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The mission of Habitat is to eliminate substandard housing in the world by working in partnership with people in need to build simple, decent, affordable housing. The houses are then sold to those in need at no profit and with no interest charged.
Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity has been providing decent, affordable housing in the Lakes Region since 1982 and has completed 30 homes during that time. They are currently completing work on their 31st home, which is a rehab of a house in Franklin. For more information on the current project, or to get more involved, email us at info@lrhabitat.org or call 279-4820.
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Join Us for a night of Comedy and Fun!
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 The Harlem Ambassadors offer a unique brand of Harlem-style basketball, featuring high-flying slam dunks, dazzling ball-handling tricks and hilarious comedy routines. April 5, 2013 from 7-9 PM Inter-Lakes High School Gym Tickets are available at Meredith Village Savings Bank in Meredith, NH and All-Brite Cleaning & Restoration in Gilford, NH All proceeds benefit Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity Special Thanks to: |
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TICKETS
$10 Kids 5 and under FREE |
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LR Habitat for Humanity to build first handicap-accessible home
By BOB MARTIN bmartin@citizen.com
LACONIA — Every day Kelly Soboslai tackles the issues that come with having muscular dystrophy but, thanks to Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity, things will become just a little easier with a new handicap accessible home.
It will be the first handicap accessible home built by Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity, and the Soboslai family is extremely grateful. “The overwhelming support from the community to help people they don’t even know is very touching and heartwarming — to know there are people out there who want to reach out and help,” Kelly said.
Kelly
lives with her family in a 36 unit building called Franklin Plantations
with her husband Rob, 10- year-old son R.J. and Kelly’s mother Barbara
Emerson. Rob and Kelly Soboslai have lived in the apartment for the
past 13 years and describe the situation as being immensely difficult
at times.Rob, Kelly and R.J. currently live in an apartment in the back of the building, making it difficult to leave because she is forced to walk all the way around to the front. This makes it hard to do things like laundry and making sure R.J. gets on the school bus. They also said that the walk-way has been difficult throughout the winter.
According to Jason Hicks, vice president of Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity, they plan to break ground by the end of April or early May. The area located on Dearborn Road will be cleared of brush within the next couple of weeks. They will be constructing a ranch house, and will have it super insulated. The City of Franklin will also be partnering with Habitat for Humanity by building a turnaround at the end of the road to make the project possible.
Hicks also said that they hope to make it a green building, making it as environmentally friendly as possible. While it may be more costly to build, he hopes that volunteer work will offset much of the cost. He said that they hope for it to be a blitz build, which means that it will be constructed quickly with help from volunteers throughout the community.
According to Hicks, Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity received a grant of $30,000 from the Federal Loan Bank in Boston. He explained that there is an affordable housing program that gives grants to build housing with a maximum of $30,000 per house.
In order to put this towards the construction of the house, Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity partnered with Meredith Village Savings Bank, who gave them a construction loan for the project. The grant will pay off these costs.
Marilyn Deschenes, president of Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity, said that there are three qualifications for the housing. The first is the need for housing, and the Soboslai family qualified due to Kelly’s muscular dystrophy as well as the apartment not being handicap accessible. The second is the ability to pay. Deschenes said that they set them up for success by putting the family through first time homebuyer courses. The third is the willingness to partner, requiring 500 hours of split equity. Deschenes said that this started a long time ago, and that work included classes, physical labor and other things done at home. Kelly has put together several flyers. “One thing we want to make clear is it’s not a giveaway program,” said Hicks. “It’s a no interest mortgage, but it’s still a mortgage.”
There have been fundraisers set up by both Habitat for Humanity and the Soboslai Family, including the sold out Cupcakes for a Cause which brought in $2,200. The Soboslai Family has also done fundraisers on their own, including a fall concert that brought in more than $1,400 at St. James Episcopal Church, of which the Soboslai Family is a part. They plan on having another concert on May 19.
They have also been fundraising in other small ways, including auctioning off a quilt that was made by Rob’s aunt, which raised $196. Rob also sold candy bars, raising $65.
On Friday, April 5 at 7 p.m. Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity will be holding a fundraiser at the Inter-Lakes High School Gym, which will feature the world famous Harlem Ambassadors versus the Winnipesaukee Warriors. Marriot TownePlace Suites have donated rooms to the players and Patrick’s Pub and Eatery will be providing food. The Harlem Ambassadors are known for their unique brand of Harlem-style basketball, with high-flying slamdunks, wacky tricks and comedy routines.
Laura Brusseau, fundraiser chair, explained that the Winnipesaukee Warriors feature several hometown athletes, including Laconia High School Assistant Principal and former Plymouth State College basketball star Dave Levesque. Levesque’s father was very involved in Habitat for Humanity in Vermont. He passed away from cancer this past year, and he said that being involved is a way to give back in a tribute to his years of hard work.
“When Laura told me what it was about, it was an easy choice to say I’d play,” Levesque said. “I know the work that Habitat does and it doesn’t get much better than that.”
All proceeds will go toward the construction of the house. Tickets are still available at Meredith Village Savings Bank in Meredith and All- Brite Cleaning and Restoration in Gilford.
A sweet deal Cupcakes For A Cause helps raise funds for Habitat for Humanity
By KRISTA MARRS kmarrs@citizen.com
LACONIA — Lakes Region cupcake lovers had their fill of the bite-side delectable treats Saturday at the Belknap Mill, and crowned Ooo La La Creative Cakes of Meredith the winner of the inaugural 2013 Best Cupcakes in the Lakes Region award.
 KRISTA MARRS/CITIZEN |
With
a backdrop of the Arts Alive student art exhibit, nearly 200 patrons
tastetested the six vendors on hand for the Cupcakes For A Cause event,
which served as a fundraiser for the Lakes Region Habitat for
Humanity’s next home-building project on Dearborn Street in Franklin
for the Soboslai family — parents Rob and Kelly, 10-year-old son, R.J.
and Kelly’s mother, Barbara Emerson. Living with muscular dystrophy, Kelly said the family currently lives in an apartment building on the backside, so each time she leaves she is forced to walk around the building to the front. She said the family does not have a laundry unit in their apartment, so she has more walking to do each time a load of laundry needs to be washed and dried. Barbara is legally blind and currently lives up the street from the family. |
Laura Brusseau, chair of the fundraising committee, said the idea for the event grew out of the cupcake craze that has swept across the nation. She said at 12:45 p.m., the line stretched out the door of ticketholders waiting to get inside. Less than an hour in, the 180 tickets were sold out.
Brusseau said the project for the Soboslai family will be the first handicapped accessible home built by Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity. Marilyn Deschenes, president of Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity, said John Robinson of Wood & Clay Inc. of Gilford will be volunteering as general contractor for the building project through the New Hampshire Homebuilders and Remodelers Association and the New Hampshire Humane Society has donated 50 sheets of sheetrock, which is currently being stored at Boulia Gorrell Lumber in Laconia. Depending on what Mother Nature brings, the idea is to begin construction once the ground is thawed.
| Those who attended the cupcake fundraiser had the opportunity to sample cupcakes from Lakes Region Cupcakes of Tilton, Kara’s Cafe and Cakery of Meredith, the Sweet Life Cakes Confections of Gilford, Ooo La La Creative Cakes of Meredith, Sweet Lealea Cakes and Cupcakes of Meredith and Laura Gruner of Nashua, who operates with Just a Girl With an Apron. Gruner offered up a tie dye cupcake with vanilla bean butter cream frosting, eatable glitter and a candied fruit slice to garnish the frosting while Stephanie McKim of Lakes Region Cupcakes in Tilton showed off her Easter themed cupcake — an almond cake with crushed almonds and coconut flakes, coconut butter cream frosting and a Callebaut chocolate ganache drizzle. McKim, who owns Lakes Region Cupcakes with her sister Shelli Vendetti- Shumway, said they asked their customers which cupcake flavor they should feature at Saturday’s event, and this almond favorite won. |  The cupcakes were a s'mores cupcake by Lea Despres of Sweet Lealea, located in Meredith KRISTA MARRS/CITIZEN |
The Sweet Life Cakes and Confections is run by Trista Patten, who operates out of her home in Gilford. Starting out by baking birthday cakes for her two children, Patten said her love of baking expanded through friends, family and word-of-mouth. In her first year, she brought her chocolate cake with raspberry filling and cream cheese frosting cupcake to the challenge.
 LaShunda Allen, owner of Ooo La La Creative Cakes in Meredith talks with Linda Radue of Gilmanton about Allen's chocolate salted caramel popcorn cupcake. KRISTA MARRS/CITIZEN |
After all the votes were tallied, Pastry Chef LaShunda Allen of Ooo La
La Creative Cakes was presented with flowers and a plaque for her
carnivalthemed cupcake. Rich chocolate cake swirled with a cocoa
blackout cake, filled with caramel and topped with salted caramel
buttercream frosting and chocolate salted caramel popcorn. “I fell in love with cooking when I was 14,” said Allen, who then went to culinary school and found her passion. “I love carnival food and I know people just love popcorn. Who doesn’t love popcorn?” But the real winners quite possibly were the patrons who attended and were treated to the delicious cupcakes. Linda Radue of Gilmanton was tasting the s’mores cupcakes created by Lea Despres, owner of Sweet Lealea. |
Despres’ cupcake was a dark chocolate cake with a graham cracker crust with marshmallow frosting and chocolate ganache. “Absolutely delectable,” said Radue. “The cake is nice and dense but moist and very flavorful.” A connoisseur of baked goods, Radue said she has a hard time passing up any homemade baked item.
Carol Gerken of Meredith was attending with her daughter-in-law, Casey, and her 5-year-old granddaughter, Meredith. “I’m partial to the lemon raspberry cupcake by Kara’s Cafe. It was so light and so springy,” said Carol. “I’m sort of torn between the Easter egg nest one and the s’mores one,” said Casey, “but I’m almost sure I didn’t try one that I didn’t like.” Carol added that having the fundraiser coincide with the Arts Alive exhibit was a wonderful idea and a great way to bring the community together to not only raise money for the Habitat project but to serve as a showcase for all the student artwork. “What a great idea,” she said. “It almost looks like a garden in here with all the colors.”
Members of the Fundraising Committee that helped organize the Cupcakes for a Cause included Brusseau, Krysten Adel, Lauren Milligan and Sarah-Beth Hernandez- Huot.
The next Lakes Region Habitat for Humanity event will be a basketball game featuring the Harlem Ambassadors at Inter- Lakes High School in Meredith on Friday, April 15. Tickets are on sale at Meredith Village Savings Bank in Meredith, All Bright Cleaners in Gilford, the Airport County Store in Gilford, D & D Country Deli in Belmont and at Smoke n’ Barley in Tilton.
Plans are also in the works for another fundraising concert at St. James Episcopal Church in Laconia. No date has been set for this spring event.
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