Home has become an important place since COVID-19 hit, as a place to learn, earn and relax.
At Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, they are setting up to give 13 keys out to new homeowners this year, providing them a place of solace, even as the non-profit is facing challenges of its own.
kAm“(6 2C6 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ 3F:=5 H:E9 2 =62? DE277[ =:>:E65 G@=F?E66CD[ 2?5 DEC:?86?E D276EJ AC@E@4@=D 3642FD6 277@C523=6 9@FD:?8 :D >@C6 4C:E:42= E92? 6G6C 367@C6 5FC:?8 E96D6 E@F89 E:>6D[” D2:5 '2=6C:6 #6?<[ w23:E2E 7@C wF>2?:EJ @7 s2?6 r@F?EJ rt~]k^Am
kAm(96? E96 A2?56>:4 9:E :? |2C49[ w23:E2E 7@C wF>2?:EJ s2?6 r@F?EJ @77:4:2=D AC6A2C65 7@C E96 7:?2?4:2= :>A24E E92E 9@>6@H?6CD H@F=5 7246 H:E9 ;@3 2?5 :?4@>6 =@DD] w23:E2E C2:D65 >@?6J E@ 96=A H:E9 >@CE8286 A2J>6?ED 2?5 4@?E24E65 32?<D E@ 86E 2 C6AC:6G6 7@C >@C6 E92? 2 5@K6? 72>:=:6D]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D 6?@F89 E@ 86E E96> E9C@F89 2 C@F89 A2E49 F?E:= E96J 8@E E96:C H@C< 9@FCD 324<[” #6?< D2:5]k^Am
kAmw23:E2E 7@C wF>2?:EJ @7 s2?6 r@F?EJ :D 3F:=5:?8 9@>6D :? |25:D@?[ u:E493FC8 2?5 $F? !C2:C:6] w@>6D 2C6 8@:?8 FA :? E96 6DE23=:D965 '2?56?3FC8 w6:89ED w23:E2E AC@;64E]k^Am
kAmw23:E2E :D 2=D@ 56G6=@A:?8 ea 24C6D 2E E96 :?E6CD64E:@? @7 %@H? w2== sC:G6 2?5 w:89H2J `h H96C6 `ad D:?8=6\72>:=J 9@>6D H:== 36 3F:=E[ H:E9 cg @7 E9@D6 E2C86E65 7@C w23:E2E 9@>6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ w23:E2E 7@C wF>2?:EJ r@>>F?:42E:@?D s:C64E@C y6??J q2==H68] w23:E2E 6IA64ED E@ 255 9@>6D :? $E@F89E@? 2?5 ~C68@? :? E96 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAmw23:E2E 9@>6D 2C6 277@C523=6 H:E9 =@H 4@?DECF4E:@? 6IA6?D6D[ G@=F?E66C =23@C 2?5 =@H E@ ?@H\:?E6C6DE >@CE8286D]k^Am
kAm!6@A=6 42? 2AA=J E@ 36 2 w23:E2E 7@C wF>2?:EJ 9@>6@H?6C :7 E96:C 9@FD69@=5 :?4@>6 :D ?@ 9:896C E92? e_ A6C46?E @7 E96 s2?6 r@F?EJ >65:2? :?4@>6 2?5 E96? 42? A2J 2 5@H? A2J>6?E] w@>6@H?6CD 2=D@ ?665 E@ AFE :? “DH62E 6BF:EJ” 3J H@C<:?8 @? E96:C 9@>6[ @E96C w23:E2E AC@;64ED @C 2E E96 w23:E2E 7@C wF>2?:EJ #6$E@C6]k^Am
kAm#6?< D2:5 E96C6 :D ?@ H2:E=:DE 7@C w23:E2E 7@C wF>2?:EJ 9@>6D :? s2?6 r@F?EJ[ >@DE=J 5F6 E@ E96 AC@46DDj D96 D2:5 E96 >@DE 4@>>:EE65 A6@A=6 2C6 E96 @?6D H9@ 2C6 DF446DD7F= :? 86EE:?8 9@>6D] #68:DEC2E:@? :D 6IA64E65 E@ 36 2??@F?465 :? s646>36C 7@C FA4@>:?8 AC@DA64E:G6 9@>6@H?6C :?7@C>2E:@?2= D6DD:@?D]k^Am
kAm~?6 DF446DD DE@CJ :? $F? !C2:C:6 :D 2 J@F?8 4@FA=6 H9@ 92D EH@ 49:=5C6?] %96J =@DE E96:C 7:CDE 9@>6 E@ 7@C64=@DFC6] (:E9 2 DA64:2= ?665D 49:=5 :? E96 72>:=J[ >65:42= 6IA6?D6D A:=65 FA @? >2<:?8 :E 5:77:4F=E E@ 277@C5 2 9@>6] %96 4@FA=6 ?@H =:G6 :? 2 w23:E2E 9@>6 ?62C E96:C 49:=5C6?’D D49@@=D] %96 36DE A2CE E96 4@FA=6 D2JD :D E96:C >@CE8286 A2J>6?ED 96=A ?@E @?=J E96>D6=G6D 3FE @E96C 72>:=:6D >@G6 :?E@ w23:E2E 9@>6D]k^Am
kAmu@C 2 =@E @7 72>:=:6D @H?:?8 2 9@>6 :? s2?6 r@F?EJ H@F=5 ?@E 36 A@DD:3=6 :7 :E H2D?’E 7@C w23:E2E[ #6?< D2:5] s2E2 D9@HD E92E s2?6 r@F?EJ 92D 2 D9@CE286 @7 277@C523=6 9@FD:?8] $96 D2:5 5FC:?8 r~'xs\`h[ E96C6 92G6 366? >@C6 A6@A=6 :?E6C6DE65 :? w23:E2E 9@>6D[ >2:?=J 3642FD6 E96J H2?E E@ 86E @FE @7 4C@H565 2A2CE>6?ED H:E9 <:5D 2?5 25F=ED ?@H H@C<:?8 2?5 =62C?:?8 7C@> 9@>6]k^Am
kAmw23:E2E 2=D@ H@C<D H:E9 72>:=:6D H9@ 5@?’E BF2=:7J 7@C w23:E2E 9@>6D] %96 u:?2?4:2= r2A23:=:EJ AC@8C2> 96=AD A6@A=6 3F586E D@ E96J 42? BF2=:7J 7@C 2 EC25:E:@?2= >@CE8286]k^Am
kAmr~'xs\`h 92D :>A24E65 w23:E2E] '@=F?E66C:?8 92D 366? =:>:E65 E@ <66A A6@A=6 D276] #6?< D2:5 E96C6 92D 2=D@ 366? 2 D9@CE286 @7 G@=F?E66CD 7@C 2 G2C:6EJ @7 C62D@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 C6E:C65 A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 96=A:?8 E2<:?8 42C6 @7 E96:C 8C2?549:=5C6? 2?5 E9@D6 H9@ 92G6 962=E9 4@?46C?D] {2C86 4@CA@C2E:@?D 2C6 ?@ =@?86C D6?5:?8 6>A=@J66 8C@FAD E@ G@=F?E66C @? 3F:=5:?8 D:E6D[ 7FCE96C =:>:E:?8 =23@C]k^Am
kAm%96 G@=F?E66C D9@CE286D 92G6 366? 76=E @? 3F:=5 D:E6D 2?5 2E E96 #6$E@C6D] #6?< D2:5 w23:E2E’D 3F:=5 8@2= 7@C a_a_ :D `b 4@>A2C65 H:E9 `e 9@>6D 3F:=E =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAm$@>6 @7 w23:E2E AC@8C2>D H6C6 2=D@ 4FE 324< @C DE@AA65 E6>A@C2C:=J—=:<6 E96 9@>6 C6A2:C—D@ E96 7@4FD 4@F=5 C6>2:? @? 3F:=5:?8 AC@;64ED] #6?< D2:5 E96 C6A2:C AC@8C2> :D 6IA64E65 E@ C6\=2F?49 ?6IE J62C]k^Am
kAm%96 7@4FD @? 7F?5:?8 92D 364@>6 4C:E:42= H:E9 EC25:E:@?2= w23:E2E 7@C wF>2?:EJ 7F?5C2:D6CD 42?46=65 3642FD6 @7 E96 A2?56>:4] qFE #6?< D2:5 A6@A=6 2C6 DE:== 5@?2E:?8 >@?6J] %96 ~4E] g sC:G6\x?[ qF:=5\~? w23:E2E 7@C wF>2?:EJ 7F?5C2:D6C 2E E96 |2==2C5 sF4< !@?5 :? |25:D@? 4@==64E65 >@C6 E92? Sh_[___]k^Am
kAmtG6? E9@F89 E:>6D 2C6 E@F89[ #6?< D2:5 w23:E2E 7@C wF>2?:EJ H:== <66A AFD9:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ 96=A s2?6 r@F?EJ 72>:=:6D C62=:K6 E96 5C62> @7 9@>6@H?6CD9:A]k^Am
kAmk6>mu:?5 @FE 9@H E@ 5@?2E6[ G@=F?E66C[ 2?5 @H? 2 w23:E2E 7@C wF>2?:EJ 9@>6[ 3J G:D:E:?8k^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]923:E2E52?6]@C8Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmHHH]923:E2E52?6]@Ck^2m8k6>m]k^6>mk^Am
kAmk6>m%9:D DE@CJ 92D 366? 492?865 E@ D9@H E96 4@CC64E ?F>36C @7 w23:E2E 9@>6D A=2??65 7@C $F? !C2:C:6 2E E96 :?E6CD64E:@? @7 %@H? w2== sC:G6 2?5 w:89H2J `h]k^6>mk^Am
