Providence Homes, Local Trade Partners and HOPE International raise over $35,000 building HOPE for Thousands in Need Around the World

Jacksonville, FL –Local homebuilder Providence Homes announced today that it has completed their third “House for HOPE” located in the Aberdeen Community of Wellington Park in Northwest St. John’s County.  The sale of this home contributed over $35,000 which will benefit HOPE International, a global, nonprofit organization that provides micro-loans to people in poverty-stricken countries.

Despite a challenging real estate market, Bill Cellar, CEO of Providence Homes felt the calling to give back to those most in need.  Together with its first two Houses for HOPE, The Providence Homes team, with the strong support of its vendors and trade partners, has impacted countless numbers of people, through HOPE International. Ultimately this money will have helped more than 10,000 individuals and families with $100 to $500 micro-loans to start businesses to rebuild their lives.

“We’ve been involved with HOPE International for many years now. It’s a powerful, faith-based group that is making huge strides in alleviating poverty by helping people build businesses to support themselves,” said Bill Cellar, CEO of Providence Homes. “With just a few hundred dollars, people can create a business for a sustainable living and get out of poverty for good, providing better education, healthcare and nutrition for their children. It truly is a hand-up, not a hand-out.”

HOPE International is a faith-based group that serves the poor in developing countries by providing them with micro loans.  Nearly all HOPE loans, 99% are repaid.  Many of the loan recipients 87% are women. Most have children to provide for, others have been abandoned or widowed by war or devastation. “A few hundred dollars is enough money to sell shoes or vegetables in an open market or purchase sheep or pigs for livestock,” added Cellar. “And with the high repayment rate, the $500 loaned to one person is available for another, and so on. That’s what makes this program so successful and worthy of support.”

To date, HOPE International has issued approximately $3 million in micro-loans. Since getting involved in 2002, Providence Homes has raised over $250,000 for HOPE International with their three House for HOPE projects.

Along with HOPE International, Providence Homes is actively involved in initiatives focusing on health, youth development, nation-building and leadership projects centered around faith. Bill Cellar, CEO of Providence Homes has traveled extensively throughout Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, working on a wide range of non-profit organizations all centered around his faith.  Some local initiatives include I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless, The Salvation Army, Builders Care, the United Way of North Florida, the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, International Community Foundation and the Lemuel Organization.

Providence Homes would like to thank everyone who participated in building and donating time to building the House for HOPE in support of HOPE International.

The trade contractors that participated in the construction of the HOPE house included:

• Adina Construction
• Advance Trim
• American Insulators & Specialties
• Atch Aluminum, Inc.
• B&B Extermination Company
• Bobby Campbell Roofing
• Builders First Source
• Canac
• Carl Wilbur
• Concrete Masters
• Cornerstone Paint and Drywall
• Creative Touch
• Creative Touch Interiors
• Custom Comfort
• D.R. Leach Irrigation, Inc.
• Duncan Plumbing
• Environmental Stoneworks
• Exterior Supply
• First Coast Supply
• Florida Builder Specialty Company, Inc.
• House for Hope – Trade Partners
• Munson & Bryan
• Onsite Safety
• Overhead Door
• P.K. Austin
• Precision Construction Systems, Inc.
• Rink Materials
• Scott Alarm, Inc.
• Sizemore Surveying
• Skyetec
• Southern Scapes
• Stewart Lighting
• The Kitchen Works
• Weather barriers Unlimited, LLC

HOPE International empowers those living in need around the world to escape poverty by providing microloans, savings services, training, and mentoring to help people become self-sufficient.  Working in 13 of the poorest, least-served countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Caribbean, HOPE is a Christian faith-based 501(c) (3) non-profit organization focused on alleviating the many dimensions of poverty – physical, social, and spiritual – through microenterprise development