Pensacola Habitat for Humanity held its Annual Dinner on Oct. 29. More than 275 supporters, Habitat homeowners and community members gathered for the event held at the Betty and James Salter Center, Habitat’s main office and warehouse named for longtime volunteers who retired from full-time volunteer service in 2011.
The evening began with an open house and continued with a catered dinner and program. The program included interviews with several Pensacola Habitat homeowners conducted by board member Shirley Henderson and a ‘unique’ musical performance by Pensacola Habitat’s Global Village volunteer build team. The 19 member team returned home just over a week ago after traveling to Nepal for Everest Build II, held from Oct. 7-13. The volunteer team from Pensacola Habitat joined with 500 volunteers from around the world to build 37 homes in Nepal.
A particular highlight was the awarding of a scholarship to PSC, named to honor the Salters, to a young man from Pensacola Boys’ Base, a juvenile corrections program, which has a longstanding relationship with the construction program of Pensacola Habitat. Their work with Habitat provides the young men in the program job skills training as well as mentoring through their relationships with Habitat’s staff and volunteers.
The evening’s activities culminated with the presentation of the Volunteer of the Year Award, presented to Charlotte Crane. Crane is a longtime supporter of and advocate for Habitat. Recently she has volunteered her time and journalistic skills researching and writing a book detailing the 30-year history of Pensacola Habitat for Humanity. “The story of Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, which today is one of the most successful Habitat organizations in the country, is an incredible true story about thousands of dedicated and creative volunteers who in 31 years have built more than 1,000 homes in our community,’’ said Charlotte Crane. “I was thrilled to be asked to record what made history happen.”
Crane is the Northwest Florida correspondent for Florida Trend magazine, and had formerly worked 26 years at the Pensacola News Journal as a reporter and business editor.
Gerald Adcox, chairman of the Pensacola Habitat Board of Directors, then closed the event by recognizing the following board members who will complete their respective terms of service to Pensacola Habitat’s governing board at the end of this year:
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Pensacola Habitat for Humanity honors volunteers