With all of the talk of Extreme Makeover Home Edition, there has just as much talk about those same charitable volunteers considering helping Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County.  I personally have been involved in Realtor Care Days, where we make repairs to homes for people that do not have the means to do so themselves, but I have never built a home for a family.  I can imagine it is very rewarding whether you are on TV and Ty is there or not.

Considering all of the Facebook posts made by friends, I thought it was good time to look into Habitat for Humanity in Lincoln County.  You can find their website at http://www.habitatlcnc.org/.

Here is some information they provided about their organization…

About Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County

Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln county was started in 1992, and since then has worked to build affordable housing for low income families in Lincoln County.  Our Mission is to provide decent, affordable housing to lower income families who would not be able to afford a home through a conventional mortgage.

Our Affiliate office and ReStore are located at 809 East Sycamore Street Lincolnton, North Carolina 28092; click here for hours and location. 

The ReStore is a fundraising division of Habitat for Humanity.  You’ll find all sorts of interesting things in our ReStore, mostly related to home repair or home furnishings — for more information, click here. 

Applications for home ownership are available at the ReStore located at 809 East Sycamore Street, Lincolnton, NC phone (704) 736-9490.

At their website, they provide information on how to apply for a new home, how to donate and volunteer.  There is additional information on REStore.  Check this out…

What is a ReStore?

A ReStore is a store that accepts donations of new and gently used items from individuals and businesses in the community, and sells those items to the public at a reduced cost, usually 50-70 percent of the original retail value. All proceeds go toward building Habitat homes with the local Habitat affiliate.

Our Mission

 Through the selling of donated construction and home related items:
- Increase the number of homes build with low-income families through Habitat for Humanity.
- Prevent usable items from being put in landfills.
- Provide quality building materials to the general public at discounted prices.

Schedule A Donation

To schedule a donation pickup, please contact our ReStore at:  704-736-9490.

They also provide a list of donations needed.  Consider visiting their store to purchase for your home!

They also take boat and car donations!

Just one more place you can help the community, that gives back to your community!

East Lincoln Christian Ministry is a wonderful place to visit for those in need this holiday season.  They have been known to offer help with power bills, provide free food and holiday meals.  They even provide toys for children at Christmas.  The volunteers are incredibly nice people, that have taken time out of their daily lives to help those in need. 

I know that Denver Baptist church provides a great deal of support to East Lincoln Christian Ministries and I am sure there are many more out there and I know as a community, we have all pitched in at one time or another to help them through Food Drives, dropping off gently used toys, clothes, furniture, appliances and more.

More and more often these days, we find ourselves in situations we have never been in before.  Lincoln County residents have faced losing their jobs, a construction and real estate downturn in a once thriving community.  It has affected us all and sometimes you just need a little help for a little while, visit Christian Ministries.

They are located at

4278 Catawba Burris Road

Denver, NC 28037

704.483.4415

When I did an online search to learn more about them, I did not find alot of information.  I did find this information from http://www.ncssm.edu/service/east-lincoln-christian-ministry-inc/ that you may find helpful.

There are many in community that may be in need of help, but don’t where to turn….Get the word out!  There are also many opportunities to volunteer, so if you can make a little time in your day to day life, I think volunteering to help those in our local community is a great idea.

I recently received an e-mail from Bellamy Homes and I just knew there would be many interested folks locally, that would not be aware of it.  Please share this information with anyone you think would like to participate…..

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC) is coming to the “greater Charlotte area”.   The builder is Bellamy Homes from Cornelius (a contract that was negotiated over a year ago based on applications of families in this area) and they have requested to partner with the Lincoln County Home Builders Association for this project in the event it happens in Lincoln County. 

Mark Ingle (president LCHBA) is working directly with Wade Miller of Bellamy Homes to secure building products and skilled volunteers for the construction portion.  Hodges Willoughby of Bellamy Homes is working to secure non-skilled volunteers for everything outside of the construction site.  These are the sort of details and preparations that have to be made ahead of time regardless of whether our community is selected or not. 

There are several families in the “greater Charlotte area” that are still being considered.

The website is live today after the press release was presented by Bellamy Homes.  Please take the time to visit www.bellamyhomes.com and view the Join Extreme Makeover portion of the website.  It is very simple to sign up to be a volunteer.  They need both skilled labor (for construction portion) and non-skilled volunteers.  There is a job available for everyone interested in being a part of the project.

The announcement date is SUNDAY DECEMBER 11.  That will be the day the bus rolls up and Ty steps out with his megaphone to announce their arrival at whichever site is selected.  The event will begin immediately and run thru Sunday December 18. 

The actual construction portion is Monday December 12-Friday December 16 with punch list being handled on Saturday December 17.  They will have shifts for the entire 7 days 24 hours around the clock and you can sign up for what suits your schedule.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of something much bigger than we could ever imagine.  You will have the opportunity to meet the “stars” of the show during your volunteer time.  But better than that, you will be helping provide a new home for an outstanding family in whichever community is selected.  This show is not about how bad the house is you currently live in, it’s about the extra-ordinary circumstances of your life that demand a better living space. 

Maybe you can only give 4 hours that week or you can give 40 hours that week – no matter how much or how little they can use it. Again the website is www.bellamyhomes.com – it only takes a few minutes to register.

Don’t forget about our 3rd Annual Denver Christmas Parade this Saturday.  Lake Norman Realty will have a float.  The theme is the 12 Days of Christmas.  It can be quite difficult to put together a float with that theme that pertains to our industry, but luckily, our fearless leader, Shantae Brown, did.  I will share all of our pictures with you after!  Please join us!  It is great fun for the children.

It starts at 2 pm this year.  The route begins on N. Pilot Knob and Hwy 16 for 1 mile to Triangle Circle.

Tree lighting activities are Friday Dec 2nd at Lake Norman Lutheran Church beginning at 6 pm. 

I have viewed the 10 day forecast and we may get away with a perfectly sunny day and a high of 57 degrees.  Unlike the past two years of rain and snow.

I have donated every year for many, many years, but this was the first year, I decided to investigate the foundation a little more and little did I know it was sponsored by the Marine Corp.  These folks protect our country and our freedom and they are concerned that needy children get toys for Christmas.  These folks are truly incredible.  Good Work and Bless You All!

I visited the Toys for Tots website (www.toysfortots.org) and read about the corporate sponsors, other ways to donate and how to place a request for your children.  If you are in need, please visit their site and select the “Request Toys” tab at the top.  Included on the Toys for Tots website is an article on the Origin and Evolution of the Program.  I have provided it here…

Colonel William L. Hendricks

Toys for tots Began in 1947, when Major Bill Hendricks, USCR and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children.  The idea came form Bill’s wife, Diane.  In the fall of 1947, Diane crafted a homemade doll and asked Bill to deliver the doll to an organization, which would give it to a needy child at Christmas.  When Bill determined that no agency existed, Diane told Bill that he should start one.  He did.  The 1947 pilot project was so successful that the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into a nationwide campaign.  That year, Marine Corps Reserve units across the nation conducted Toys for Tots campaigns in each community in which a Marine Reserve Center was located.  Marines have conducted successful nationwide campaigns at Christmas each year since 1948.  The initial objective that remains the hallmark of the program today is to “bring the joy of Christmas to America’s needy children”.  Bill Hendricks, a Marine Reservist on weekends, was in civilian life, the Director of Public Relations for Warner Brothers Studio.  This enabled him to convince a vast array of celebrities to support Toys for Tots.  In 1948, Walt Disney designed the Toys for Tots logo, which we use today.  Disney also designed the first Toys for Tots poster used to promote the nationwide program.  Nat “King” Cole, Peggy Lee and Vic Damone recorded the Toys for Tots theme composed by Sammy Fain and Paul Webster in 1956.  Bob Hope, John Wayne, Doris Day, Lorrie Morgan, Tim Allen, Kenny Rogers and Billy Ray Cyrus are but a few of the long list of celebrities who have given their time and talent to promote Toys for Tots.  First Lady Nancy Reagan served as the national Spokesperson in 1983.  First Lady Barbara Bush served as the national Spokesperson in 1992 and in her autobiography named Toys for Tots as one of her favorite charities.

From 1947 through 1979, Marines collected and distributed new and used toys.  On Reserve drill weekends during October, November and December, Reserve Marines refurbished the used toys.

From Christmas 1980 through the present, Marines have collected and distributed only new toys.  Three factors dictated this change.  First, the Secretary of Defense’s Total Force Program, introduced in the 1970’s, assigned Reserves a greater role in America’s defense posture.  As a consequence, Reservists had to dedicate every minute of weekend drill time to honing and polishing combat skills.  No time was available to refurbish toys.  Second, public awareness of the health and safety aspects of toys that developed during the ‘70s made distribution of used toys legally inadvisable.  Third, distributing “hand me down” toys does not send the message Marines want to send to needy children.  The goal is to deliver a message of hope, which will assist in building self-esteem and, in turn, motivate less fortunate children to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.  A shiny new toy is the best means of accomplishing this goal.

In the late 1980s, the Marine Corps determined that a non-profit charity was needed as an integral part of the overall national Toys for Tots program.  Based on this need, the Secretary of Defense, in August 1991, authorized the Marine Corps to recognize and work with a charity committed to supporting Toys for Tots.  Based on this approval, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation became an operational organization in September 1991 and has been the fundraising and support organization for the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program since that date.

The Foundation was able to satisfy the five needs identified by the Marine Corps.  First, the Foundation could provide toys to supplement the collections of local units that had fewer Marines due to military cutbacks of the ‘80s and ‘90s.  Second, the Foundation could arrange and pay for the creation, publication, manufacture and distribution of promotion and support materials to Toys for Tots Coordinators.  Third, the Foundation could enable individual and corporate donors to Toys for Tots to take a charitable deduction on their income tax returns.  Fourth, the Foundation could enter into contracts with corporations to conduct promotions, which would produce royalties for Toys for Tots.  (Needs three and four were two important elements of this charitable endeavor that the Marine Corps, as a federal agency, could not fulfill).  Fifth, the Foundation could ensure that the Toys for Tots program operates in compliance with IRS regulations, state laws and regulations and charitable standards.

In 1995, the Secretary of Defense approved Toys for Tots as an official activity of the U. S. Marine Corps and an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve.

In 1996, the Commander, Marine Forces Reserve expanded Toys for Tots to cover all 50 states by authorizing selected Marine Corps League Detachments and selected local community organizations (generally veteran Marine), located in communities without a Marine Reserve Center, to conduct toy collection and distribution campaigns in their communities as part of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.

In 1999, the Commander, Marine Forces Reserve delegated authority to the President, Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to approve and manage local Toys for Tots campaigns conducted in communities without a Reserve Unit.

2001: Despite the trauma the nation experienced as a result of the September 11th attacks in New York City, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania, the economic downturn and the anthrax scare, the 2001 U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Campaign was the second best in the previous 54 year history of the program.  Local campaigns were conducted in 388 communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.  This was the most extensive coverage to date.

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary as the fundraising and support organization for Toys for Tots in 2001.  The highlights of the year were that the Foundation had its most successful campaign to date plus was ranked #289 in the 2001 “ Philanthropy 400”.  This was the first time the Foundation earned a ranking in the “Philanthropy 400”.

In 2002, Charity Navigator awarded the Foundation a 4-star rating and the Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked the Foundation #267 in the “Philanthropy 400”.

In 2003, the DMA Nonprofit Federation named the Foundation the “Outstanding Nonprofit Organization of the Year” for 2003.  The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked the Foundation #341 in the “Philanthropy 400”.  Starburst ranked the Foundation website #9 of the “Top 100 Toy Websites”.  Reader’s Digest, in the November 2003 edition, named Marine Toys for Tots Foundation “America’s Best Children’s Charity”.  In December 2003 edition, Forbes included Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in its “Gold Star List” of charities.

From 2004 to the present the Foundation has continued to receive, on an annual basis, the accolades noted above.

Over the 62 years of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, Marines have distributed more than 400 million toys to more than 188 million needy children.  This charitable endeavor has made U. S. Marines the unchallenged leader in looking after less fortunate children at Christmas.  Over its 18 year life span, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation has supplemented local toy collections with more than 81.3 million toys valued at more than $487 million; plus has provided promotion and support materials valued at over $6.3 million.

Please join us this year in helping to bring a little joy to a needy child by stopping by our office and donating an unwrapped toy.

Hosted by the non-profit Stumptown Tractor Club, the Killian Farm Show features everything from kiddy tractor pull and lawn mower pull competitions to wood-sawing contests and a tractor rodeo. Antique cars, trucks, tractors and other items will be on display, and visitors can see old-time steam engines in action. Food and drinks will be available.
Killian Farm, near the intersection of Highways 16 & 150 (Killians Crossroads), Denver, NC

Food on Site both Breakfast and Lunch.

Toys for Tots Drop off Site

Friday: Piedmont Lawn Mower Pull at 7pm

Saturday: Antique Tractor Pull by OTTPA At 1pm

“NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES”

Admission only $5

Children 10 & under free with adult

FREE Admission for Senior Citizens on Friday

“GUESTS” – PLEASE RESPECT OTHERS
NO PETS OR ALCOHOL ON SHOW GROUNDS

DESIGNATED CAMPING AREA PROVIDED
DRY CAMPING (NO HOOK-UPS)

A special Salute to the 100 Year Old Steam Tractor:

Feature Tractor: All Farmall Model Tractors 

THIS YEARS RAFFLE TRACTOR IS A

1958 FARMALL Cub with 1 point hitch & cultivators

Visit their website at:  http://www.stumptowntractor.com/
For Information Call:
Eddie Thompson 704-588-0191 or 704-572-5530
Robert W. Brown 704-875-6879 or 704-650-1671
Hugh Thompson 704-588-2417 or 704-351-3908
Robert M. Brown 704-875-6848
Tractor Pull: Allen Irvin 704-875-6668

Who Is ELBA?

East Lincoln Betterment Association (ELBA) is a thirty (30) plus year old non-profit organization of volunteers working to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Lincoln County by educating the public on key issues and concerns.

We are dedicated to identifying opportunities for improving and maintaining a higher quality of life in our communities and developing ways to effect change, where beneficial, for the betterment of all people who live or work in eastern Lincoln County.

Our membership consists of those resident and business owners of Catawba Springs Township and those areas surrounding that agree to support the aims, purpose, and objectives of the Association.  Only dues paying members are eligible to vote or be on our nominating committee.  General membership meetings are open to any interested persons.

Our Association is administered by a Board of Directors, which consists of four (4) Officers and seven (7) Directors who are elected for two (2) year terms.  Our regular Board meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month.

We present dynamic and informative guest speakers at each of our General Membership meetings that are held on the third Thursday of every other month at the Unity Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 8210 Unity Church Road, Denver, NC

We invite and encourage everyone to attend.  The doors open at 6:45 PM and the programs will get underway at 7:00 PM.  Light refreshments are usually served.

We are your voice, your connection, and your instrument to effect positive change in our County.  ELBA prides itself in ensuring smart growth with a watchful eye, and recognizing  hard-working citizens and organizations that step forward to make our community one of the best in the Lake Norman area.

We challenge you and your family or company to become a member of ELBA if you have a vested interest in this community as a resident or corporate citizen of our County and join those of us who are already actively involved in making a difference.

Share your perception, your perspective, and your passion to help contribute to the pride of making our community a much better place in which to work and live.

East Lincoln Betterment Association (ELBA) Early History

We are proud to profess that our organization is one of the “old originals” in the early evolution of East Lincoln since we were established in June of 1976.

Over the years we have been dedicated to identifying many of the opportunities for improving and maintaining a higher quality of life in our community.  The following chronology of events includes, but is not limited to just some of the contributions instrumental in the ways we effected the beneficial change for the betterment of all the people who live and work in Eastern Lincoln County:

1976 – 1977

• Instrumental in acquiring one of the area’s first pharmacist & drug stores as well as two optometrists.
• Donated $1000 to establish East Lincoln Rescue Squad.

1978 – 1979

• Funded road signs for Highway 16 intersection.
• Helped secure area ambulance service.

1980 – 1981

• Appointed a committee to study a County zoning ordinance.
• Supported early recycling efforts.

1982 – 1983

• Surveyed community needs.
• Provided funding to increase the number of East Lincoln Park ball fields.
• Provided 24 hour car counts for NCDOT to promote Highway 16 improvements.

1984 – 1985

• Met with Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. to promote widening of Highway 16 into four lanes.
• Petitioned NCDOT for Highway 16 improvements.

1986 – 1987

• Instrumental in the addition of red & caution lights at Highway 16.
• Petitioned Board of Commissioners for East Lincoln sewer system.
• Began sponsoring the annual non-partisan Candidate Forums.

1988 – 1989

• Created newsletter to keep citizens better informed about the community.
• Orchestrated fund raising drive for East Lincoln Park.

1990 – 1992

• Helped secure $34,350 of matching Federal grant funds for East Lincoln Park.
• Secured toll free local telephone service between Denver, NC and Charlotte.

1993 – 1995

• Donated:  $1000 to four East Lincoln schools; $2000 to East Lincoln Branch Library; video equipment to Sheriff’s Department.

1997 – 1998

• Placed mail pick-up boxes along Highway 16.
• Supported efforts for a East Lincoln public community center and gym.

2002 – 2003

• Hosted educational forum on alcohol referendum.
• Hosted opening of new East Lincoln Branch Library.
• Supported the creation of the East Lincoln Political Action Committee.

2004

• Promoted Charlotte’s Central Area Transit Authority (CATS) bus service to East Lincoln.
• Held progressive dinners to benefit area charities.
• Supported the creation of the East Lincoln Community Chorus.

2007

• Supported passage of The Lincoln County Land Use Plan

2008

• Supported building of Beatties Ford Park
• Participated in NC 16 Business Corridor Vision Plan

2009

• Supported passage of a County wide Unified Development Ordinance

To sign up for membership or just to learn more about ELBA, please visit their website at http://elbanc.org/.

They also have a great Facebook page with updates about community events…. http://www.facebook.com/ELBANC.

Per their Website:

Villages of Denver

This community is in a wonderful location of the bourgeoning west side of Lake Norman. You will love the lifestyle that comes with this location. From great schools, lake fun, convenient shopping or just relaxing by the community pool with your new friends, the Villages of Denver will definitely be a place you can call home.

If you have questions on these homes or the community, please feel free to call me at (980) 722-4971.