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Hike fundraiser
Simi Valley's first Habitat for Humanity

Cookbook Fundraiser $10 Building Homes, Giving Hope   1Life 2 Live and Simi Valley/ Moorpark  Assocation of Realtors have joined together to collect recipes to produce this cookbook. The sale of this cookbook will help to continue raise funds for the Habitat of Humanity project in SImi Valley. To purchase your copy of this wonderful cookbook call Robin Karcich (805) 304 -3634

It will likely be a sight that would have made Tyler Broberg proud.

Roughly 250 people are expected to turn out today for the Tyler Broberg Memorial "Roller Coaster" Hike at the Wood Ranch trailhead in Simi Valley.

They will be there for Tyler, a Royal High School student who died in August. The hike is the final fundraiser for 1Life2Live, a nonprofit organization formed by friends of Tyler after the 16-year-old drowned in Las Vegas. The money will go toward the construction of a Habitat for Humanity house, currently under way at Royal and Sequoia avenues.

The group set a goal of $50,000 to be raised for the house.

With the hike being the last of a school year full of fundraisers, the goal is expected to be surpassed.

"We're hoping to surpass it by a lot," said Emilie Mateu, a Royal student and friend of Broberg who founded the organization.

Today's event caps a busy year for the charity. The group worked hard putting together sponsorships and holding a carwash and various fundraisers at Big Pat's, the Golden Spoon, Elegant Gardens and other places.

The hike starts at 8 a.m. at the trailhead near Wood Ranch Parkway and Long Canyon Road.

It was planned for the location because it was a favorite trail of Tyler's family, which they called the "roller coaster" for its alternating inclines and declines.

Organizers said they are happy to be so close to their goal.

"It's exciting to see, just because we've been working on it for such a long time," said Mateu.

Today's 3-mile hike, described as the "big finish" to the fundraising effort, winds through the open space between Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks.

Along the way there will be signs pointing out places that were special to Tyler.

Participants can expect to finish the hike within about an hour. Refreshments, raffles and more will be available afterward.

The Habitat house, being built along with two other houses, will provide homes to area families in need.

The group expects to dedicate the house on Aug. 1, the first anniversary of Tyler's death.

Volunteers are still needed to help finish the house, Mateu said. The foundation was recently poured, and walls have gone up.

For more information on 1Life2Live, go to its Web site at http://www.1life2live.org.

Simi Valley-Moorpark Association of Realtors sponsors one of three homes, seeks volunteers. 

Hugh E. Scott, Special to the Star
Sunday, October 14, 2007 

Imagine being a low-income renter in Simi Valley with no chance of owning a home and suddenly, miraculously, the opportunity is made available to you and your loved ones. With the help of needed volunteers, that dream will soon come true for three Simi families, thanks to Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County (HFHVC). On Sept. 15, HFHVC broke ground for its first Simi Valley housing project. Located at Royal and Sequoia avenues, the development will feature three affordable single-family homes on 1.5 acres.Last month's historic dirt-digging ceremony was attended by Habitat members, volunteers, sponsors, city officials and local Realtors. Also present were two families who will eventually occupy the planned Habitat homes.

Left to Right: Tony Markarian - CFC Mortgage, Lynn Chanin-Hook, Colleen Dabbour and Robin Karcich of Keller Williams.

"I'm really happy for my kids and me!" exclaimed Laura Aguilera, one of the excited Habitat recipients.  

Aguilera has good reason to be elated. Situated in a nice, east-end Simi Valley neighborhood, her future home is bordered on two sides by lovely Vista Del Arroyo Community Park, which contains a variety of playground equipment and a small fruit orchard free for public picking. 

Her family includes Giselle, 5, Jose Rocha, 11 and Mayra Rocha, 14. 

Gabriella Silletti and her three children, Milinda Ovieda, 6, Donovan, 9, and Brianna, 12, also will receive a Simi Valley Habitat house.  

Habitat Family Recipents and Robin Karcich

A third deserving family will be announced by HFHVC in the near future. Major sponsors of the housing project are the Simi Valley-Moorpark Association of Realtors, Conejo Valley Interfaith Coalition and Starbucks Coffee Company. The Simi Valley Moorpark Association of Realtors Habitat sponsorship committee is seeking volunteer members from all professions to help fund the Habitat project. To date, the association has collected $52,000 of their $100,000 goal with a variety of fundraising events, such as a Bowl-a-Thon at Brunswick Bowl, Bingo at the Simi Valley Elks Lodge, a Holiday Poinsettia Sale, Ladies' Night Out at the Vineyards and Wine Tasting at Paul's Italian Villa.

If you would like to join the committee and perform a valuable community service, call Robin Karcich of Keller Williams at 304-3634. In addition to Karcich, committee members include Lynn Chanin-Hook and Colleen Dabbour, also with Troop Real Estate; Gayle Sutton of Keller Williams and Tony Markarian of CFC Mortgage Bankers.  

The Habitat construction is scheduled to begin by late October and should be completed in 18 months. 

Habitat for Humanity is not a giveaway program. Habitat homes are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans. The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are used to construct still more Habitat houses. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor — sweat equity — into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. 

At the construction site, volunteers can expect to meet great people, work side by side with the family who will occupy the house, and have fun making their dream of homeownership come true. You will not be asked to do something that makes you uncomfortable, such as getting on a roof or operating power tools.

Special skills are not needed to be a crewmember. However, since HFHVC provides training, volunteers are encouraged to work the entire planned, eight-hour day.

Habitat's daily schedule starts at 8 a.m. sharp. Volunteers check in at the construction site, register, sign waivers, and receive name tags. They are then assigned a house and introduced to the Job Captain and crew leader who will train the skills needed that day and work with the volunteers.

Lunch break is at noon. Habitat provides food on Saturdays only. After lunch, it's back on the job. At 3:30 p.m., volunteers clean up their equipment and end the work day 30 minutes later.

To register as a Habitat construction volunteer and obtain updated information, visit HabitatVentura.org.

The HFHVC Web site also features a photo gallery showing progress at the Simi Valley building site.

Residents interested in supporting HFHVC financially can do so by shopping at Ralph's grocery stores with their Ralph's CLUB cards. The supermarket chain will pay HFHVC quarterly based on household sales.

Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. HFHI seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.

Habitat For Humanity International has built more than 225,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1 million people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.

HFHI invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need.

To find out more about Habitat for Humanity in Ventura County, please click HERE.

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