Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley Celebrating 30 Years of Service
Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley has been working for the communities of Southwest Riverside County since 1991.
“I believe housing is foundational to everything,” said Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley Executive Director, Tammy Marine. “Being able to provide decent, affordable housing to families, or provide home repairs to seniors, for example, is a privilege and an essential contribution to our community that might otherwise go unaddressed.”
Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley was founded on Christian principles in 1991, as an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, to provide low-income housing for families in the Inland Valley.
But that doesn’t mean the organization simply gives away housing for free. One of the group’s slogans is, “We Give a Hand Up, Not a Hand Out!”
“I also very much relate to the fact that the Habitat model encourages self-development,” Marine said. “In other words, through our homebuilding programs, our education programs, or even by shopping our ReStores, we systematically involve individuals in the process of improving their own lives.
“I believe when people are a part of their own solution, a message is planted that yes, we each have more control over our lives than some might think. That tiny paradigm shift, to me, opens the door to limitless opportunities and is the reason we see Habitat homeowners advance in other areas of their life after going through our program. Decent housing and improved neighborhoods are the crux of our program, but I am equally inspired by the less obvious which, in essence, offers a message of hope.”
HFHIV serves the cities of Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake, Sun City, Menifee, and Perris.
Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley works on improving housing locally, but also globally, through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies outside the U.S. borders.
“One of my favorite memories is of my first global Habitat for Humanity trip,” Marine said. “Our local affiliate took a team of five to Nepal. A global experience with Habitat for Humanity really ingrains you in the day-to-day life of people living in the most compromised situations in the world. I had never experienced anything like what I witnessed on that trip – the living conditions were deplorable and to see it up close was life-changing. But also, getting to know the people we were serving, learning their stories, seeing firsthand their challenges, feeling their sense of desperation but also feeling their gratitude and appreciation – those things stick with you for a lifetime and have changed who I am today.”
The ability to affect change in the lives of so many is what Marine said drives her.
“It sounds cliché, but we change lives,” Marine said. “It’s what we do and we do it in a multitude of ways! Through tangible means, like in the form of an affordable, safe home or through our home-preservation programs, but also through the intangible means that teach the simple notion that there are few obstacles that can’t be overcome with a little vision, some hard work and a little help from our friends. And I believe our supporters’ lives are changed too. Our thousands of volunteers and donors gain from the opportunity to serve and learn and care! To me, those things are the magic of Habitat for Humanity.”
