Gurnee fest to aid Habitat for Humanity

Attend a family festival in Gurnee and help build three homes in the process.

Make It a "Habit-At" Family Fest will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Viking Park, 4374 Old Grand Ave., Gurnee.

The event is hosted by the Lake County North Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Thrivent Financial, a non-profit fraternal organization, partnered with Habitat for Humanity International two years ago to help build affordable housing for people.

Through Habitat for Humanity, the homes are sold to partner families at no profit. In addition to monthly mortgage payments, home buyers must donate labor toward building their home or other Habitat needs.

Julie Donovan, executive director at Habitat for Humanity, said Thrivent Financial provides 70 percent of funding. Habitat provides 20 percent of funding, and Thrivent chapters work to raise the remaining amount, often by organizing fund-raisers.

Not only does Thrivent Partnership fund the homes, it also provides manpower to build homes, Donovan said.

"They give a lot of physical support to the organization," she said.

Warren Fletter, who is part of the committee to organize the festival, has helped build the homes and remembers when homeowners come up to him to say thank you.

"That makes you feel good. People who will live there are grateful for what we are doing there," he said.

The Lake County chapter, which is made up of 10 Lutheran churches in Gurnee, Waukegan and Zion, helped build three homes in 2005 at Carter Woods in Waukegan.

Through the family festival and other church fund-raising, the chapter hopes to raise $14,000 to build three more homes in Carter Crossing subdivision in Waukegan, Fletter said.

Free-will donations will be accepted to enter the festival, and tickets will be sold for 50 cents each to take part in games and buy food.

Among the activities will be Habitat Horseshoe, birdhouse building, pony rides, moonwalk and face-painting and sidewalk art.

Food available for purchase will include hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecue ribs, corn, tortillas, ice cream, cotton candy and drinks. Members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Waukegan will sell baked goods.

Many of Thrivent's member churches will provide entertainment throughout the day. They include singers Leap of Faith, jazz musicians Jazz 49 from St. Paul Lutheran Church in Waukegan, a Honduran dance group and a singing group Sagrado Corazon from Trinity Lutheran Church.