Everybody deserves a safe place to call home. With a little help from Co-op, Habitat for Humanity’s latest project in Saskatoon has made secure and affordable home ownership a reality for 12 local families.

Earlier this year, Saskatoon Co-op donated about 270 gallons of paint via the Communities in Full Colour program – with around a dozen volunteers providing labour as part of its Day of Caring event for the Slimmon Road project. Located in the south-east neighbourhood of Rosewood, the 12-unit development will dramatically improve the lives of families living on lower incomes.

“These homes become a stable place for a family to set down roots and thrive,” explained Lindsay Sanderson, Marketing and Communications for Habitat for Humanity – Saskatoon.

“A Habitat home is a place where a child can host their first sleepover, do homework and spend time with their parents. The affordability of the home helps to relieve a burden from the families’ shoulders so that they can breathe.”

According to its website, Habitat homes are purchased by families with interest-free mortgages. Mortgage payments are adjusted to 25 per cent of monthly income to ensure they are affordable to participants. As well, prior to being placed in a unit, each family must complete 500 volunteer hours (“sweat equity,” as Habitat calls it). Families with children, whose combined annual income is less than $52,000 a year, qualify.

Habitat homes are built with 95 per cent volunteer labour, which is where community investment programs from organizations like Co-op play a big role. The Communities in Full Colour paint donation alone is valued at $7,000.

“Working with Co-op has been amazing for Habitat for Humanity,” Sanderson said. “Having support in the community like Co-op helps to direct more resources towards building homes. Co-op is always willing to help in whatever way they can.”

Co-op also contributed $10,000 for Habitat Saskatoon’s Women Build 2016 – an event aimed at supporting women empowerment, as well as its overall mission of developing affordable housing.

Doug Knowles, representative for Saskatoon Co-op, highlighted the benefits.

“We’re a community builder and we talk about investing in where we live, work and play. Habitat’s investing where we live, work and play as well, so I see that fit,” he said.

“It’s important for us as a community organization to give back to that community.”

Of the Saskatoon Co-op staff volunteers, there was representation from all business units, including Agro, Home and Building Solutions, Gas Bar and Food Store. Each volunteer is required to provide a short write-up describing why volunteering for a specific Day of Caring event is important to him or her.

“I’m very proud of the team that’s here today, and the team that came to our Cosmo event,” Knowles said.

“They’re all here because they want to be here and are working hard doing things they normally wouldn’t do in their everyday work lives.”