Join Bend Area Habitat for Humanity on a build trip to Amarante, Portugal on May 6-15, 2017. Bend Habitat is looking for a team of motivated volunteers who want to have an amazing experience in a different country and help low income families in Portugal. Volunteers will help rebuild and renovate existing homes using wood, concrete and honeycomb brick to keep housing costs affordable for low income Habitat families. Volunteers will have the opportunity to work alongside the future homeowners and learn about the local culture. Volunteers do not need construction experience.
Housing is a major concern for Portuguese families, with 65 percent of the population living in dilapidated housing and 8.5 percent in shacks. One of the biggest challenges of HFH Portugal is a common dependency on government subsidies.
Poverty housing in Portugal is spread throughout the country, with two distinctive kinds of housing: “hidden poverty” (typical Portuguese houses with a small orchard that hides the poor housing conditions) and the obvious shacks of the big cities. Since the 1970s, Portugal has been the destination country for immigrants from the former Portuguese colonies and Brazil and more recently, for immigrants from former Soviet Union countries. Thus, the need for housing is growing, especially in the urban areas of the country.
The trip will be lead by Robin Cooper Engle and will include 5 days of building as well as opportunities for cultural experiernces that could include; market and walking tours, hikes, wine tours, museum visits and more. The cost is $1,800 per person plus airfare.
Volunteers interested in participating, should contact Robin Cooper Engle, rcooper@bendhabitat.org, 541.385.5387 x104.
About Bend Area Habitat for Humanity
Bend Area Habitat seeks to put God’s love into action to bring people together to build homes, communities and hope. We are dedicated to changing lives by providing affordable homeownership services for low-income families and individuals in Bend. Over the past 27 years, Bend Habitat has built 115 homes and repaired 60 more, providing more than 600 children and adults a safe, secure and healthy home. Bend Area Habitat also has a ReStore, a used and surplus home improvement center, in Bend, that accepts and sells a wide variety of building materials, appliances and home furnishings. All proceeds from the ReStore benefit Bend Habitat’s mission. www.bendhabitat.org, 541.385.5387
