Columbia County Habitat for Humanity is in the midst of a ground breaking (pun intended) build in the heart of Hudson, NY. A Passive Townhouse. What is a Passive house? It's a highly energy efficient home built using a super tight building envelope and insulation. It stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter with minimal additional heating source. Dennis Wedlick architect has partnered with Habitat to build the first affordable housing Passive home.
In support of Columbia County Habitat For Humanity, on Sunday January 27th at the popular Club Helsinki, local yet internationally known bass players, a cellist and me will perform. read on:
HOME BASS: 4 Strings, 4 Hearts for Habitat, will be a once-in-a-lifetime cabaret concert on January 27, 2013, at Helsinki Hudson in Hudson, NY. Hosted by Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole/Smashing Pumpkins), HOME BASS will feature special guests (in alphabetical order), Melora Creager (Rasputina), Meshell Ndegeocello, Tommy Stinson (The Replacements/Guns ‘n Roses) and friends, with a special appearance by NYC Subway Girl Cathy Grier. The event will be a unique and intimate evening celebrating the worldwide work of Habitat for Humanity, which is founded on the conviction that every family should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live.
These internationally-acclaimed, Hudson-based musicians – three bassists and a cellist – have never joined artistic forces before, and have chosen to come together for Habitat. HOME BASS will follow a cabaret style format, with rotating cast of players and special guests playing original songs and covers.
The concert will benefit Columbia County Habitat and its innovative project, the Columbia Passive Townhouses. Now being built in Hudson at 244-246 Columbia Street, these revolutionary homes will reduce their owners’ energy consumption and costs by 90%. They are the first affordable housing to be built in New York State according to Passive House design and construction standards.
Supporting this type of organization brings community together, through volunteering, donated services and other types of involvement.
Habitat For Humanity also has a Re-Store: 829 Route 66, Hudson (Intersection of Route 66 and 9H, behind Village Dodge) Hours: Friday, 9-5 pm & Saturday, 9-4 pm
What is A ReStore?
A Habitat ReStore is a retail outlet selling donated, quality used and surplus building materials at a fraction of normal retail prices. Many Habitat organizations have successfully started ReStore operations. In addition to raising funds for home construction, our ReStore will also help the environment by encouraging the recycling of usable materials rather than their disposal. Our goal is to keep materials out of landfills, while making home improvements affordable.
Columbia County Habitat invites the general public to shop, browse and buy surplus and reusable building materials. As a home improvement retail shop, ReStore attracts anyone looking for good bargains. Discounts can be significant, and all homeowners on a budget, as well as builders and contractors who want a good buy, can shop at our ReStore.
How ReStore works
ReStore’s operations consists of receiving (and selectively picking up) merchandise, pricing, displaying and selling merchandise, as well as data tracking for all the above. Volunteer staff runs the operation under the supervision of the Habitat’s Executive Director. Receiving, pricing and displaying are done largely from Monday through Thursday, when the store is not open for retail business.
ReStore materials donated and sold include:
• Appliances: less than 5 years old
• Lumber
• Building/architectural items
• Insulation
• Cabinets/countertops
• Paint, stain and wall covering
• Doors, windows and screens
• Plumbing fixtures and hardware
• Electrical supplies and fixtures
• Roofing: shingles and flashing
• Flooring: tile, wood, laminate
• Tiles
• Hardware working tools
ReStore requests that donors call ahead to confirm which items we are currently accepting.
Volunteering at ReStore
The ReStore offers a casual, friendly retail environment. Volunteers play a major role in helping to keep the store stocked, clean, neat and functioning efficiently and professionally. Safety is important, and is emphasized no matter what task a volunteer performs.
Individuals are needed on our operating days to assist with sorting and preparing donations, pricing, re-stocking and tidying up shelves and the sales floor, and with assisting customers with loading purchases or finding their way around the store.
what can you do?
- Volunteer to build- really- swing a hammer or......
Where? 244-246 Columbia Street, Hudson, NY Between September 2012- February 2013, there is a call for volunteers: Individuals, businesses, schools, faith-based groups or community organizations.To volunteer, Volunteer Coordinator email volunteer@columbiacountyhabitat.org.
- Donate materials including paper goods, cardboard etc to the Re-Store's recycling bins by GreenFiber (a local manufacturer) who then recycle into cellulose insulation. Habitat Executive Director Brenda Adams explains, “Thanks to GreenFiber, we now have a new revenue source. It’s also another way for Columbia County residents to support Habitat. From August through October, we recycled 11.76 tons of material, which made 917 bags of insulation and earned us $294.” There are two GreenFiber recycling containers at the ReStore, located at Route 66 and 9H in Greenport. GreenFiber accepts cardboard boxes, paper of any color, magazines, books (with covers), newspapers and corrugated cartons. The only materials that can’t be accepted are pizza boxes and greasy paper. Look for the frog on the green dumpsters in the ReStore parking lot. It’s ALWAYS open.
GreenFiber’s blow-in cellulose insulation is a natural fiber product made of 85% recycled content, providing homeowners with an environmentally-friendly choice for building, renovation and re-insulation projects. The company’s manufacturing process is low impact, because cellulose is produced in electrically driven mills that consume relatively little energy when operating and none otherwise.
GreenFiber products use locally available raw materials, further reducing its corporate carbon footprint. Established in 2000 and headquartered in Charlotte, NC, US GreenFiber LLC is the largest manufacturer of natural fiber insulation, fire and sound products. To date, GreenFiber has diverted nearly 3 million tons of recycled materials from landfills. One ton of recycled paper: saves 17 trees, saves 4,000 kilowatts of energy and provides enough GreenFiber blow-in insulation to cover the attic of a 2,500 square foot home. GreenFiber sells to building supply retailers, manufactured housing builders and insulation contractors in the U.S. and Canada
For more information: 518-828-0892 | 829 Route 66 Hudson, NY 12534
And if you're not in the area find a local chapter and get involved.
