Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro-East just finished their 23-home community in Gresham, Jubilee Commons, and celebrated with their home dedication ceremony Jan. 22. Jubilee Commons is now the largest Habitat community in Oregon housing 23 families and over 50 children.

I photographed the celebration for them which we started with a large group shot of some of the Jubilee Common’s homeowners. They followed with speeches from the homeowners, board members and awards to several people for their commitments and contributions to the project. After the ceremony, Boys Without Toys played for the crowd and the Macaroni Grill served food.

It felt really great to see so many new homeowners on stage and receive the keys to their new homes. Most families in the newest building will be moving in throughout the month of February and official own their homes. I started volunteering for Habitat over two years ago when this project was just getting off the ground and was amazing to see it all come together.

To see about volunteer opportunities with Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro-East check out their website at: http://habitatportlandmetro.org/

Denise Palfrey and her daughter, Alexsa, stand out front of Jubilee Commons in Gresham, OR where their new Habitat home is being built.

Habitat homeowners share at the 2010 Hope Builder Breakfast

I was honored to attend the 2010 Habitat Hope Builder Breakfast put on by Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro East.  Habitat (Portland Metro East) shares their stories with the community at this annual fundraiser at the Portland Convention Center.  This year two wonderful women shared their personal stories with the group of over 1,000 people that gathered at 7:30 a.m., April 29.

I often volunteer for Habitat doing portraits of families and documenting their builds. I got to personally meet and work with Denise Palfrey and Julia Mines.

Julia Mines has been living in her Habitat home for 10 years now with her family and grandson. She said she could only afford to rent and often ended up moving from place to place. She by chance took a friend to apply for the Habitat program and ended up applying herself and getting approved.

“Once they accepted me my life began to change overnight,” says Mines at the breakfast. “It has allowed me to be the foundation for my family.” Mines is currently a drug and alcohol counselor and is in her 3^rd year at Warner Pacific University for Human Development.

Denise Palfrey and her daughter, Alexsa, are just now working off their 500 hours sweat equity before they can move into their new Habitat home. Denise was the victim of domestic abuse and managed to pull herself out of it at the same time getting into a 12-step program. Denise and Alexsa have been working and visiting the development where their new home will be and getting to know the neighbors who also have Habitat homes.

“The sense of community is an incredible feeling,” Palfrey said at the Hope Builder Breakfast.  “Today I have a work community, a church community and now a Habitat community.”

Visit Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro East: http://habitatportlandmetro.org/

Julia raises her Grandson, Ajani, at her home in Portland, OR.

Julia Mines (center), her Grandson, Ajani (left), and husband, Fred (right), stand outside their home which they purchase through Habitat for Humanity 10 years ago.

Monkeys were swarming in the trees at Manuel Antonio Parque on Costa Rica's Pacific coast.

I just fell in love. Two weeks was all it took but I promise I will be back in Costa Rica. I just barely scratched the surface of this wild and beautiful country and will definitely be back. The people were wonderful, welcoming and made some of the best food and coffee I have had in years. We were also able to see some amazing wildlife through the thicket of the jungle. We saw macaws, monkeys, crocodiles, frogs and wonderful birds and bugs everywhere.

We started in Atenas visiting some wonderful family friends then headed to the Pacific coast to Tarcoles, which was teaming with wildlife. After a few days on the coast we tried to find Volcán Arenal, the most active volcano in Costa Rica. It hid in the clouds most of the time we were there but did give off a small plume of smoke.

We traveled around the west side of Laguna de Arenal, which was an amazing drive, to Santa Elena and Monte Verde. Santa Elena is a backpacker’s paradise and would definitely recommend the area. Our highlight was zip-lining through the cloud forest above the impenetrable forest canopy. We were ready for the heat and humidity of Puerto Viejo after a couple days in the mountains. I could have chilled on Caribbean coast for years and never felt an ounce of stress. Yah Man, it da pura vida man…

Volcan Arenal, from El Castillo, almost comes out from the clouds.

A Scarlet Macaw perced in an Almond Tree in Tarcoles, Costa Rica.

We hiked up to this waterfall from the Arenal Observatory Lodge on the south side of the volcano.

I wish I could saw I found this little guy in the wild but he was featured in a frog and butterfly exhibit.

This young boa constrictor was waiting for us at our room in Puerto Viejo wedged up in our shutters. He was great to meet and luckily no Fer de Lance.

It was difficult to say adios to the beautiful beaches and lush jungle on the Carribbean Coast.

In the spirit of giving and Thanksgiving I want to talk about a really great organization I have been working with over the last year. I have been volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro East photographing their builds, wall-raising ceremonies and families. Yes, this is a bit of an advertisement however I really believe what they do is important for the community.

Habitat Portland Metro East provides opportunities for local families, who otherwise would not be able, to become howe-owners. Habitat offers to qualified families a home with a 0% interest mortgage with 1% down and 500 hours of sweat equity. The new home-owners often find themselves building their own homes and helping to build their neighbors houses.

For the Executive Build, Habitat Portland Metro East gathered as many executives from local business and made them get their hands dirty. It was a great turn out and everyone really put in a lot of effort.

I encourage anyone that is interested in volunteering or learning how to build to find a local chapter of this organization. The houses and apartments are built from the ground up with volunteer support. Volunteers learn everything from proper use of power tools to raising walls on a house. Hopefully I will meet some of you on site!

For more information about Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro East please check out their website at: http://habitatportlandmetro.org/