Bringing together support from donors, sponsors and volunteers is the heart of Habitat for Humanity. Because everyone is needed to help us address the critical demand for affordable housing, our vital work is only possible due to these partnerships.
Habitat is blessed with passionate and generous communities of people who run peer-to-peer campaigns to raise funds for our mission. Pelican Landing and The Colony, Bonita Bay and the Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation combine donations and volunteer time to build homes with families in Bonita Springs. There’s a critical need for affordable housing in Bonita Springs. Wages have not kept pace as home prices climb, making homeownership out of reach for low-income earning households. Thanks to the efforts of these three communities, families who live in the city are able to realize their dream of affordable homeownership.
Pelican Landing and the Colony
John and Lesley Hill and Pelican Landing and the Colony celebrating Bernard’s home dedication.
Pelican Landing and The Colony are community-minded residents who have supported Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties for 22 years.
In Habitat’s 2022-2023 fiscal year, they fundraised nearly $430,000 and built two homes in Bonita Springs, totaling 27 homes since 2002.
“People just enjoy working. They love building the houses, and they’re pleased with the houses,” said Committee Chair Reid Patterson. “It’s fun working as a group and as a team.”
Members have seen the soaring prices of purchasing a home in their city over the years.
“Bonita Springs is almost double the price to construct a home as it did five years ago. All the properties are escalating. It’s hard,” said Patterson.
This fiscal year, members are working to raise $435,000 to make homeownership a reality for two more families.
“We like being involved and seeing the smiles on their faces when they receive the houses,” shared Patterson.
Bonita Bay
Bonita Bay residents with Joaquin and Lesli at their wall-raising.
Bonita Bay is a vibrant group of people who support many charitable community organizations, including Habitat. Residents have funded and constructed 67 homes during their 22-year partnership.
“We think Habitat is very special,” said Bonita Bay’s Chair of Fundraising Dorota Harris. “It gives residents here an opportunity to become involved in something very local and tangible.”
Thirty percent of Bonita Bay residents, including the Bonita Bay Veterans Council, contribute to the community’s support of Habitat, with participation growing yearly.
Last year, 951 Bonita Bay donors raised over $643,000 for Habitat’s mission. These funds, along with the generous major gifts from residents in their community, built two more affordable homes in Habitat’s Partnership Place neighborhood in Bonita Springs. When complete, 14 single-family homes will give families a decent, stable place to live.
“It’s wonderful community involvement with the future homeowners, the people who build it, the people who raise money and the Habitat organization,” said Harris.
Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation
The Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation raising the walls of Yalena’s future home.
The Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation is a generous advocate for many causes in Southwest Florida, including efforts to address the affordable housing crisis.
“We’ve supported Habitat now for 19 years, and we’ve built over 60 homes,” said Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation Trustee Doug Timmel. “We’re really proud of our work. We love it, enjoy it and think it’s for a great cause.”
The foundation has been heavily involved in Habitat’s Partnership Place neighborhood in Bonita Springs, providing funding to develop critical infrastructure for the HOA-managed community. Currently, they’re funding and building two more houses in the neighborhood, as well as a Veterans Build home in our Journey Together neighborhood in Fort Myers, in partnership with Greg, a former combat medic with the United States Army.
“We really believe in the Habitat for Humanity mission. We like the whole concept of a hand-up instead of a handout,” said Timmel. “It’s really exciting to see the homeowner at the beginning of the process, and it’s really gratifying to be here at the end when we do the dedication.”
You can help families achieve affordable homeownership by donating securely today.
