luo/Lin family and other families received the keys to their new homes. Assistant Site Supervisor Maggie Schouten presented the family with the traditional...
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2010 Build-A-Thon in April
Another year, and we've got another Thrivent Builds-sponsored house! While the family hasn't been selected yet, preparations are already underway at Kinsell Commons in Oakland. The big kickoff will be...
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Kinsell Commons
Work is progressing at the Kinsell Commons site to prepare for the build-a-thon in April. There will be 14 homes total in the development; 10 will be framed during the four days of the build-a-thon....
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2010 Build-a-thon Day 1
The first day of the 2010 Build-a-thon started things off well. We had Lutherans from Resurrection Lutheran, Dublin and Zion Lutheran, Oakland/Piedmont as well as hundreds of other volunteers. Once...
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2010 Build-a-thon Day 2
Another great day at the work site. We got lots done, including getting the second floor joists up, the subfloor laid, the walls moved up to the second floor, the front and read walls raised on the...
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2010 Build-a-thon Day 3
Another great work day, with some Lutherans from Zion Lutheran in Oakland/Piedmont and Christ the King in Fremont along with a bunch of other great volunteers. The weather was a little cooler today...
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2010 Build-a-thon Day 4
A lot of us weren't sure how much work would get done on day 4 of the build-a-thon. When I woke up after 6AM, the rain was coming down in sheets and the wind was gusting -- not great weather for...
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May/June Update
May and its surprising amount of rain is gone and we're into June. Progress on the Thrivent Builds house has continued apace. It has its front porch, roof sheathing, and is getting the careful nailing...
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Lutheran Power!
Representing northern and southern California, and the North Alameda and South Alameda Thrivent Chapters, we've got Lutheran power! Remember, you don't need a big group from your church to come out and...
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July Update - changes and a partner family!
If you've been out to the Kinsell Commons site recently, you may have noticed a big change. Namely, the Thrivent Builds sign is on a different house! That's because house #13 is one of the few 2...
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September update
We're already half way into September, and the houses at Kinsell Commons are coming along nicely. Today some of the houses were being painted, while others (including the Thrivent Builds house) were...
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December update
The Thrivent Builds house at Kinsell Commons is almost done! Kitchen cabinets and flooring are in, and yesterday we worked in various houses to install baseboard. We were particularly focused on...
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changing faces
Eliza and meI'm both happy and sad to report on some changing faces at Habitat. Happy because I'm happy for them and what lies ahead, but sad because I and others will miss them dearly.Eliza, who some...
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save the date: Home Dedication
The Thrivent Builds house at Kinsell Commons has been done since December, but there's been some last work being finished up on some of the other houses and on the driveways and other common areas. But...
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Home Dedication
We had great weather for the dedication of 6 of the new homes at Kinsell Commons. Lots of family, friends, volunteers and community representatives were out to see 6 families getting the keys to their...
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2011 Build-a-thon
From 2011 Build-a-thonThe 2011 Build-a-thon was a huge success. We had a great turnout all four days, and although a bit of rain on Monday dampened the construction site, it didn't dampen enthusiasm....
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Resurrection Lutheran build day
Big shout out to Resurrection Lutheran Church of Dublin, which sent out 15 people to work at the Kinsell worksite today. It was a big enough group that we were split up into different teams.Some people...
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May update
Hard to believe it's only been a month since the build-a-thon. With the great progress during the build-a-thon, and churches like RLC bringing lots of folks, the Thrivent Builds and Trudy Heinecke...
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rain, rain, go away!
The Thrivent Builds and Trudy Heinecke houses are pretty much weather-tight at this point. Which is a good thing, because there's lots of rain forecast for the next couple of days. (If you're not from...
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meet the homeowner
Today at the work site I got a chance to meet and work with the future homeowner of the 2011 Thrivent Builds house. Her name is Cia, and when she completes her hours and gets her home, she'll be living...
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August update
Friday most people including Cia, the future homeowner, worked on painting. I was expecting to, but instead I was helping get ready for Grid Alternatives. Grid and their volunteers will be out next...
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September update
September has passed, and the Thrivent Builds home and the Trudy Heinecke home are getting closer to finished. The building exteriors are basically done, as is much of the interior work. There's still...
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